Which place is cheaper, Salta or Santa Elena?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Santa Elena or Salta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Santa Elena and Salta. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Santa Elena or Salta?
Santa Elena
Santa Elena is a cute town, and the closest to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It's one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica, and is a great place to experience the cloud forest and see some of country's unique wildlife.
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest you have a good chance of seeing rare quetzals which are the national bird of Costa Rica. Other common animals include white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-kneed tarantulas, any of 8-9 species of hummingbirds, and sloth.
Santa Elena is about 1,400 meters above sea level and has a humid and damp environment. The average yearly temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the average rainfall is 3,000 millimetres. Humidity can be anywhere between 74% and 97%.
Salta
Located in the heart of the famous Northwest region of Argentina, at 1200m of elevation and at the foot of the Cerro San Bernardo, Salta is the largest city of the region and perhaps the most beautiful colonial city of Argentina. Founded in 1582 by the Spanish, Salta was an important stop for merchants who followed the usual trade road through Bolivia and Peru. Argentines call this city nestled in the foothills of the Andes and surrounded by mountains, of just over half a million inhabitants, Salta La Linda (Salta the Beautiful) and it's easy to see why. Young and traditional at the same time, Salta and its renowned museums, plaza side cafes and live musica folklorica of its bustling penas, is a sophisticated and lively city day and night.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Costa Rica, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina, and The Best Eco Tours in Argentina.
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Santa Elena Prices
Costa Rica PricesSalta Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySanta Elena $109Salta $45
The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Elena is $109, while the average daily cost in Salta is $45. 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 Santa Elena and Salta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSanta Elena $55Salta $31
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSanta Elena $110Salta $62
Compare Hotels in Santa Elena and Salta
Looking for a hotel in Santa Elena or Salta? 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: Salta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santa Elena $11Salta $3.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Saint Helena Monte Verde: $210
- Private Transfer From Monteverde to your Destination: $240
- Private Transfer From Monteverde to San Jose With 2 Stops: $233
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
- MiniVan Departure Transfer Monteverde to San Jose Airport SJO: $215
- Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $197
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salta
Also for Salta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Saver Combo: Cafayate, Cachi, Salt Fields, Transfers and Walking: $184
- Combo: Cafayate, Cachi and Humahuaca, transfers and walking tour: $177
- Humahuaca, 7-color Hill & round trip transfers airport - hotel in Salta: $167
- Cafayate Wine Tour with Tastings and Transfers: $150
- Combo: Cafayate Tour + Cachi + Transfers + Free Walking Tour: $117
- Salta City Tour & Round Trip Transfers airport - hotel: $109
- From Salinas and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $99
- From Cafayate and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $88
- Private 1-Way or Round Trip SLA Airport Transfer: $56
- Salta Airport One-Way or Round-Trip Transfers: $45
- Salta Airport Shuttle Transfer: $15
- Shared Transfer from Downtown Hotels in Salta to Airport: $12
Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Elena or Salta?
Prices for flights to both Salta and Santa Elena 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 daySanta Elena $41Salta $5.41
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Elena
For Santa Elena, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Monteverde Cooking Class: $60
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santa Elena $30Salta $27
Tours and Activities in Santa Elena
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.
- Cloud Forest hanging bridges with a local naturalist tour guide: $22
- Curi-cancha Bird-Watching tour semi private : $40
- 2x1 Guided Tour Combo Hanging Bridges and Night Walk: $40
- 3 Hours Bird Watching Guided Experience in Bajo Cebadilla: $90
- 3 hours of the Longest and Highest Extreme Zip line Experience in Monteverde: $95
- Admission Ticket to Las Pumas Rescue Center : $20
- Adventure Day - Outdoor Fun for Family & Friends Package: $29
- Adventure Park High Ropes Course : $69
- Birdwatching Tour in Monteverde : $85
- Canopy Adventure From Monteverde: $86
- Cloud Forest Small Group Tour: $30
- Coffee Tour Monteverde : $60
Tours and Activities in Salta
For Salta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Full-Day Tour to Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca From Salta: $38
- 2-Day Tour to Cachi and Los Cardones National Park: $57
- 3 Day Tour from Salta to Cachi, Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes: $88
- Adventure in the North: Pack of 4 Excursions + Hornocal: $132
- Best of Guided City Tour: $43
- Cachi Full Day Tour with Los Cardones National Park: $34
- Exclusive day-long private tour of Cafayate vineyards: $278
- From Salta 3 Day Tour to Cafayate Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes: $88
- From Cachi and Los Cardones National Park Tour: $30
- From City Tour of the city on a half-day ride: $20
- From Full-Day Scenic Tour to Cachi: $30
- From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate, Land of Wines: $31
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySanta Elena $6.21Salta $5.50
Sample the Local Flavors in Salta
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Salta:
- Cafayate: Full-day tour of wineries and wine tasting: $29
- Full-day Cafayate, Lerma Valley, and Wine Tasting from Salta: $30
- From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate with Wine Tasting: $30
- From Cafayate Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $40
- Half Day Wine Tasting in Salta: $147
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santa Elena and Salta, we can see that Santa Elena is more expensive. And not only is Salta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santa Elena is in Central America and Salta 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 Salta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salta 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 Santa Elena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santa Elena than you might in Salta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santa Elena Expensive? and Is Salta Expensive?.
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.