Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Kingston?
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 Kingston or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Kingston or Cabo San Lucas, 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: Kingston or Cabo San Lucas?
Kingston
Kingston is Jamaica's capital city with a population of about 579,000. For being located on an island, Kingston is a very large city with several different zip codes. Not only is Kingston the cultural capital of the country, but also the commercial one as well.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas ("Cabo") is on the far southern end of the Baja Peninsula. It has countless resorts and activities for visitors. There are world class golf courses, fine dining options, and five star resorts. Prior to the 1980s, Cabo was a quiet fishing village but with the construction of a nearby airport in 1977, the city rapidly grew into one of Mexico's most popular resort vacation spots. Today, Cabo has one of the country's most vibrant nightlife scenes. It also has plenty of water sport activities, and a great beach scene.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
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Kingston Prices
Jamaica PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKingston $125Cabo San Lucas $157
The average daily cost (per person) in Kingston is $125, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $157. 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 Kingston and Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKingston $63Cabo San Lucas $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKingston $126Cabo San Lucas $114
Compare Hotels in Kingston and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Kingston or Cabo San Lucas? 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: Kingston Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kingston $29Cabo San Lucas $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kingston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kingston:
- Airport /Hotel Transfer Norman Manley airport and Montego bay: $40
- Airport Group Transfers-Kingston: $180
- Airport MBJ Round Trip Transfer to Ocho Rios Airbnb Home, Resorts: $133
- Airport Transfer from NMIA to Hotels in Kingston: $69
- From Kingston Airport: One Way Private Transfer to Ocho Rios: $319
- From One Way Shared Transfer to Kingston Airport: $19
- From One Way Shared Transfer to Montego Bay: $69
- From One Way Shared Transfer to Negril: $79
- From One Way Shared Transfer to Port Antonio: $47
- Group Private Kingston Airport Transfers (10 - 15 Persons): $251
- Group Private Kingston Airport Transfers (4 - 9 Persons): $159
- Jamaica Airport Transfers and Tours: $40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Airport Transfer to Cabo San Lucas & Pacific side Hotels & Villas Round Trip: $179
- Airport Transfer to Cabo San Lucas IDA: $121
- Airport Transfers to Cabo San Lucas Pacifico Hotels RT: $284
- Cabo Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Round-Trip Private Transfer: $187
- Cabo Airport Transportation (SJD) | Private Transfers: $125
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port - Arrival Private Transfer: $71
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas-Roundtrip Transfer: $153
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Cabo San Lucas hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $71
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Cabo San Lucas- Round-Trip Private Transfer: $141
- Cabo San Lucas Port to Los Cabos Airport (SJD) - Departure Private Transferl: $96
- Cabo San Lucas Port to San Jose Del Cabo hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $273
- Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) Departure Transfer: $93
Is it cheaper to fly into Kingston or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas and Kingston 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 dayKingston $45Cabo San Lucas $78
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cabo San Lucas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
- Mexican Cooking Class and Garden Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $75
- San Jose del Cabo Tacos and Food Tour: $82
- Sunset Fajita Dinner Cruise in Cabo San Lucas: $89
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Sunset Mexican Dinner Cruise and Live Music in Cabo San Lucas: $95
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $95
- Cabo San Lucas Sunset Dinner Catamaran Cruise to the Arch: $99
- Cabo San Lucas Catamaran Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Open Bar: $99
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise: Fajitas, Lands End and Party: $99
- Pirate Ship Sunset Dinner and Show in Los Cabos: $99
- Yo Ho Pirate Sunset Dinner Cruise in Cabo San Lucas: $99
- Cabo Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar on Cabo Wave: $99
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kingston $12Cabo San Lucas $38
Tours and Activities in Kingston
Here are a few actual costs in Kingston for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Walking Tour with Mural Exploration: $26
- Bunny Lee Museum and Recording Studio Admission Ticket: $30
- Kingston Creative: Mural Art Walking Tour: $31
- Club Kingston VIP Departure Lounge Experience: $38
- Rhythmic Walking Music Tour: $40
- Guided Bar Hopping Tour with VIP Speakeasy Entry: $40
- Walk/Drive Tour of Downtown Kingston/Tivoli Gardens/Trench Town.: $48
- Judgement Yard Tour: $50
- Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion Studio Tour: $50
- Devon House Heritage Tour with Ice Cream from Kingston: $63
- Cultural Walking Tour of Kingston: $65
- Tour a Jamaican Farm: $70
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cabo San Lucas 45 Minute Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $14
- Cabo Clear Boat Tour to the Arch: Hotel Pickup Available: $14
- Cabo Clear Boat Tour to the Arch: Lover's Beach Option & Pickup: $14
- ATV and Camel Experience Los Cabos: $17
- ATV Ride and Camel Experience A Double Adventure: $17
- Cabo San Lucas Arch and Lover's Beach Boat Tour: $18
- Group tour of the Cabo San Lucas Arch: $19
- Cabo San Lucas Arch Tour by Glass Bottom Boat: $19
- The Original Adventure of Cabo: Arch and Love Beach: $21
- Cabo San Lucas Glass-Bottom Boat Tour to the Famous Arch: $25
- Cabo San Lucas Arc Transparent Boat Tour: $27
- Cabo San Lucas Arch and Lovers Beach Transparent Boat Tour: $27
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKingston $11Cabo San Lucas $25
Sample the Local Flavors in Kingston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kingston:
- Worthy Park Estate Rum Distillery Tour with Tasting: $144
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Wine Tasting Sunset Cruise Tour in San Jose del Cabo: $280
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kingston and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas is more expensive. And not only is Kingston much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kingston is in Caribbean Islands and Cabo San Lucas is in North 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 Kingston would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kingston 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 Cabo San Lucas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cabo San Lucas than you might in Kingston.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kingston Expensive? and Is Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kingston or Cabo San Lucas?
Kingston has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Kingston and Cabo San Lucas, 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.