Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Terre-de-Haut?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate?
Terre-de-Haut
Les Saintes (also known as Iles des Saintes) is a small archipelago of Guadeloupe, a French overseas territory in the Caribbean. The islands here are best known for their tropical beauty, untouched beaches, and bayside villages. Only two of the nine are inhabited.
Terre-de-Haut of Les Saintes is the most popular island to visit. It is known for the Pain de Sucre, a small bay lined with coconut trees and an ideal location for snorkeling, in addition to white sandy beaches like the Plage de Pompierre. There is also a nineteenth-century fort which can be reached on foot for striking views of the surrounding area.
El Calafate
Located in Patagonia, El Calafate has become a popular tourist destination in Argentina because of its beautiful setting on the stunningly blue Lago Argentina. The town sits on the southern border of the lake in the southwestern part of the Santa Cruz Province. It's about 320 kilometers from Rio Gallegos.
The rise in popularity of Patagonia as a tourist destination has truly put this small town on the map. You'll find no shortage of trekkers in the town and it makes an excellent base to explore different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park. Popular places to visit include Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chalten, and Cerro Torre.
El Calafate has a cold semi-arid climate. The summers are cool to warm and very dry while the winters are cold and damp. Lago Argentino has a significant influence over the town's climate. The shallow bay where the town is located is usually frozen during the winter months.
Check out our ultimate guide to Hiking in Patagonia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina, and The Best Adventure Tours to Argentina.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayTerre-de-Haut €140El Calafate €9.41
The average daily cost (per person) in Terre-de-Haut is €140, while the average daily cost in El Calafate is €9.41. 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 Terre-de-Haut and El Calafate in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTerre-de-Haut €68El Calafate €3.19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTerre-de-Haut €136El Calafate €6.38
Compare Hotels in Terre-de-Haut and El Calafate
Looking for a hotel in Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate? 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: Terre-de-Haut Hotel Prices and El Calafate Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Terre-de-Haut €44El Calafate €3.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Terre-de-Haut
Also for Terre-de-Haut, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Deshaies or Trois Riviers to Pointe a Pitre Airport by SUV: $92
- Guadeloupe to Pointe-a-Pitre Airport - Private Departure Transfer: $79
Typical Local Transportation Prices in El Calafate
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in El Calafate:
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Taxi€1.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $456
- Laguna de Los Tres Transfer & Self-Guided Hike: $101
- Shared transfer to El Calafate -El Chaltén: $75
- Private Airport Transfer: $64
- Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier, with guide and transfer to / from the hotel: $60
- Roundtrip transfer in Private Car from Calafate Airport (FTE)- Calafate City: $49
- Private Transfer Hotel-Bus Station or Bus Station-Hotel (Calafate): $35
- Shared Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Calafate): $32
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate Airport to downtown Hotel: $15
- Transfer from the airport to your hotel in El Calafate: $14
- Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $12
Is it cheaper to fly into Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate?
Prices for flights to both El Calafate and Terre-de-Haut 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 dayTerre-de-Haut €45El Calafate €3.46
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Terre-de-Haut
For Terre-de-Haut, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Grilled Lobster and Fish Private Cooking Tour with Lunch Included: $231
Typical Food Prices in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dessert€0.01
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Dinner€1.68
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Dinner€0.99
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Argentine Dinner with Live Music Folklore -Estancia 25 de Mayo: $48
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $100
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $126
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $141
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner from Calafate: $155
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $186
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Terre-de-Haut €20El Calafate €3.46
Tours and Activities in Terre-de-Haut
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Terre-de-Haut.
- Private Shooting Tour Around Soufrière: $106
- Sailing and Snorkeling Day Tour to Les Saintes: $133
- Small Day Cruise (Ilet caret, mangrove, coral reef: $103
Typical Entertainment Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for El Calafate's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Glacerium Museum€1.30
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Argentine Cuisine Experience in El Calafate: $65
- "Glaciares Gourmet" - Maria Turquesa Cruiser Navigation (classic): $285
- Blue Safari Experience: Hiking and Navigation on Glaciers: $190
- CALAFATE: Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate: $190
- Cañadón Experience: $187
- Calafate City Tour with Walichu Caves: $100
- Chalten Full Day Trekking Experience - Laguna de los Tres: $180
- Darwin Experience: $254
- Darwin Experience - kayaks & adventure: $230
- Discover La Leona Petrified Forest: Guided Hiking Tour: $190
- El Calafate Balconies Experience - Tour in FWD vehicle: $192
- El Calafate Balconies Experience - Tour in FWD vehicle: $164
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayTerre-de-Haut €44El Calafate €1.73
Typical Alcohol Prices in El Calafate
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in El Calafate:
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Beer€0.01
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Alcohol€0.35
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Terre-de-Haut and El Calafate, we can see that Terre-de-Haut is more expensive. And not only is El Calafate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Terre-de-Haut is in Caribbean Islands and El Calafate 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 El Calafate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Calafate 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 Terre-de-Haut would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Terre-de-Haut than you might in El Calafate.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Terre-de-Haut Expensive? and Is El Calafate 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.