Which place is cheaper, Montego Bay or Ephesus?
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 Ephesus or Montego Bay?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Ephesus or Montego Bay, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Ephesus or Montego Bay?
Ephesus
The ancient city of Ephesus was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC). It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was destroyed in 401 AD and rebuilt by Emperor Constantine I along with new public baths. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614 AD. The city's importance as a commercial center declined as the harbor was slowly silted up by the Cayster River (Kucuk Menderes).
Montego Bay
As with most places around the tropical oasis of Jamaica, Montego Bay (or "MoBay") is an ideal place to visit for a Caribbean getaway. It is Jamaica's second largest city and the capital of St. James parish on the northern coast. Montego Bay is considered to be the tourist capital of the country and is where the largest airport is located, bringing in many international travelers.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in Turkey, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Turkey.
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Ephesus Prices
Turkey PricesMontego Bay Prices
Jamaica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEphesus $118Montego Bay $260
The average daily cost (per person) in Ephesus is $118, while the average daily cost in Montego Bay is $260. 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 Ephesus and Montego Bay in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEphesus $49Montego Bay $102
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEphesus $98Montego Bay $204
Compare Hotels in Ephesus and Montego Bay
Looking for a hotel in Ephesus or Montego Bay? 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: Ephesus Hotel Prices and Montego Bay Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ephesus $36Montego Bay $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ephesus
Also for Ephesus, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Kusadasi Quad Safari Adventure Included Transfer: $24
- Kusadasi Buggy Safari Adventure Included Transfer: $30
- Kusadasi Half Day Quad Safari Experience With Free Hotel Transfer: $38
- Kuşadası: Turkish Bath Experience with Transfer: $38
- Kusadasi & National Park Boat Tours with Lunch and Transfer: $38
- Kusadasi Quad Safari with Hotel Transfer: $44
- Kusadasi Buggy Car Safari With Free Hotel Transfer Service: $45
- Horse Riding Experience in Kusadasi for Everyone with Transfers: $46
- Private Transfer from Kusadasi Cruise Port to Kusadasi hotels: $54
- Private Transfer from Kusadasi hotels to Kusadasi Cruise Port: $54
- Kusadasi Boat Trip With Lunch And Hotel Transfer: $55
- Kusadasi Buggy Adventure Tour with Hotel Transfer: $59
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:
- Jet Car Adventure in Montego Bay Daytrip with Transfers: $300
- Chevy Suburban Montego Bay Airport Transfer: $300
- Mercedes Benz Sprinter Airport Transfer: $300
- Private Transfer from Montego Bay Airport To Ocho Rios: $267
- Blue Hole & Horseback Riding Tour with Transfers from Montego Bay: $265
- Airport - Ocho Rios Hotels Transfers and Returns: $260
- SUV Prado Transfer from Montego Bay Airport: $257
- Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Kingston Hotels: $245
- MBJ Airport to Strawberry Hill Hotel & Spa Transfer: $243
- Airport-Negril Hotels Transfers and Returns For 1- 4 persons: $230
- Private Transfer from Montego Bay Airport to Negril (Round Trip): $225
- Luxury Suburban Private Airport Transfer with Chauffeur: $200
Is it cheaper to fly into Ephesus or Montego Bay?
Prices for flights to both Montego Bay and Ephesus 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 dayEphesus $41Montego Bay $142
Typical Food Prices in Ephesus
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ephesus:
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Sandwiches$0.11
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Dessert$0.12
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Lunch at Beach (for 2)$0.41
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Snacks$0.17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ephesus
For Ephesus, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Private Ephesus Tour & Cooking Experience with locals: $160
- Kusadasi Selcuk Ephesus Gourmet and Street Food Tour: $236
- Cooking Class in Ephesus Selcuk Town: $300
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montego Bay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Montego Bay.
- Montego Bay Jerk Tour and Rum Punch Mixology/Food Tour: $50
- Dinner or Lunch with Pickup from Montego Bay: $50
- Club2727 Nightlife Experience With Optional Dinner In Montego Bay: $60
- Mystic Lagoon Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Lagoon Swim: $95
- 3 to 5 Hour Private Herbal Tour Shopping and Dinner at Ricks Cafe: $120
- Bar Hopping and Local Food Tour in Jamaica: $130
- Dinner or lunch at pier one Montego bay Food Tour: $144
- Jamaican Seafood Street Food Tour from Montego Bay, Falmouth: $150
- Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios Dinner and Nightlife Experience: $150
- Private Beach Day and Street Food Tour from Montego Bay: $170
- Dinner Experience and Celebration on the Beach with Decorations: $175
- Authentic Jamaican Cooking Experience in the Mountain from mobay: $210
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ephesus $41Montego Bay $32
Tours and Activities in Ephesus
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ephesus.
- Best-Seller PRIVATE EPHESUS & SHOPPING Tour FOR CRUISERS: $5.90
- Private Ephesus Tour from Cruise Port - Lunch & Skip The Lines: $7.00
- Skip-the-Line Ephesus Tour with Lunch: $7.08
- Mini Group Ephesus & House of Virgin Mary Tour (Max. 10 guests): $9.90
- Small Group Tour Ephesus and House of Mary with Lunch: $10
- FOR CRUISERS: Best of Ephesus Tour from Kusadasi port: $11
- Ephesus and Sirince Village Tour For Cruisers: $11
- Skip the Line: Ephesus Tour For Cruise Guest: $12
- Kusadasi Walking City and Shopping Tour from Kusadasi Port: $12
- Private Ephesus and Temple of Artemis Tour from Kusadasi Port: $13
- Skip-the-Line Private Ephesus Tour for Cruisers with Opt Tickets: $13
- Private Ephesus Shore Excursion from Kusadasi with Ticket Option: $13
Typical Entertainment Prices in Montego Bay
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Montego Bay are as follows:
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Admission to Doctor's Cave Beach$2.69
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Snorkeling Trip$19
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One Tank Dive$38
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1.5 Hr Horseback Ride$43
Tours and Activities in Montego Bay
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Montego Bay are as follows:
- “ATV Adventure & Rick’s Café Experience from Montego Bay: $123
- 1 Hour Efoil Experience in Montego Bay: $150
- 1 Hour Horse Back Riding & Dunn's River Falls Tour Combo: $240
- 2 Days Of Blue Hole, Dunns River Falls & Hidden Beauty Adventure: $180
- 2 Days Private Jamaica Tour: $230
- 27/27 Lounge, Pier 1 & Margaritaville Nightlife Experience: $80
- 3 Hours Private Tour in Montego Bay From Falmouth: $75
- 3-Hour Private Tour in the Highlights of Montego Bay: $58
- 4 Hours Party Boat Catamaran Cruise in Negril: $190
- 4 Hours Private Night Life Experience in Montego Bay: $66
- 4-Hour Catamaran Party Cruise with Open Bar from Montego Bay: $200
- 5 Hour Private Tour at Negril Beach and Rick's Cafe: $150
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEphesus $10Montego Bay $13
Typical Alcohol Prices in Ephesus
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Ephesus from other travelers:
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Beer$0.09
Sample the Local Flavors in Ephesus
Also in Ephesus, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Skip-the-Line: Ephesus Shore Excursion & Wine Tasting: $21
- PRIVATE & GROUP: EPHESUS TOUR with Wine Tasting (SKIP-THE-LINE): $29
- LGBTQ+ Friendly Ephesus Shore Excursion & Local Wine Tasting: $30
- FOR CRUISERS: Ephesus & Wine Tasting Tour From Kusadasi Port: $34
- Ephesus Shore Excursion & Wine Tasting + Lunch - Opt Turkish Bath: $35
- FOR CRUISERS:Kusadasi Port Private Wine Tasting and Ephesus Tour: $45
- POTTERY PAINTING & WINE TASTING Tour from Kusadasi Port: $49
- Wine Tasting-Village Shore Excursion from Kusadasi Port: $50
- Sirince Village and Wine Tour with Artemis Temple: $58
- Kusadasi Shore Excursions Ephesus and Wine Tasting Tours: $70
- Private Ephesus and Sirince Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting: $92
- FOR CRUISERS: Ephesus Ruins & Sirince Village Wine Tasting Tour: $99
Sample the Local Flavors in Montego Bay
Also in Montego Bay, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Appleton Estate Admission Ticket & Distillery Tour with Tastings: $39
- Montego Bay Pub Crawl To Negril and Rick's Cafe: $255
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ephesus and Montego Bay, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Ephesus much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ephesus is in Europe and Montego Bay is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Ephesus would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ephesus 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 Montego Bay would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Montego Bay than you might in Ephesus.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ephesus Expensive? and Is Montego Bay Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ephesus or Montego Bay?
Montego Bay has a larger population, and is about 31% larger than the population of Ephesus. When comparing the sizes of Ephesus and Montego Bay, 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.
When is the best time to visit Ephesus or Montego Bay?
Ephesus has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Montego Bay experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Ephesus or Montego Bay in the Summer?
Both Montego Bay and Ephesus during the summer are popular places to visit. The family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Ephesus this time of year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Montego Bay year-round.
Ephesus is around the same temperature as Montego Bay in the summer. The daily temperature in Ephesus averages around 27°C (81°F) in July, and Montego Bay fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
In Montego Bay, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Ephesus. In the summer, Ephesus often gets more sunshine than Montego Bay. Ephesus gets 378 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montego Bay receives 257 hours of full sun.
Ephesus usually gets less rain in July than Montego Bay. Ephesus gets 1 mm (0 in) of rain, while Montego Bay receives 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyEphesus 27°C (81°F)Montego Bay 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Ephesus or Montego Bay in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Ephesus and Montego Bay. Many travelers come to Ephesus for the shopping scene. Montego Bay attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In the autumn, Ephesus is cooler than Montego Bay. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Ephesus in October average around 19°C (66°F), and Montego Bay averages at about 27°C (81°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Montego Bay this time of the year. In Ephesus, it's very sunny this time of the year. Ephesus usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Montego Bay during autumn. Ephesus gets 232 hours of sunny skies, while Montego Bay receives 233 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Montego Bay receives a lot of rain in the autumn. In October, Ephesus usually receives less rain than Montego Bay. Ephesus gets 29 mm (1.1 in) of rain, while Montego Bay receives 130 mm (5.1 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberEphesus 19°C (66°F)Montego Bay 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Ephesus or Montego Bay in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Ephesus as well as Montego Bay. Many visitors come to Ephesus in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. The warm climate attracts visitors to Montego Bay throughout the year.
In January, Ephesus is generally much colder than Montego Bay. Daily temperatures in Ephesus average around 10°C (50°F), and Montego Bay fluctuates around 24°C (75°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Montego Bay. In the winter, Ephesus often gets less sunshine than Montego Bay. Ephesus gets 131 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montego Bay receives 226 hours of full sun.
Ephesus receives a lot of rain in the winter. Ephesus usually gets more rain in January than Montego Bay. Ephesus gets 149 mm (5.9 in) of rain, while Montego Bay receives 70 mm (2.8 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryEphesus 10°C (50°F)Montego Bay 24°C (75°F)
Should I visit Ephesus or Montego Bay in the Spring?
Both Montego Bay and Ephesus are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. Plenty of visitors come to Montego Bay because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
Ephesus is much colder than Montego Bay in the spring. The daily temperature in Ephesus averages around 15°C (59°F) in April, and Montego Bay fluctuates around 25°C (77°F).
It's quite sunny in Montego Bay. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Ephesus. Ephesus usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Montego Bay during spring. Ephesus gets 231 hours of sunny skies, while Montego Bay receives 225 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Ephesus usually receives less rain than Montego Bay. Ephesus gets 32 mm (1.3 in) of rain, while Montego Bay receives 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilEphesus 15°C (59°F)Montego Bay 25°C (77°F)
Typical Weather for Montego Bay and Ephesus
| Ephesus | Montego Bay | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 10°C (50°F) | 149 mm (5.9 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Feb | 10°C (50°F) | 103 mm (4.1 in) | 24°C (75°F) | 30 mm (1.2 in) |
| Mar | 12°C (53°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 30 mm (1.2 in) |
| Apr | 15°C (59°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| May | 19°C (67°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Jun | 24°C (75°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (81°F) | 1 mm (0 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
| Sep | 24°C (75°F) | 23 mm (0.9 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) |
| Oct | 19°C (66°F) | 29 mm (1.1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 130 mm (5.1 in) |
| Nov | 14°C (58°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
| Dec | 12°C (53°F) | 164 mm (6.5 in) | 25°C (77°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) |
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.