A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers San Pedro vs. Puerto Natales for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit San Pedro or Puerto Natales?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Pedro or Puerto Natales, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: San Pedro or Puerto Natales?

San Pedro

San Pedro is the largest town on Ambergris Caye, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Belize. Here you can find a tropical paradise with warm weather, clear blue waters, plenty of activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving, and a host of hotels, restaurants, and other amenities.

Puerto Natales

Puerto Natales is a beautiful town located in the Chilean Patagonia on the Senoret Channel. The city is often used as a base camp for trips to the surrounding national parks due to their plentiful restaurant options and access to internet. Puerto Natales is also known for being the base city to the Torres del Paine National Park, which was named the 5th most beautiful place in the world by National Geographic.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Belize, The Best G Adventures Tours to Belize, The Best Adventure Tours to Chile, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Natales or San Pedro?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro is $135, while the average daily cost in Puerto Natales is $84. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for San Pedro and Puerto Natales in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    San Pedro $66
    Puerto Natales $38
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    San Pedro $132
    Puerto Natales $76
Compare Hotels in San Pedro and Puerto Natales

Looking for a hotel in San Pedro or Puerto Natales? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in San Pedro


Hotels in Puerto Natales


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Puerto Natales Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    San Pedro $34
    Puerto Natales $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro

Some specific examples of transportation prices in San Pedro:

  • Cave Tubing and Zipline Adventure (Boat Transfer): $205

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:

  • Puerto Natales Airport Private Transfer: $18
  • From Torres del Paine Tour with Transfer: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro or Puerto Natales?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Natales and San Pedro change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    San Pedro $40
    Puerto Natales $28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in San Pedro.

  • Belizean Sunset and Cultural Dinner Cruise: $120

Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Cake
    $1.05
  • Dinner
    $18
  • Coke
    $1.05

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    San Pedro $33
    Puerto Natales $29

Tours and Activities in San Pedro

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for San Pedro are as follows:

  • Sunset Tiki Bar Cruise in Caye Caulker, Belize: $45
  • Shark & Ray Afternoon Swim Tiki Bar Cruise: $45
  • 3 Hours Barrier Reef Tour in Caye Caulker, Belize: $54
  • Ambergris Caye Sunset Sail Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat: $75
  • SAN PEDRO; Belizean Food Experience: $86
  • Hol Chan Marine Reserve Snorkel Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat: $89
  • Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley Snorkel Tour - Ambergris Caye: $93
  • Hol Chan Full-Day Bucket List Snorkeling and Marine Life Tour: $95
  • Hol Chan, Shark Ray Full-Day Snorkeling Tour From San Pedro Belize: $110
  • All-Inclusive Full-Day Hol Chan Snorkeling Tour : $120
  • Mexico Rocks Day Sail Shared Guided Tour: $129
  • Exclusive All-in-1 Full Day Shared Guided Tour: $139

Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales

Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Natales for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Bus ticket to El Calafate, Argentina: $44
  • City Bike Tour in Puerto Natales: $58
  • Puerto Natales Sightseeing Bike Tour: $62
  • From Torres del Paine National Park Day Tour: $80
  • Torres del Paine Full Day Tour: $87
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine + Milodon cave: $88
  • Full-Day Torres del Paine Tour: $90
  • Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine: $93
  • Torres del Paine Park Full-Day Tour from Puerto Natales: $95
  • Full Day Torres del Paine Tour: $99
  • Full Day Patagonia Tour from Puerto Natales: $100

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    San Pedro $16
    Puerto Natales $17

Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Alcohol
    $13


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro and Puerto Natales, we can see that San Pedro is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Natales much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Pedro is in Central America and Puerto Natales is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Puerto Natales would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Natales and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in San Pedro would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Pedro than you might in Puerto Natales.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Pedro Expensive? and Is Puerto Natales Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, San Pedro or Puerto Natales?

Puerto Natales has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of San Pedro. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro and Puerto Natales, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.