Should you visit Tilcara or Salta?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Tilcara and Salta can help you decide which place is right for you.
Tilcara
Tilcara signifies shooting star in Quechua. At 2465m of altitude, the little town of Tilcara is one of the most animated place of the area of the quebrada de humahuaca. Many South American backpackers and tourists from all around the world come to visit Tilcara and its pucara, the forteresse built by the Incas at the top of the hill, providing a stunning walk around the town. Tilcara hosts many festivals for different occasions such as the celebration of the Pachamama in August, the semana santa (Holy Week) in April, and the Enero Tilcareno, held in January as its name indicates, which is probably the busiest month of the year for the little town. If you enjoy concerts, parades and folklorique parties then definitely try to visit Tilcara during a festival month and avoid them if you prefer a calm and more relaxed holiday. There are many available activities around Tilcara including horseback riding, VTT, and you could also even try a ride in a caravan pulled by llamas.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Salta or Tilcara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Tilcara is $58, while the average daily cost in Salta is $68. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Tilcara and Salta in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $46 in Tilcara For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $48 in Salta For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Tilcara cost around $24 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $9.60.
While meal prices in Salta can vary, the average travelers spends about $23 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Salta should cost around $9.20 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Salta is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Tilcara $24
Salta $23
Typical Food prices in Tilcara
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Tilcara:
-
Sandwich
$0.05
-
Burger
$0.10
-
Fruit
$0.08
-
Sandwich
$0.10
Typical Food prices in Salta
For Salta, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Emplanadas
$0.05
-
Ice Cream
$0.06
-
Lunch
$5.92
-
Coffee
$1.22
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Tilcara than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $15 on transportation in Tilcara on average per day.
To get around in Salta, the average visitor spends $28 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Tilcara
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Tilcara:
Typical Local Transportation prices in Salta
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Salta are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salta
Also for Salta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Humahuaca, 7-color Hill & round trip transfers airport - hotel in Salta:
$127
-
Salta City Tour & Round Trip Transfers airport - hotel:
$62
-
Salta Airport Private Transfer:
$50
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Private Airport Transfer: Martin Miguel de Guemes Int. Airport (SLA) to Salta:
$30
-
Private Airport Transfer: Salta to Martin Miguel de Guemes Int. Airport (SLA):
$30
-
Shared Departure Transfer: Salta Hotels to Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport:
$27
-
Shared Arrival Transfer: Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport to Salta:
$19
-
Salta Airport Shuttle Transfer:
$9.97
-
One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer:
$5.50
Is it cheaper to fly into Tilcara or Salta?
Prices for flights to both Salta and Tilcara 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Tilcara, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $14 per day, per person.
In Salta, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $24 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Tilcara
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Tilcara.
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Full-Day Tour to Laguna de los Pozuelos from Tilcara:
$135
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Half-Day Mountain Bike Tour to Juella from Tilcara:
$58
Typical Entertainment prices in Salta
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Salta's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Gondola Ride
$0.15
-
Pool
$0.51
-
Wine and Cheese night
$37
Tours and Activities in Salta
For Salta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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2-Day Calchaquí Valley Tour to Cachi and Cafayate:
$318
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2-day tour: Humahuaca Canyon + Cachi and Calchaquies Valleys:
$165
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2-day tour: Humahuaca Canyon + Cafayate Wine Country:
$165
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3-Days Salta, Purmamarca & Salinas Grandes Private Experience:
$625
-
3-day Overland Adventure in Tolar Grande, Salta:
$1,240
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4 x 4 Safari Tour to Puna, Salt Falts and Purmamarca from Salta:
$120
-
4-Days Discovering Amazing Salta - Nature & Adventure:
$645
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4-Days Tour of Salta Cafayate and Humahuaca:
$808
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5-Day Adventure Trip in Salta:
$527
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6-Day Tour in Salta, Purmamarca, Humahuaca, Tolar Grande & Salt flats!:
$1,813
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6-day Tour in Salta y Jujuy - Best of The Northwest:
$1,095
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7-Day Tour in Salta, the Calchaqui Valley and Cafayate and San Pedro de Atacama:
$1,292
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Tilcara, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.52.
Typically, people visiting Salta spend on average $9.62 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Salta
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Salta are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Salta
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Salta:
-
Full-day Cafayate, Lerma Valley, and Wine Tasting from Salta:
$24
-
From Cafayate Day Trip with Wine Tasting:
$25
-
From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate with Wine Tasting:
$27
-
Luxury Colome wine tour:
$806
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tilcara and Salta, we can see that Salta is more expensive. And not only is Tilcara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Tilcara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tilcara 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 Salta would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Salta than you might in Tilcara.
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