Which place is cheaper, Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Montt? 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 Puerto Montt?
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.
Puerto Montt
The Lake District is a region of snow capped volcanoes, pale green lakes and endless miles of virgin and ancient forests. Found 1,016 km away from Santiago de Chile, Puerto Montt is famous for its beautiful lakes and its germanic architecture, old wooden houses and its legendary Iglesia Catedral, found on the town's main square, la Plaza de Armas. The monument, entirely built with alerce (cypress) wood, is the oldest building of the city. The capital of the Lake Region is a good starting point for many memorable excursions in the area.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina, The Best Eco Tours in Argentina, The Best Tours for Seniors to Chile, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Chile.
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Puerto Iguazu Prices
Argentina PricesPuerto Montt Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $57Puerto Montt $104
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $57, while the average daily cost in Puerto Montt is $104. 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 Puerto Montt in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $41Puerto Montt $61
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $82Puerto Montt $122
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Puerto Montt
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Montt? 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 and Puerto Montt Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $3.07Puerto Montt $6.42
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 Puerto Montt
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Montt:
- Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Puerto Varas: $50
- Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Frutillar: $80
- Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Castro: $300
- Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) - Private Transfer: $42
- Puerto Tepual Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas - Arrival Transfer: $42
- Puerto Montt to Puerto Varas English private Guided Transfer: $40
- Puerto Montt Shuttle Transfer: $37
- Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport (PMC) to Pucon - Arrival Transfer: $267
- Puerto Montt Departure Transfer from Hotel: $23
- Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $47
- Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $75
- Puerto Montt Airport Arrival Transfer to Hotel in Puerto Varas: $24
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Montt?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Montt 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 $6.30Puerto Montt $37
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $33Puerto Montt $14
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 Puerto Montt
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Montt are as follows:
- 6 Hours Shared Tour in Calbuco and Millennial Forest from Hotel: $190
- Alerce Andino National Park/Alerce Millenario/Cruises: $105
- Chiloé Island Full Day Experience Castro, Ancud, Dalcahue & Lunch: $189
- Cruise Shore Private Excursion Osorno Volcano & Petrohué Falls: $256
- Explore Peulla Full Day Tour from Puerto Montt : $64
- Osorno Volcano and National Park Shore Tour for Cruisers : $90
- Petrohué Falls Osorno Volcano Pto Varas Sightseeing Driver Only: $130
- Private Day tour Petrohue Falls, Osorno Volcano & Puerto Varas: $250
- Private Shore Excursion Tour to Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and Frutillar: $287
- Private Tour of Puerto Montt with Stops : $38
- Half day Llanquihue and Frutillar City tour : $44
- Osorno Volcano Tour Shore Tour in Private: $660
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $7.86Puerto Montt $4.49
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Puerto Montt, we can see that Puerto Montt is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Iguazu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Puerto Montt would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Puerto Montt?
Puerto Montt has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Puerto Iguazu. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu and Puerto Montt, 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.