Which place is cheaper, Iquique or Salta?
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 Salta or Iquique?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Salta and Iquique can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Salta or Iquique?
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.
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 Wildlife Tours to Argentina, The Best Eco Tours in Argentina, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Chile.
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Salta Prices
Argentina PricesIquique Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySalta $45Iquique $121
The average daily cost (per person) in Salta is $45, 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 Salta and Iquique in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSalta $31Iquique $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSalta $62Iquique $86
Compare Hotels in Salta and Iquique
Looking for a hotel in Salta 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.
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: Salta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Salta $3.13Iquique $23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Salta
Also for Salta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Saver Combo: Cafayate, Cachi, Salt Fields, Transfers and Walking: $184
- Combo: Cafayate, Cachi and Humahuaca, transfers and walking tour: $177
- Humahuaca, 7-color Hill & round trip transfers airport - hotel in Salta: $167
- Cafayate Wine Tour with Tastings and Transfers: $150
- Combo: Cafayate Tour + Cachi + Transfers + Free Walking Tour: $117
- Salta City Tour & Round Trip Transfers airport - hotel: $109
- From Salinas and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $99
- From Cafayate and Hornocal 2-Day Tour with Transfer: $88
- Private 1-Way or Round Trip SLA Airport Transfer: $56
- Salta Airport One-Way or Round-Trip Transfers: $45
- Salta Airport Shuttle Transfer: $15
- Shared Transfer from Downtown Hotels in Salta to Airport: $12
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 Salta or Iquique?
Prices for flights to both Iquique and Salta 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 daySalta $5.41Iquique $59
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Salta $27Iquique $27
Tours and Activities in Salta
For Salta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Full-Day Tour to Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca From Salta: $38
- 2-Day Tour to Cachi and Los Cardones National Park: $57
- 3 Day Tour from Salta to Cachi, Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes: $88
- Adventure in the North: Pack of 4 Excursions + Hornocal: $132
- Best of Guided City Tour: $43
- Cachi Full Day Tour with Los Cardones National Park: $34
- Exclusive day-long private tour of Cafayate vineyards: $278
- From Salta 3 Day Tour to Cafayate Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes: $88
- From Cachi and Los Cardones National Park Tour: $30
- From City Tour of the city on a half-day ride: $20
- From Full-Day Scenic Tour to Cachi: $30
- From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate, Land of Wines: $31
Tours and Activities in Iquique
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Iquique.
- City Tour in Iquique: $89
- City tour of Iquique with navigation to the Esmeralda buoy: $55
- Red Lagoon Tour: $639
- Pintados Geoglyphs, Humberstone and Salar Crespo tour: $145
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySalta $5.50Iquique $20
Sample the Local Flavors in Salta
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Salta:
- Cafayate: Full-day tour of wineries and wine tasting: $29
- Full-day Cafayate, Lerma Valley, and Wine Tasting from Salta: $30
- From Full-Day Tour to Cafayate with Wine Tasting: $30
- From Cafayate Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $40
- Half Day Wine Tasting in Salta: $147
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Salta and Iquique, we can see that Iquique 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 Iquique would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Iquique than you might in Salta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Salta Expensive? and Is Iquique Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Salta or Iquique?
Salta has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Iquique. When comparing the sizes of Salta 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.
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.