Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Ushuaia?
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 Ushuaia or El Calafate?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Ushuaia 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: Ushuaia or El Calafate?
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.
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 3-Week Tours in Argentina, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Buenos Aires, The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina.
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Ushuaia Prices
Argentina PricesEl Calafate Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayUshuaia $0.00El Calafate $58
The average daily cost (per person) in Ushuaia is $0.00, while the average daily cost in El Calafate is $58. 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 El Calafate in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personUshuaia -El Calafate $36
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomUshuaia $0.00El Calafate $72
Compare Hotels in Ushuaia and El Calafate
Looking for a hotel in Ushuaia 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ushuaia -El Calafate $4.17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ushuaia
Also for Ushuaia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers to Cerro Castor: $25
- Tierra del Fuego National park taxi Transfer: $299
- Tierra del Fuego National Park Tour & Transfers: $77
- Escondido and Fagnano Lakes with transfer: $127
- Antarctic Experience W/Snowmobile Ride & Transfer: $294
- Airport Transfer: $10
- Ushuaia to Ushuaia Airport (USH) - Departure Private Transfer: $25
- Ushuaia in 4 days: Unmissable excursions and transfers included: $270
- Ushuaia city to Ushuaia Airport(USH) - Departure Private Transfer: $23
- Ushuaia Guided Visit to the National Park with Transfer: $140
- Ushuaia Combo: Tierra del Fuego National Park & Round Trip Transfers to airport: $135
- Ushuaia Airport(USH) to Ushuaia city - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Glacier Huemul: Private Transfer Service: $640
- Perito Moreno Mini Trek Pro (Optional Transfer): $540
- Perito Moreno Full Day Minitrekking with Transfer & Walkways: $460
- Private transfer from El Calafate Airport to hotel in El Chaltén: $315
- Private Airport Transfer: $270
- Minitrekking Perito Moreno: Ice hiking tour (optional transfers): $235
- FTE Aiport transfer Group 4 to 6 people with luggage: $210
- Kayaking on Lake Argentino with Transfers: $120
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate to El Chaltén: $80
- Bus Transfer to Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $77
- El Calafate to Puerto Natales Bus Transfer with Border Crossing: $72
- Perito Moreno Glacier expedition with transfer Included: $62
Is it cheaper to fly into Ushuaia or El Calafate?
Prices for flights to both El Calafate 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
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Food Meals for one dayUshuaia -El Calafate $6.64
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ushuaia
For Ushuaia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Ushuaia Martial Sunset Experience with Hike and Dinner: $90
- Martial Glacier Night Hike with Dinner & Wine: $100
- Ushuaia - Secrets of Tierra del Fuego - History + Quad + Dinner: $140
- Sunset Emerald Lagoon Hiking with Mountain Dinner: $170
- Beaver Sighting with Dinner off Lake Fagnano: $185
- Discovering Lakes Escondido and Fagnano with sunset dinner: $210
- Snow and Fire with Dinner in Firepit, Sledge Ride and Snowmobile: $234
- Ushuaia-Premier Pass (Motorcycle + Snowmobile + Skiing + Tubes + Snowshoes + Quad + Lunch + Pizza): $290
- Fire and Snow Night Tour with Dinner: $307
- Snow Adventure with Dinner & Transfers: $315
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: $55
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Dinner & Show with Transfer: $88
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $92
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $138
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $165
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner and Wine Included: $179
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $197
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner and Horseback Riding: $225
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ushuaia -El Calafate $52
Tours and Activities in Ushuaia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ushuaia.
- 2-day tour: Tierra del Fuego National Park + Fagnano and Escondido Lakes: $175
- 2-day tour:Tierra del Fuego NP + Beagle Channel Navigation + Fagnano & Escondido: $292
- 4×4 Off Road Tour to Escondido and Khami Lakes: $200
- 4WD Adventure at Fagnano Lake from Ushuaia: $239
- 4WD Off-Road Lakes Adventure in Tierra del Fuego: $173
- 4x4 Adventure - Lakes Off Road with Roast: $160
- 4x4 Lake Fagnano Adventure from Ushuaia: $229
- 5-Hour National Park + City tour - USHUAIA (Private Tour): $245
- 5.5-Hour Nat Park w/ Hiking *Shore Excursion* USHUAIA (Shared tour for cruises): $150
- 5.5-Hour National park w/ hiking Shore excursion - USHUAIA (Private Tour): $290
- 5hrs of Trekking Experience in Martial Glacier: $115
- 7-Hour Lakes Escondido & Fagnano - USHUAIA (Shared tour): $105
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- “Todo Glaciares” Scenic Glacier Boat Tour from El Calafate: $235
- 2-Day Tours from Torres del Paine & Perito Moreno: $289
- 4 Days & 3 Nights El Calafate & El Chaltén Magical Adventure: $1,350
- Adventure Horseback Riding on Cerro Frias: $150
- Adventure on Ice: MiniTrekking in the Perito Moreno Glacier: $447
- Blue Safari Experience: Hiking and Navigation on Glaciers: $219
- Calafate : Patagonian Riding and Lunch Experience: $260
- Calafate Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate 4x4: $195
- Calafate: Cerro Huyliche-SouthRoad Adventure 4x4 Full / Trekking / Zip Line: $120
- Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Guided Full-Day Tour: $52
- Calafate: SouthRoad Extreme Adventure. UTV Self-Drive: $250
- Chalten full day Trekking - Laguna de los Tres Experience: $400
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayUshuaia -El Calafate $8.26
Sample the Local Flavors in Ushuaia
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Ushuaia:
- City tour and Wine tasting: $125
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ushuaia and El Calafate, we can see that El Calafate 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 El Calafate would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in El Calafate 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 El Calafate Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ushuaia or El Calafate?
Ushuaia has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of Ushuaia and El Calafate, 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.