A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Salta vs. Temuco for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Salta or Temuco?

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 Temuco can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Salta or Temuco?

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.

Temuco

Temuco is a large and modern city found 680 km south of Santiago. While the city is dynamic, it does not have any particular charm with the exception of being a great point of departure for many excursions around the lake region and the many national parks found in the surrounding area. Temuco is also well known for its Mapuche culture, a proud and rebellious community of around 20 000 in the area today, who has fought continuously against every invaders in the past.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Argentina, The Best Eco Tours in Argentina, The Best Luxury Tours to Chile, and The Best Budget Tours to Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Temuco or Salta?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Salta is $45, while the average daily cost in Temuco is $96. 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 Temuco in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Salta $31
    Temuco $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Salta $62
    Temuco $88
Compare Hotels in Salta and Temuco

Looking for a hotel in Salta or Temuco? 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 Salta


Hotels in Temuco


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 and Temuco Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Salta $3.13
    Temuco $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 Temuco

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

  • Transfers from or to Temuco - Araucanía Airport: $40
  • Transfer from Temuco Airport to Pucon: $140
  • Temuco Airport (ZCO) to Pucon Thermal Resorts-Round-Trip Transfer: $167
  • Temuco Airport (ZCO) to Pucon Resorts - Arrival Private Transfer: $84

Is it cheaper to fly into Salta or Temuco?

Prices for flights to both Temuco 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Salta $5.41
    Temuco $38

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Salta $27
    Temuco $7.85

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 Temuco

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

  • Tour Mapuche Community Araucanía: $592

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Salta $5.50
    Temuco $5.13

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 Temuco, we can see that Temuco 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 Temuco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Temuco 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 Temuco Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Salta or Temuco?

Salta has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Temuco. When comparing the sizes of Salta and Temuco, 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.