A Travel Price Comparison for Chile Puerto Montt vs. Iquique for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Puerto Montt or Iquique?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Puerto Montt and Iquique can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Puerto Montt or Iquique?

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.

Iquique

Located in a golden crescent of coastline, the beautiful beach city with an ocean that's several shades of blue and a historic centre that offers the perfect balance of culture and relaxation is counted among Chile's premier beach resorts. The city is home to the duty free zone called "Zofri" and a growing number of high rise resort hotels along its beaches. Slightly more expensive and polluted than neighboring population centers, such as Arica, Iquique and its chaotic duty-free shopping zone (zona franca) have become the perfect summer holiday destination for Chilean families.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Chile, The Best G Adventures Tours to Chile, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Iquique or Puerto Montt?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Puerto Montt Prices
    Chile Prices
    Iquique Prices
    Chile Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Puerto Montt $104
    Iquique $121

The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Montt is $104, while the average daily cost in Iquique is $121. 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 Montt and Iquique in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Montt $61
    Iquique $43
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Montt $122
    Iquique $86
Compare Hotels in Puerto Montt and Iquique

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Montt or Iquique? 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.

Hotels in Puerto Montt


Hotels in Iquique


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 Montt Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Montt $6.42
    Iquique $23

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Montt

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Montt:

  • Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Castro: $300
  • Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport (PMC) to Pucon - Arrival Transfer: $267
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas - Round-Trip Transfer: $127
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Frutillar: Roundtrip Transfer: $93
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas - Round-Trip Transfer: $84
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Airport (PMC) to Puerto Montt Port: $83
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Montt Port to Puerto Airport (PMC): $83
  • Transfer from Puerto Montt Airport to Frutillar: $80
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Airport (PMC) to Puerto Montt Port: $75
  • Puerto Montt Airport(PMC) to Frutillar - Arrival Private Transfer: $75
  • Puerto Montt Airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas City- Arrival Transfer: $63
  • Puerto Montt - Puerto Varas Airport English private transfer: $50

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Iquique

Also for Iquique, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Sandboard activity in Iquique with transfer: $75

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Montt or Iquique?

Prices for flights to both Iquique and Puerto Montt 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Puerto Montt $37
    Iquique $59

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Montt $14
    Iquique $27

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

Tours and Activities in Iquique

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Iquique.

  • City tour of Iquique with navigation to the Esmeralda buoy: $55
  • City Tour in Iquique: $89
  • Pintados Geoglyphs, Humberstone and Salar Crespo tour: $145
  • Red Lagoon Tour: $639

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Montt $4.49
    Iquique $20


When comparing the travel costs between Puerto Montt and Iquique, we can see that Iquique is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in South America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Montt Expensive? and Is Iquique Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Puerto Montt or Iquique?

Iquique has a larger population, and is about 42% larger than the population of Puerto Montt. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Montt and Iquique, 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.