Which place is cheaper, Arica or Santiago?
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 Santiago or Arica?
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 Santiago and Arica. 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: Santiago or Arica?
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
Arica
A mixture of coastline, desert and high Andean plateau, Arica is a seaside resort town, known for its surfing beaches located at the tip of Northern Chile. Arica boasts that it is "the land of the eternal spring," but its temperate climate and beaches are not the only reason to visit this small city. Arica's tourism is still principally geared toward domestic visitors and those from southern Peru and La Paz, who flock to its beaches mid-December through February. It is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace but the city also offers plenty of fun activities and exciting day trips.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile, The Best 2-Week Tours in Chile, The Best Bicycle Tours in Chile, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Chile.
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Santiago Prices
Chile PricesArica Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySantiago $148Arica $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Santiago is $148, while the average daily cost in Arica is $98. 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 Santiago and Arica in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSantiago $107Arica $34
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSantiago $214Arica $68
Compare Hotels in Santiago and Arica
Looking for a hotel in Santiago or Arica? 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: Santiago Hotel Prices and Arica Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santiago $5.31Arica $17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride$1.11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- from Santiago airport private arrival transfer to the Valparaiso pier: $251
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Santiago APT-HTL (SCL): $51
- Transfer to Valparaiso Cruise Terminal with Winery & Town Tour: $109
- Transfer in-out a Puerto de San Antonio o Valparaiso / Santiago: $110
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Santiago de Chile City - Santiago Airport (SCL): $26
- Transfer in Private Vehicle Santiago Airport (SCL) - Santiago de Chile City: $26
- Transfer from or to the airport or hotel in Santiago de Chile: $35
- Transfer from Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski to Santiago: $83
- Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
- Transfer To Valle Nevado Private for small groups: $250
- Transfer Santiago-Valparaiso / Valparaiso-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $198
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arica
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arica are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$2.05
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arica
Also for Arica, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica city hotels: $22
- Private Transfer from Arica City hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $22
- Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Hotels: $24
- Private Transfer from Arica Hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $24
- Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $27
- Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port : $27
- Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $30
- Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port: $30
- Arica Airport Private Transfer: $55
Is it cheaper to fly into Santiago or Arica?
Prices for flights to both Arica and Santiago 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 daySantiago $22Arica $48
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$1.85
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Hamburger$2.45
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Dinner$25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago: $107
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $109
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $117
- Small-Group Night City Tour: San Cristobal Hill and Dinner Show: $120
- San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
- Sunset Alyan + 6 wines + individual snack + rustic dinner : $130
- Sunset Winery Tour with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $130
- Viña Concha y Toro Nocturno: Dinner Show: $137
- 4-Hour Private Night Tour with Dinner and Show: $150
- Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $158
- Bali Hai Dinner Show in Santiago de Chile: $161
- Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago with Wine Pairings : $168
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santiago $46Arica $20
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- Farellones & Valle Nevado Group Tour: $100
- Private Adventure at 4200 meters above sea level in the Chilean Andes Cerro Pintor: $300
- Private Half-Day Guided Tour of the City of Santiago.: $280
- Private Sightseeing City Tour in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: $239
- 3 Hours Santiago Blend Walking Tour: $5.00
- 4 Hours Guided Walking Tour in Santiago : $5.00
- A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -small group: $25
- A full Private Tour of Valparaiso from Santiago : $198
- An Architect's Tour of Downtown Santiago: $50
- Andean Horse Ride Yerba Loca Sanctuary - Private tour from Santiago: $240
- Andean Tour: $170
- Andes Day Lagoon: Embalse El Yeso Tour from Santiago: $120
Tours and Activities in Arica
For Arica, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Half day Panoramic City Tour: $49
- Arica Private Sightseeing Tour : $150
- Archeological Sightseeing tour in Arica: $153
- Private Tour to Tacna from Arica: $287
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySantiago $8.24Arica $19
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $50
- Concha y Toro Full Master Edition: Wine Tasting Included: $56
- Undurraga Wine tour: $60
- Undurraga Wine Tasting Tour from Santiago: $75
- Valparaiso Art and Culture with wine tasting in Casablanca: $79
- half day wine tour to concha y toro from Santiago seasonal offer: $95
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $99
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with wine tasting in Casablanca: $99
- Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $100
- Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $100
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $100
- From Concha y Toro Marqués Half-Day Wine Tasting: $103
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santiago and Arica, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is Arica much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Arica would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Arica 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in Arica.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santiago Expensive? and Is Arica Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santiago or Arica?
Santiago has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Arica. When comparing the sizes of Santiago and Arica, 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.
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.