Which place is cheaper, Santiago or San Pedro La Laguna?
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 San Pedro La Laguna or Santiago?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit San Pedro La Laguna or Santiago? 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: San Pedro La Laguna or Santiago?
San Pedro La Laguna
Located in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, Lake Atitlan is a beautiful volcanic lake ringed by small towns and villages that are highly frequented by backpackers. Panajachal is one of the best known of the towns, as well as the main entry point of the region, while others like San Pedro La Laguna are quieter and more off the beaten path. Lake Atitlan and its villages attract visitors for its scenic beauty, outdoor activities, and Mayan culture nearby.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Guatemala, The Best Eco Tours in Guatemala, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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San Pedro La Laguna Prices
Guatemala PricesSantiago Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Pedro La Laguna $45Santiago $150
The average daily cost (per person) in San Pedro La Laguna is $45, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $150. 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 San Pedro La Laguna and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Pedro La Laguna $8.34Santiago $109
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Pedro La Laguna $17Santiago $218
Compare Hotels in San Pedro La Laguna and Santiago
Looking for a hotel in San Pedro La Laguna or Santiago? 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: Santiago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Pedro La Laguna $13Santiago $5.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Pedro La Laguna
Also for San Pedro La Laguna, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Transfer from Panajachel Atitlan to Guatemala City: $47
- Private transfer from Panajachel to Antigua Guatemala: $65
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride$1.13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- Transfer to Valparaiso Cruise Terminal with Winery & Town Tour: $109
- Transfer to Snowy Valley fullday for skiers : $49
- Transfer to San Antonio port with Valparaiso & Casablanca tour: $87
- Transfer from Valparaiso or San Antonio Port + Condor Watching Tour: $230
- Transfer from Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski to Santiago: $83
- Transfer from Santiago To Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski: $100
- Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
- Transfer Santiago-Viña del Mar / Viña del Mar-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago-Valparaiso / Valparaiso-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $290
- Transfer Santiago de Chile airport: $40
- Transfer Santiago Airport to the commune of Providencia: $56
Is it cheaper to fly into San Pedro La Laguna or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago and San Pedro La Laguna 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 daySan Pedro La Laguna $19Santiago $23
Typical Food Prices in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lemonade$2.09
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Cake$1.30
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Ice cream$0.39
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Hot Cocoa & Banana Bread$3.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Temazcal sauna and dinner, cultural sharing experience: $44
- Maya Cooking Class from Panajachel: $50
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$1.88
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Hamburger$2.50
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Dinner$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
- Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
- 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
- Bali Hai Dinner & Show, Transport and Wine refill: $106
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
- Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
- Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $122
- San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
- Bali Hai Polynesian Dinner Show with Transfer: $130
- Private Night City Tour with San Cristobal Hill And Dinner Show: $181
- Santiago Chilean and Peruvian Cooking Class with a Local Carol: $184
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.San Pedro La Laguna $22Santiago $47
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Pedro La Laguna
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for San Pedro La Laguna's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Canopy Tour (for 2)$39
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Kayaking (for 2)$1.96
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Coffee Tour (for 2)$7.04
Tours and Activities in San Pedro La Laguna
For San Pedro La Laguna, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Beading Class and tour a Non-profit vocational training center a Fun cultural sharing experience: $28
- Sunrise Tour in Indian Nose Hike and Views of Lake Atitlan: $35
- Lake Atitlan Guided Tour by Boat from Panajachel: $35
- Coffee Tour in Lake Atitlán: $35
- Tour of San Juan Lake Atitlan: $35
- Tour in the Atitlan Nature Reserve : $40
- La Nose of the Indian Mountain Tour: $40
- Authentic tour of Mayan art and culture in Lake Atitlan: $42
- Sunrise Hike Tour on Indian's Nose Mountain: $45
- Sololá Colourful Market Day Tour: $50
- 5-Hour Private Birdwatching Experience in San Juan La Laguna: $50
- Private Tour of Lake Atitlán by Mototaxi: $50
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- Private Half-Day Guided Tour of the City of Santiago.: $280
- Private Sightseeing City Tour in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: $240
- "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $26
- 1 Day Tour of Viña Concha y Toro from Santiago: $120
- 4 Hour Santa Rita Winery All inclusive Tour for Wine Lover: $269
- A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -small group: $25
- A full Private Tour of Valparaiso from Santiago : $240
- A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
- An Architect's Tour of Downtown Santiago: $55
- Andean Adventure: Cajón del Maipo & Santuario del Río Spa: $132
- Andean Horse Ride Yerba Loca Sanctuary - Private tour from Santiago: $240
- Andes Day Lagoon in Cajón del Maipo & Embalse el Yeso Private Tour: $200
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySan Pedro La Laguna $5.65Santiago $8.40
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
- Undurraga Wine tour: $70
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $79
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with wine tasting in Casablanca: $79
- Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $80
- Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $89
- Kross Brewery Tour: A Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $93
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between San Pedro La Laguna and Santiago, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is San Pedro La Laguna much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Pedro La Laguna is in Central America and Santiago is in South America, 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 San Pedro La Laguna would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Pedro La Laguna 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in San Pedro La Laguna.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Pedro La Laguna Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, San Pedro La Laguna or Santiago?
Santiago has a larger population, and is about 500 times larger than the population of San Pedro La Laguna. When comparing the sizes of San Pedro La Laguna and Santiago, 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.