The Most Expensive Month: A Complete Cost Breakdown of Patagonia
How much money should I bring to Patagonia?
Not going to lie. I was almost afraid to write about this.
On average, travel in Patagonia was one of the most expensive months of my South America trip. In this blog post, I'll take you through exactly what I spent travelling through Patagonia for one month.
The cost of one month in Patagonia
My favourite hike - Laguna de Los Tres (aka Fitz Roy) in Argentina
Key facts before we dive in
I travelled for one month, from the end of November to the end of December. This is the shoulder season in Patagonia. The peak season starts in January through to February, when accommodation prices are considerably higher.
I didn't camp. I stayed in dorm rooms and spent a couple of nights in a private room.
As I didn't camp, I needed very little in terms of rental gear. A good set of hiking poles for Torres del Paine and Laguna de Los Tres were the most I rented.
I bought my comfy, waterproof hiking boots on sale from Decathlon in Santiago for £35, along with a thermal top and trousers for around £3 each. Bargain.
At the time, I travelled quite spontaneously, so I booked very little in advance, which sometimes increased my costs but also gave me flexibility.
My Patagonia Itinerary
Santiago -> Punta Arenas -> Puerto Natales -> Torres del Paine (W Circuit) -> Puerto Natales -> El Calafate -> El Chaltén -> El Hoyo/El Bolsón -> Bariloche -> Buenos Aires
Patagonia map route
Updated for 2026: I originally travelled through Patagonia around November - December time during my nine-month solo trip around South America. I've kept my original costs and spending breakdown because they're an important record of my journey and show how I chose to travel at the time. Please note that prices in Patagonia have increased significantly since then, particularly for accommodation, national parks and trekking experiences.
Below I've listed a breakdown of costs by geographical location in Patagonia. I found my budget fluctuated a lot depending on where I was.
Ushuaia, Pucon and the Marble Caves were also on my itinerary; however, as Patagonia was heading into the peak of summer, when Argentinians and Chileans go on their summer holidays, I decided to skip these and favoured spending more time in places like El Chalten and Bariloche.
My costs varied hugely depending on where I was in Patagonia. Trekking destinations such as Torres del Paine and El Calafate were by far the most expensive, while places such as El Chaltén and El Bolsón were much more budget-friendly at the time.
Punta Arenas
The gateway into Patagonia.
I was originally planning to skip Punta Arenas and just head straight to Puerto Natales. However, after my apartment host in Santiago insisted I go and see the penguins, I ended up staying a couple of nights and booking a very expensive penguin tour.
Number of days: 2
Private accommodation total: £41
Groceries (eating in): £10
Penguin Tour: £73
Taxis: £9
Flight from Santiago -> Punta Arenas: £43
Total: £176
You can also read:
Puerto Natales
The gateway to Torres del Paine. Originally I had planned to do day trips into Torres del Paine, estimating I would stay for a total of 3 nights.
However, last-minute spots were open for the 5 days/ 4 nights W Circuit trek starting a few days later. After thinking about it for a couple of days, I knew I would regret not taking the opportunity. As much as travelling with a budget is important, there are times where you just need to take an amazing opportunity.
Number of days: 6
Dorm bed total: £128 -
Eating out: £24.42 (3 meals)
Groceries: £18.44
Taxis: £1.15
Bus from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales: £9.30
Other (bag repair, blister plasters, laundry): £14.33
Total: £195.64
Torres del Paine
The total cost of W Circuit: £855 ($1090)
Number of days: 5 days + 4 nights
All food, bus + boat transfers, park entry fees + dorm bed were included in the price.
Rental of hiking poles: £19.50 (5 days)
Total cost: £874.50
You can also read:
Update 2026: Prices for the W Circuit have increased substantially since I completed the trek. Yo ucan view the latest pricing on the Las Torres website.
El Calafate
I extended my stay in El Calafate from 2 nights to 3 nights due to bad weather. The main reason for visiting El Calafate is to see Glacier Perito Moreno.
I chose to do the trekking on ice excursion, which is one of the highlights of my time in Patagonia. You can also visit the glacier and walk to many of the amazing lookout points, which is much cheaper.
Number of days: 3
Dorm bed total: £47
Groceries: £15.06
Eating out: £9.06 (1 meal)
Glacier Ice trekking Tour: £90.54
Entry Glacier Perito Moreno: £12.06
Bus from Puerto Natales to El Calafate: £21.24
Total: £194.96
You can also read:
El Chalten
Originally planning to stay for 4 days, I loved Chalten so much I spent 6 days exploring Los Parques Glaciares (at the time the entry was free). All the hikes I did started from El Chalten.
Number of days: 6 days
Dorm bed total: £45
Groceries: £12.69
Eating out: £12 (1 meal)
Hot Chocolate: £1.85
Hiking poles rental (1 day): £1.72
Bus from El Calafate to El Chalten: £17.40
Total: £90.66
Handy tip: Do some groceries in El Calafate before you head to El Chalten. It's cheaper, and there's more variety.
Getting cash out from an ATM is a pain in El Chalten as there's only one cash machine which isn't always guaranteed to work. Bring cash with you from El Calafate or your previous destination.
Withdrawing cash from Argentina is expensive. Read this post on how to avoid insane ATM fees in Argentina.
You can also read:
El Hoyo / El Bolson
Near the end of December, El Chaltén was about to get insanely busy. I opted to spend a few days in El Hoyo, hiking and exploring the mountains of Northern Patagonia.
Number of days: 6
The total cost of a dorm bed: £47
Groceries: £18.34
Local bus: £2.20
Laundry: £2.58
Night Bus from El Chaltén to El Bolsón (22 hours): £67.60
Total cost: £131.72
You can also read:
Bariloche
I spent my last week in Patagonia hiking around the mountains of Bariloche and watching the most beautiful sunsets on Christmas Day. I really didn't want to leave!!
Number of days: 7
Dorm bed total: £78.64
Groceries: £20.78
Laundry: £3.10
Bike Rental for Chico Circuit: £11.82
Local buses: £10.17
Bus from El Bolson to Bariloche: £5.28
Taxi: £2.24
Total Cost: £129.79
You can also read:
Total spent: £1791.17
Patagonia is definitely my most expensive month of travel to date. But it's also one of the highlights of my travels in South America and, if I'm being honest, of my life.
A beautiful day in El Chalten
Was Patagonia worth the cost?
Patagonia was, without question, the most expensive month of my travels in South America. It was also one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
The biggest contributor to my spending was the W Circuit in Torres del Paine. Originally, I had planned to do day hikes from Puerto Natales, but when a last-minute opportunity to hike the full circuit presented itself, I decided to go for it.
Other major expenses included trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier and taking the penguin tour from Punta Arenas. Once I arrived in El Chaltén, my spending returned to a much more manageable level.
Looking back, could I have done Patagonia more cheaply? Absolutely. Camping, booking months in advance and cooking all of my own meals would have dramatically reduced my costs.
But would I change anything? Probably not.
Patagonia cost breakdown by category
Travel Insurance
Whilst I didn't include travel insurance in my Patagonia cost breakdown, I did have travel insurance for the duration of my trip in South America.
When buying travel insurance, read the policy document first, so you're clear on what you are covered for and things that are excluded from the coverage.
Depending on your country of residence, you may have a preferred insurance provider. I usually use World Nomads as they're flexible about extending when you're on the road.
So there you have it.
I hope this helps you plan your Patagonia trip!
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