Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Cairns?
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 Cairns or Santiago?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cairns or Santiago? 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: Cairns or Santiago?
Cairns
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, The Best Budget Tours to Australia, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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Cairns Prices
Australia PricesSantiago Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairns $116Santiago $150
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairns is $116, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $150. 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 Cairns and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairns $43Santiago $109
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairns $86Santiago $218
Compare Hotels in Cairns and Santiago
Looking for a hotel in Cairns or Santiago? 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: Cairns Hotel Prices and Santiago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairns $12Santiago $5.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Airport Transfer to/from City and Beaches: $15
- Cairns Airport: Shared Transfer: $15
- Cairns Airport Shared Transfer to Cairns: $15
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $15
- Shuttle Bus Transfer - Kuranda to Cairns City: $20
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $24
- AIRPORT TRANSFER between Cairns Airport & Port Douglas (6am-5pm): $40
- Cairns airport to cairns city private Transfers ( one way ): $40
- CNS Airport to Cairns City Centre Private Transfer: $47
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $52
- Cairns hotels to Cairns Airport(CNS) - Departure Private Transfer: $52
- Australian Armour & Artillery Museum with Transfers: $69
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride$1.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- Transfer to Valparaiso Cruise Terminal with Winery & Town Tour: $109
- Transfer to Snowy Valley fullday for skiers : $49
- Transfer to San Antonio port with Valparaiso & Casablanca tour: $87
- Transfer from Valparaiso or San Antonio Port + Condor Watching Tour: $230
- Transfer from Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski to Santiago: $83
- Transfer from Santiago To Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski: $100
- Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
- Transfer Santiago-Viña del Mar / Viña del Mar-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago-Valparaiso / Valparaiso-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $290
- Transfer Santiago de Chile airport: $40
- Transfer Santiago Airport to the commune of Providencia: $56
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairns or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago and Cairns 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 dayCairns $49Santiago $23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with optional 3 Course Dinner : $66
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with optional 2 Course Dinner: $66
- Dinner Cruise Experience: $92
- Cairns Catamaran Harbour and Dinner Cruise: $93
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $96
- Aquarium Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $118
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with 3 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with 2 Course Dinner in Cairns: $124
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $171
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $174
- Paronella Park Rainforest Full-Day Tour with Dinner: $66,130
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$1.88
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Hamburger$2.50
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Dinner$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
- Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
- 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
- Bali Hai Dinner & Show, Transport and Wine refill: $106
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
- Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
- Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $122
- San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
- Bali Hai Polynesian Dinner Show with Transfer: $130
- Private Night City Tour with San Cristobal Hill And Dinner Show: $181
- Santiago Chilean and Peruvian Cooking Class with a Local Carol: $184
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairns $37Santiago $47
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Scuba Diving$36
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Admission Ticket: $10
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $10
- Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket: $13
- Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket: $15
- Kuranda: Riverboat Tour: $20
- Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Admission Tickets: $26
- Hipster and Street Art Walking Tour: $29
- Tomb of the Pharaohs Entry Ticket: $32
- Cairns Tomb Of The Pharaohs General Admission Ticket: $32
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $34
- Cairns Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket with Koala Photo: $37
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $38
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- Private Half-Day Guided Tour of the City of Santiago.: $280
- Private Sightseeing City Tour in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: $240
- "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $26
- 1 Day Tour of Viña Concha y Toro from Santiago: $120
- 4 Hour Santa Rita Winery All inclusive Tour for Wine Lover: $269
- 6 Hour Tour of Culture, History and Flavors from Santiago: $75
- A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -small group: $25
- A full Private Tour of Valparaiso from Santiago : $240
- A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
- An Architect's Tour of Downtown Santiago: $55
- Andean Adventure: Cajón del Maipo & Santuario del Río Spa: $132
- Andean Horse Ride Yerba Loca Sanctuary - Private tour from Santiago: $240
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairns $13Santiago $8.40
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Party Bus Pub Crawl Night Out Experience: $44
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $169
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
- Undurraga Wine tour: $70
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $79
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with wine tasting in Casablanca: $79
- Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $80
- Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $89
- Kross Brewery Tour: A Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $93
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairns and Santiago, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is Cairns much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cairns is in Pacific and Santiago 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 Cairns would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairns 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in Cairns.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairns Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairns or Santiago?
Santiago has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Cairns and Santiago, 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.
When is the best time to visit Cairns or Santiago?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the southern hemisphere, summer is in January and winter is in July.
Should I visit Cairns or Santiago in the Summer?
The summer brings many poeple to Cairns as well as Santiago. Most visitors come to Cairns for the beaches, snorkeling, the hiking, and the family-friendly experiences during these months.
In January, Cairns is generally a little warmer than Santiago. Daily temperatures in Cairns average around 29°C (84°F), and Santiago fluctuates around 21°C (70°F).
Cairns receives a lot of rain in the summer. Cairns usually gets more rain in January than Santiago. Cairns gets 429 mm (16.9 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year. November to March in Cairns is the rainy season.
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Summer Average Temperatures JanuaryCairns 29°C (84°F)Santiago 21°C (70°F)
Should I visit Cairns or Santiago in the Autumn?
Both Santiago and Cairns are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The autumn months attract visitors to Cairns because of the hiking trails and the shopping scene.
Cairns is much warmer than Santiago in the autumn. The daily temperature in Cairns averages around 27°C (80°F) in April, and Santiago fluctuates around 15°C (59°F).
It's quite rainy in Cairns. In April, Cairns usually receives more rain than Santiago. Cairns gets 273 mm (10.8 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn. The dry season in Cairns is April to October.
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Autumn Average Temperatures AprilCairns 27°C (80°F)Santiago 15°C (59°F)
Should I visit Cairns or Santiago in the Winter?
Both Santiago and Cairns during the winter are popular places to visit. The museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine are the main draw to Cairns this time of year.
In the winter, Cairns is much warmer than Santiago. Typically, the winter temperatures in Cairns in July average around 23°C (73°F), and Santiago averages at about 9°C (48°F).
Cairns usually gets less rain in July than Santiago. Cairns gets 35 mm (1.4 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JulyCairns 23°C (73°F)Santiago 9°C (48°F)
Should I visit Cairns or Santiago in the Spring?
The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Cairns and Santiago. Many travelers come to Cairns for the beaches.
In October, Cairns is generally much warmer than Santiago. Daily temperatures in Cairns average around 27°C (80°F), and Santiago fluctuates around 15°C (59°F).
In October, Cairns usually receives more rain than Santiago. Cairns gets 44 mm (1.7 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the spring. April to October in Cairns is the dry season. Also, November to March is the rainy season in Cairns.
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Spring Average Temperatures OctoberCairns 27°C (80°F)Santiago 15°C (59°F)
Typical Weather for Santiago and Cairns
| Cairns | Santiago | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 29°C (84°F) | 429 mm (16.9 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Feb | 29°C (83°F) | 469 mm (18.5 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Mar | 28°C (82°F) | 471 mm (18.5 in) | 18°C (64°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Apr | 27°C (80°F) | 273 mm (10.8 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| May | 25°C (78°F) | 118 mm (4.6 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 50 mm (2 in) |
| Jun | 23°C (74°F) | 62 mm (2.5 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Jul | 23°C (73°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | 9°C (48°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Aug | 24°C (75°F) | 34 mm (1.3 in) | 10°C (50°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Sep | 25°C (77°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) | 12°C (54°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (80°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Nov | 28°C (82°F) | 104 mm (4.1 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
| Dec | 29°C (83°F) | 211 mm (8.3 in) | 20°C (68°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) |
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.