Should you visit Ushuaia or Salta?
Should I visit Ushuaia or Salta? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
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.
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 Ushuaia?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Ushuaia is $81, 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 Ushuaia and Salta in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $80 in Ushuaia For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities 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 Ushuaia cost around $15 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 $6.00.
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
Ushuaia $15
Salta $23
Typical Food prices in Ushuaia
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ushuaia:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ushuaia
For Ushuaia, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Meeting with Beavers and Lagoon Tour with Dinner:
$176
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
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Ice Cream
$0.06
-
Lunch
$5.92
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Coffee
$1.22
Local Transportation
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 Ushuaia
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Ushuaia are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ushuaia
Also for Ushuaia, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Shared Round-Trip Airport Transfer:
$38
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Ushuaia Combo: Tierra del Fuego National Park & Round Trip Transfers to airport:
$114
-
Ushuaia Airport Shared Transfer:
$7.30
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Ushuaia Airport Departure Transfer:
$18
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Ushuaia Airport Arrival Transfer:
$15
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Transfer Ushuaia Airport - Hotel in Ushuaia - Ushuaia Airport:
$35
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Transfer Ushuaia Airport - Hotel in Ushuaia - Ushuaia Airport:
$35
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Transfer Cerro Castor (Round Trip):
$19
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Shared Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Ushuaia):
$22
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Private Transfer Hotel-Bus Station or Bus Station-Hotel (Ushuaia):
$27
-
Private Transfer Airport-Port or Port-Airport (Ushuaia):
$55
-
Private Transfer Airport-Hotel-Airport (Ushuaia):
$54
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:
-
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 Ushuaia or Salta?
Prices for flights to both Salta 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.
Entertainment
In Ushuaia, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $89 per person, per day.
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 Ushuaia
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ushuaia.
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2-Day Ushuaia Trekking and Rowing Small-Group Tour:
$606
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2-Days and 1 Night Experience Ushuaia with Airfare from Buenos Aires:
$1,046
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2-day tour: Tierra del Fuego National Park + Fagnano and Escondido Lakes:
$115
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2-day tour:Tierra del Fuego NP + Beagle Channel Navigation + Fagnano & Escondido:
$190
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3-Day Adventure Tour of Hiking, Canoeing and Sailing at the End of the World:
$425
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3-Days Unique Adventure at the End of the World - Ushuaia:
$485
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4 hours Tierra del Fuego National Park Tour with Chinese Guide:
$80
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4-Day Ushuaia Overland adventure - Lake Fagnano, Lake Escondido & San Pablo Cape:
$1,085
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4-Days Experience for Nature Lovers at Ushuaia:
$718
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4WD Off-Road Lakes Tierra del Fuego Adventure From Ushuaia:
$125
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5-Day Adventure Trip in Ushuaia:
$675
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5-Day Ushuaia Overland adventure - Lake Fagnano, San Pablo Cape & Beagle Channel:
$1,644
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
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Pool
$0.51
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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
-
2-day tour: Humahuaca Canyon + Cachi and Calchaquies Valleys:
$165
-
2-day tour: Humahuaca Canyon + Cafayate Wine Country:
$165
-
3-Days Salta, Purmamarca & Salinas Grandes Private Experience:
$625
-
3-day Overland Adventure in Tolar Grande, Salta:
$1,240
-
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
Typically, people visiting Salta spend on average $9.62 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Ushuaia
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Ushuaia are as follows:
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:
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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
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Luxury Colome wine tour:
$806
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ushuaia and Salta, we can see that Ushuaia is more expensive. And not only is Salta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Salta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Salta 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 Ushuaia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ushuaia than you might in Salta.
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