Which place is cheaper, San Pedro de Atacama or Santiago?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santiago or San Pedro de Atacama?
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 San Pedro de Atacama. 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 San Pedro de Atacama?
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.
San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama is a gateway to northern Chile. It is a good jumping off point for exploring the area's impressive landscape, most of which is included in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. It is popular with both Chilean and international tourists, and because of its popularity, it is a relatively expensive destination, with many prices comparable to what you might pay in Santiago.
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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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySantiago $141San Pedro de Atacama $59
The average daily cost (per person) in Santiago is $141, while the average daily cost in San Pedro de Atacama is $59. 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 San Pedro de Atacama in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSantiago $110San Pedro de Atacama $32
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSantiago $220San Pedro de Atacama $64
Compare Hotels in Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama
Looking for a hotel in Santiago or San Pedro de Atacama? 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 San Pedro de Atacama Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santiago $5.41San Pedro de Atacama $9.15
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$1.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- Visit Montes Winery (7th World Best Wine) & Transfer to Hotel: $300
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Santiago APT-HTL (SCL): $51
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Santiago de Chile City - Santiago Airport (SCL): $50
- Transfer in Private Minivan from Santiago Airport (SCL) - Santiago de Chile City: $49
- Transfer from or to the airport in Santiago, Chile: $60
- Transfer from Valparaiso or San Antonio Port + Condor Watching Tour: $230
- Transfer from Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski to Santiago: $83
- Transfer from Santiago to Portillo Ski Center: $160
- Transfer from Santiago To Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski: $83
- Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
- Transfer To Valle Nevado Private for small groups: $250
- Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $250
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro de Atacama
Also for San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama Airport: $29
- Calama Airport: Shared Transfer to/from San Pedro de Atacama: $30
- Transfers to San Pedro de Acatama (shared service): $30
- Atacama Airport Shuttle Transfer: $38
- Stargazing Experience with Transfer: $39
- Puritama Thermal Transfer: $46
- Calama Airport Transfer to Atacama / Airport Lodging: $60
- Transfer to the Puritama Hot Springs: $60
- Direct Transfer Atacama to Uyuni: $128
- Private transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama City: $190
- 3 Perfect Days in Atacama + Transfer: $250
Is it cheaper to fly into Santiago or San Pedro de Atacama?
Prices for flights to both San Pedro de Atacama 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 $13San Pedro de Atacama $14
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$1.89
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Hamburger$2.50
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Dinner$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Sunset Winery Tour with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $45
- Sunset at Alyan Family Wines Winery with Dinner: $95
- Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago: $107
- Sunset Alyan + 6 wines + savory board + rustic dinner + dessert: $119
- Small-Group Night City Tour: San Cristobal Hill and Dinner Show: $120
- San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
- Private Tour: Santiago at Night with Dinner and Show: $131
- Private Night City Tour with San Cristobal Hill And Dinner Show: $131
- 4-Hour Private Night Tour with Dinner and Show: $150
- Private Dinner and Show with Transfers: $158
- Traditional Chilean Cooking Class with a Local in Her Santiago Countryside Home: $168
Typical Food Prices in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Empanadas$1.26
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Lunch$10
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Dinner$11
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Drink$0.94
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Empanada$5.24
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Private Dinner Under the Stars: $300
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santiago $47San Pedro de Atacama $21
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- 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
- 4 Hour Santa Rita Winery All inclusive Tour for Wine Lover: $269
- 4-hour city tour of Santiago in small groups: $80
- Adventure and Viewpoints in Cajón del Maipo: $255
- Andean Horse Ride Yerba Loca Sanctuary - Private tour from Santiago: $240
- Andean Tour: $158
- Andes Day Lagoon: Embalse El Yeso Tour from Santiago: $120
- Andes Half-Day Private Tour with Wine and Cheese Tasting: $190
- Andes Sunset: shared tour with Asado in the mountain: $90
- Andes Tour to Portillo Inca Lagoon with San Esteban Vineyard Empanada & Wine: $119
- Andes Whitewater Rafting Adventure plus Winery Tour and Tasting: $199
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Pedro de Atacama
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for San Pedro de Atacama's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Sand Boarding$56
Tours and Activities in San Pedro de Atacama
For San Pedro de Atacama, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Astronomical Tour with Guide and Pick Up San Pedro de Atacama: $39
- Valle de la Luna: The unmissable tour: $40
- Stargazing Tour with Astronomer in San Pedro de Atacama: $40
- Tour to Vallecito and Magic Bus: $42
- Tour to the Valley of the Moon San Pedro de Atacama: $42
- Etno-Astronomical Experience: $43
- 6-hour tour to Valle del Arcoíris: $44
- Traditional Ethnoastronomy Tour in San Pedro de Atacama: $44
- Traditional Ethnoastronomy Experience: $44
- Valle de la Luna Guided Tour: $44
- Guided Atacama Desert Stargazing Tour: $44
- Cejar Lagoon Tour: San Pedro de Atacama: $44
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySantiago $8.41San Pedro de Atacama $4.94
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Premium Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Spanish official: $37
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $50
- Concha y Toro Ticket and Tour with Wine Tasting: $50
- Undurraga Wine Tasting Tour from Santiago: $62
- Undurraga Wine tour: $63
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
- Premium Wine Tasting in Santiago de Chile: $77
- From Concha y Toro Marqués Half-Day Wine Tasting: $89
- Private Tour: Undurraga Vineyard Experience with Premium Wine Tasting: $92
- From Maipo Valley Wine Tour: $99
- Concha y Toro semi-private tour with 3 wine tastings: $99
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $99
Typical Alcohol Prices in San Pedro de Atacama
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in San Pedro de Atacama:
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Alcohol$25
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is San Pedro de Atacama much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to San Pedro de Atacama would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Santiago Expensive? and Is San Pedro de Atacama Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santiago or San Pedro de Atacama?
Santiago has a larger population, and is about 2420 times larger than the population of San Pedro de Atacama. When comparing the sizes of Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama, 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.