Which place is cheaper, Ponce or Puerto Iguazu?
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 Puerto Iguazu or Ponce?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Ponce? 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: Puerto Iguazu or Ponce?
Puerto Iguazu
Puerto Iguazu is located in the northeastern part of Argentina at the border with Paraguay and Brazil. It is a tourist city and travel destination because of its close proximity to Iguazu Falls, which is only 18 kilometers away. Much of the city's infrastructure has grown to maintain the tourist crowds that come to see the falls. The town itself has a population of slightly over 80,000.
Ponce
Ponce is on the south coast of Puerto Rico. It's the second largest city on the island and has been around since 1692 when it was originally founded by Ponce de Leon's grandson Juan Ponce de Leon y Loayza. The city has several nicknames, including La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South), La Ciudad Senorial (The Noble, or Lordly, City), and La Ciudad de las Quenepas (Genip City).
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina, and The Best Eco Tours in Argentina.
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Puerto Iguazu Prices
Argentina PricesPonce Prices
Puerto Rico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $57Ponce $230
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $57, while the average daily cost in Ponce is $230. 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 Puerto Iguazu and Ponce in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $41Ponce $151
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $82Ponce $302
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Ponce
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Ponce? 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: Puerto Iguazu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $3.07Ponce $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $11
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $17
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Private Transfer: $22
- Puerto Iguazu Airport (IGR) Private Transfer to Puerto Iguazu: $27
- Private Transfer from Puerto Iguazu Airport to Foz do Iguaçu: $78
- Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In Transfer: $79
- Transfers IGR from the (ARG) to IGU (BRA) with PasseioTur: $80
- Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $100
- Brazilian Waterfalls Tour and Bird Park with Transfer: $102
- Private Transfers Full Day Iguazú Falls: $130
- Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
- Iguazu Falls 2-Day Tour with Airport Transfer: $348
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ponce
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ponce:
- Vega Baja to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $170
- Transfer TO or FROM: Airport,Cruise,Hotel in DORADO or RIO GRANDE: $70
- Transfer SJU Airport to Humacao and Nagüabo. Vice Versa One Way Trip: $185
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan PR Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Transfer: $46
- San Juan Departure Share Transfer: $27
- Rio Grande hotel to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $109
- Private Transfers from SJU Airport to Isla Verde, Condado or San Juan área : $60
- Private Transfer from San Juan City Hotels to Ponce Cruise Port: $79
- Isabela / Hatillo to Aguadilla Airport(BQN) - DepartureTransfer: $44
- Aguadilla Hernandez Airport (BQN) to Isabela - RoundTrip Transfer: $87
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Ponce?
Prices for flights to both Ponce and Puerto Iguazu 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 dayPuerto Iguazu $6.30Ponce $61
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Madero Tango Iguazú - Premium Dinner (Foz do Iguaçu/Puerto Iguazú): $30
- Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner in Iguazu: $36
- El Quincho Del Tio Querido - Dinner And Show from Foz do Iguaçu: $44
- Argentine Experience: Immersive Dinner & Wine Pairing in Iguazú: $65
- Iguazu Falls: The Argentine Experience Interactive Dinner: $65
- Iguazu: The Argentine Experience Dinner with Wine Pairing: $69
- Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $98
- Churrascaria Rafain - Show and Dinner : $117
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $120
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusive: $155
- Foz do Iguaçu: Argentinean Cooking Class: $157
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ponce
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ponce.
- Latin Night with Dinner and Local Music with Transportation: $59
- Puerto Rico Art and Wine Dinner with One Way Transportation: $89
- Private Cooking Class with a Fun Local in San German, Puerto Rico: $96
- Private Half-Day Island Authentic Food Tour : $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $33Ponce $56
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side Full-Day Tour: $18
- Hito Tres Fronters and La Aripuca City Tour: $31
- Argentinian Iguazu Falls Full Day Tour: $32
- Iguazu Falls Tour on Brazil Side: $37
- Foz do Iguaçu: Brazil/Argentina Sides Iguazu Falls Day Tour: $40
- From San Ignacio Ruins and Wanda Mines Tour: $46
- Iguaza Falls Brazilian Side & Bird Park Tour: $46
- Half-Day Iguazú Forest Adventure: $48
- Cataract: The complete experience of both sides in one day.: $48
- Full-Day Tour to Iguazu Falls : $49
- Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side Tour: $49
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Tour from Puerto Iguazu: $49
Tours and Activities in Ponce
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ponce are as follows:
- Half-Day El Yunque Rainforest Tour from Fajardo: $65
- Scuba Boat Diving Experience in Gilligan's Island at Copamarina: $160
- 2.5-Hour Historical Walking Tour of Old San Juan: $65
- 5 hours Tour in La Parguera Private Boat Charter: $200
- 7 Hours River Tour with Beach and Learn to Make Piña Colada : $195
- 8 Hours Private Tours in Puerto Rico: $150
- Adventure in Cave and the Guayaney Spring: $99
- Afro-Boriken-Loiza: Food, Cave & Art Tour: $140
- Aguadilla 6 Hour Local Tour: $150
- Camuy Caves Experience Tour with transportation: $130
- Cave Hopping Tour: $198
- Caves Coastlines and Beach; Cueva del Indio, Arecibo Adventure : $125
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $7.86Ponce $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Ponce
Also in Ponce, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Artisan Puertorrican Winery and Distillery Tour: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Ponce, we can see that Ponce is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Iguazu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Iguazu is in South America and Ponce is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Puerto Iguazu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Iguazu 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 Ponce would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ponce than you might in Puerto Iguazu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Iguazu Expensive? and Is Ponce Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Ponce?
Ponce has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Puerto Iguazu. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu and Ponce, 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.