A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ushuaia vs. Arequipa for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ushuaia or Arequipa?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Ushuaia or Arequipa? 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: Ushuaia or Arequipa?

Ushuaia

Ushuaia is a city on the Tierra del Fuego island of Argentina on the Beagle Strait. The city is considered to be one of the southernmost cities in the world and is often used as a base for cruises to Antarctica. Ushuaia's close proximity to Antarctica and their amazing hiking trails have made it a popular tourist destination over the past few decades.

Arequipa

Sitting in the middle of the Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes of Peru is the enchanting city of Arequipa. With 468 years of history, the city is full of Spanish colonial architecture. Known to locals as the "white city," the city center, Plaza de Armas, is quite the sight with buildings of sillar white stone made from the rocks of the surrounding volcanoes.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 3-Week Tours in Argentina, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Peru, and The Best Cultural Tours in Peru.


Which place is cheaper, Arequipa or Ushuaia?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Ushuaia is $0.00, while the average daily cost in Arequipa is $60. 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 Ushuaia and Arequipa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ushuaia -
    Arequipa $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ushuaia $0.00
    Arequipa $48
Compare Hotels in Ushuaia and Arequipa

Looking for a hotel in Ushuaia or Arequipa? 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.

Hotels in Ushuaia


Hotels in Arequipa


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: Ushuaia Hotel Prices and Arequipa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ushuaia -
    Arequipa $6.36

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ushuaia

Also for Ushuaia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Calafate: Airport Transfer: $12
  • Low Cost Esmeralda Lagoon Round Trip Transfer: $30
  • Low Cost Ushuaia Transfer from/to the airport: $16
  • Navigation to Beagle Channel and Sea Lions Island with Transfers: $116
  • Private Embarkation Debarkation Transfer: $60
  • Private Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Ushuaia): $160
  • Private Transfer from Ushuaia Airport(USH) to Ushuaia Cruise Port: $62
  • Private Transfer from Ushuaia Cruise Port to Ushuaia Airport(USH): $62
  • Private Transfer from Ushuaia Port to Ushuaia Airport (USH): $22
  • Private Transfer to Cerro Castor from Ushuaia: $60
  • Private Transfer to Ushuaia Airport (USH): $17
  • Round Trip Transfer from the Airport to Ushuaia Hotels: $20

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arequipa

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arequipa are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    $1.43
  • Bus Ride
    $0.46
  • Taxi Ride
    $1.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arequipa

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Arequipa:

  • Colca Canyon 2-Day Tour with Lodge Stay and Transfer to Puno: $283
  • 2 Day Trek Including Transfer to Puno / Colca Canyon: $179
  • Koh lanta any hotel to Phuket airport Private transfer: $172
  • Colca Canyon Sightseeing Tour 2D1N and Transfer to Puno: $147
  • 2-Day Colca Canyon Tour with optional transfer to Puno: $132
  • Full Day Tour Including Transfer to Puno / Colca Canyon: $112
  • Colca Canyon + Transfer To Puno: $103
  • Koh Lanta any hotel to Krabi airport Private transfer: $81
  • Colca Canyon Day Trip with Transfer to Puno: $65
  • Full Day Tour to Colca including Transfer to Puno: $60
  • Private Transfer from Arequipa to Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón (AQP) Airport : $38
  • Transfer Between Arequipa's Airport and Hotels: $35

Is it cheaper to fly into Ushuaia or Arequipa?

Prices for flights to both Arequipa and Ushuaia 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Ushuaia -
    Arequipa $25

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ushuaia

For Ushuaia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Adventure and Snow Moto + Buffet Lunch or Pizza Rodizio + Transfer: $96
  • Beaver Sighting with Dinner off Lake Fagnano: $170
  • Ushuaia City Tour: Vespertine Tour with Dinner: $189
  • Snowmobile + Snowshoeing + Huskies + Skiing + Lunch or Pizza Buffet: $195
  • Tierra del Fuego National Park PM - with Dinner included: $210
  • Discovering Lakes Escondido and Fagnano with sunset dinner: $210
  • Puerto Almanza and Punta Paraná Tour with Dinner: $210
  • Tierra del Fuego National Park: vespertine tour with dinner: $210
  • Snow and Fire with Dinner in Firepit, Sledge Ride and Snowmobile: $250

Typical Food Prices in Arequipa

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Arequipa:


  • Coke
    $0.43
  • Lunch
    $3.01
  • Ice Cream
    $1.15
  • Fruit
    $0.86
  • Ice Cream
    $1.00

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Arequipa

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Arequipa.

  • Cooking Class at La Plantation: $35
  • Peruvian Cooking Experience in Arequipa: $35
  • Peruvian Cooking Class in arequipa: $50
  • Peruvian Cooking Class: $53
  • Private Cooking Class in Arequipa: $57
  • Food Tour Gastronomic Guided : $113

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ushuaia -
    Arequipa $19

Tours and Activities in Ushuaia

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ushuaia.

  • Panoramic City Train Tour: $20
  • Guided Tour of the City of Ushuaia: $21
  • Double-Decker Sightseeing Tour: $23
  • Exploring Double Decker Bus Tour: $28
  • CITY TOUR USHUAIA+ MARTIAL GLACIER RESERVE VISIT: $28
  • City Tour Ushuaia: $30
  • USHUAIA | City Tour + Martial Glacier Reserve: $36
  • Tierra del Fuego National Park Tour: $50
  • LANDSCAPES AND DELIGHTS - CITY TOUR: $50
  • End of the World Train Ticket: $55
  • Urban Walking Tour with Yatana Forest Historic Site Visit: $55
  • Experience in the Classic National Park in Ushuaia: $63

Typical Entertainment Prices in Arequipa

Here are a few typical costs in Arequipa for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Monastery Entry
    $2.87
  • Salsa Class
    $2.87
  • Movie Ticket
    $3.13
  • Hot Springs
    $2.87

Tours and Activities in Arequipa

Here are a few actual costs in Arequipa for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Colca Full Day Tour: $51
  • Walking tour history, legends & mysteries : $28
  • 2 Day - Colca Canyon and Condor Tour from Arequipa, Peru - Group Service : $295
  • 2 Days of Natural Experience in the Colca Canyon: $140
  • 2 days 1 night Colca Canyon tour from Arequipa: $110
  • 2-Day Group Tour to Colca Canyon from Arequipa: $230
  • 2-Day Hiking Tour to the Colca Canyon: $90
  • 2-Day Tour to the Magical Colca Canyon: $68
  • 2-Day tour Colca Canyon ending in Puno: $95
  • 3 Hour Congata Rover Biking Ride Tour in Arequipa: $45
  • 3-hour guided tour in Arequipa: $65
  • 8-Hours Tour in Arequipa Laguna de Salinas with Pick-up: $20

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ushuaia -
    Arequipa $17

Sample the Local Flavors in Ushuaia

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Ushuaia:

  • Photo tour and Wine Tasting in Ushuaia City: $115
  • City tour and Wine tasting: $115

Typical Alcohol Prices in Arequipa

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Arequipa are as follows:


  • Beer
    $2.58


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ushuaia and Arequipa, we can see that Arequipa is more expensive. And not only is Ushuaia much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ushuaia would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ushuaia 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 Arequipa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Arequipa than you might in Ushuaia.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ushuaia Expensive? and Is Arequipa Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Ushuaia or Arequipa?

Arequipa has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Ushuaia. When comparing the sizes of Ushuaia and Arequipa, 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.