Which place is cheaper, Puerto Varas or San Pedro?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit San Pedro or Puerto Varas?
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 Varas, 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 Varas?
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 Varas
Puerto Varas is a city in Southern Chile, in the Los Lagos (Lakes) Region, Llanquihue Province. It is a charming town, only 23 km away from Puerto Montt and surrounded by the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes as well as the impressive Llanquihue lake. In terms of landscape, accommodation and activities, Puerto Varas is well served! Kayak, paddle, canyoning, rock climbing, trekking, ski, fishing, you name it! If you decide to stop in that area, we recommend that you stay in Puerto Varas, as it provides the perfect starting point for many memorable excursions in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Belize, The Best G Adventures Tours to Belize, The Best G Adventures Tours to Chile, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Pedro $135Puerto Varas $109
The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro is $135, while the average daily cost in Puerto Varas is $109. 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 Varas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Pedro $66Puerto Varas $67
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Pedro $132Puerto Varas $134
Compare Hotels in San Pedro and Puerto Varas
Looking for a hotel in San Pedro or Puerto Varas? 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.
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 Varas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Pedro $34Puerto Varas $21
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 Varas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Varas:
- Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $21
- Transfer to Puerto Montt Airport: $22
- Transfer from Hotel in Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport: $24
- Transfer from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport: $50
Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro or Puerto Varas?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Varas 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
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Food Meals for one daySan Pedro $40Puerto Varas $25
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Pedro $33Puerto Varas $19
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 Varas
Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Varas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Tour Frutillar: $31
- Half day Frutillar and Llanquihue Town tour: $34
- Half-Day Tour to Frutillar and Llanquihue: $35
- Half day Osorno Volcano tour: $35
- Todos los Santos Lake and Villa Peulla Tour: $48
- Todos los Santos Lake and Villa Peulla Tour: $48
- From Osorno Volcano & Petrohue Falls Day Tour: $49
- Half-Day Small-Group Rafting Experience in Petrohué River: $52
- From Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt: Chiloé Island Tour: $60
- FullDay Chiloe Island Tour Castro and dalcahue: $62
- Full-Day Tour Chiloe Island: Castro and Dalcahue : $62
- Peulla Full Day Tour from Puerto Varas: $68
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Pedro $16Puerto Varas $6.51
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro and Puerto Varas, we can see that San Pedro is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Varas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Pedro is in Central America and Puerto Varas 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 Varas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Varas 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 Varas.
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 Varas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, San Pedro or Puerto Varas?
Puerto Varas has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of San Pedro. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro and Puerto Varas, 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.
When is the best time to visit San Pedro or Puerto Varas?
Puerto Varas has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but San Pedro experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit San Pedro or Puerto Varas in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both San Pedro and Puerto Varas. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to San Pedro year-round.
San Pedro is much warmer than Puerto Varas in the summer. The daily temperature in San Pedro averages around 28°C (82°F) in July, and Puerto Varas fluctuates around 16°C (60°F)in January.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Puerto Varas this time of the year. In San Pedro, it's very sunny this time of the year. San Pedro usually receives more sunshine than Puerto Varas during summer. San Pedro gets 226 hours of sunny skies, while Puerto Varas receives 204 hours of full sun in the summer.
San Pedro gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, San Pedro usually receives more rain than Puerto Varasin January. San Pedro gets 243 mm (9.6 in) of rain, while Puerto Varas receives 90 mm (3.5 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuarySan Pedro 28°C (82°F)Puerto Varas 16°C (60°F)
Should I visit San Pedro or Puerto Varas in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to San Pedro as well as Puerto Varas. San Pedro attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In the autumn, San Pedro is much warmer than Puerto Varas. Typically, the autumn temperatures in San Pedro in October average around 26°C (80°F), and Puerto Varas averages at about 11°C (51°F)in April.
In the autumn, San Pedro often gets more sunshine than Puerto Varasin April. San Pedro gets 196 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Puerto Varas receives 104 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Puerto Varas. San Pedro receives a lot of rain in the autumn. San Pedro usually gets more rain in October than Puerto Varasin April. San Pedro gets 255 mm (10 in) of rain, while Puerto Varas receives 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilSan Pedro 26°C (80°F)Puerto Varas 11°C (51°F)
Should I visit San Pedro or Puerto Varas in the Winter?
Both Puerto Varas and San Pedro are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to San Pedro throughout the year.
In January, San Pedro is generally much warmer than Puerto Varasin July. Daily temperatures in San Pedro average around 24°C (74°F), and Puerto Varas fluctuates around 7°C (45°F).
San Pedro usually receives more sunshine than Puerto Varas during winter. San Pedro gets 199 hours of sunny skies, while Puerto Varas receives 67 hours of full sun in the winter.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Puerto Varas. It's quite rainy in San Pedro. In January, San Pedro usually receives less rain than Puerto Varasin July. San Pedro gets 138 mm (5.4 in) of rain, while Puerto Varas receives 229 mm (9 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulySan Pedro 24°C (74°F)Puerto Varas 7°C (45°F)
Should I visit San Pedro or Puerto Varas in the Spring?
Both Puerto Varas and San Pedro during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to San Pedro because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
San Pedro is much warmer than Puerto Varas in the spring. The daily temperature in San Pedro averages around 27°C (80°F) in April, and Puerto Varas fluctuates around 11°C (51°F)in October.
It's quite sunny in San Pedro. In the spring, San Pedro often gets more sunshine than Puerto Varasin October. San Pedro gets 256 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Puerto Varas receives 151 hours of full sun.
Puerto Varas gets a good bit of rain this time of year. San Pedro usually gets less rain in April than Puerto Varasin October. San Pedro gets 52 mm (2 in) of rain, while Puerto Varas receives 121 mm (4.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberSan Pedro 27°C (80°F)Puerto Varas 11°C (51°F)
Typical Weather for Puerto Varas and San Pedro
| San Pedro | Puerto Varas | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 24°C (74°F) | 138 mm (5.4 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 90 mm (3.5 in) |
| Feb | 24°C (76°F) | 73 mm (2.9 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 93 mm (3.7 in) |
| Mar | 26°C (78°F) | 25 mm (1 in) | 13°C (55°F) | 99 mm (3.9 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (80°F) | 52 mm (2 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 143 mm (5.6 in) |
| May | 28°C (82°F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 234 mm (9.2 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 258 mm (10.2 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 224 mm (8.8 in) |
| Jul | 28°C (82°F) | 243 mm (9.6 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 229 mm (9 in) |
| Aug | 28°C (82°F) | 187 mm (7.4 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 209 mm (8.2 in) |
| Sep | 28°C (82°F) | 287 mm (11.3 in) | 9°C (47°F) | 146 mm (5.7 in) |
| Oct | 26°C (80°F) | 255 mm (10 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Nov | 25°C (77°F) | 183 mm (7.2 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) |
| Dec | 25°C (76°F) | 138 mm (5.4 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.