A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Kingston vs. Joshua Tree National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kingston or Joshua Tree National Park?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Kingston or Joshua Tree National Park, 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 Joshua Tree National Park?

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.

Joshua Tree National Park

California's high desert has a unique landscape and has become synonymous with Joshua Tree, located in southeastern California. Joshua Tree National Park gained its namesake from its spiky, evergreen, and unusually shaped trees native to the Mojave Desert area, which only grow in arid soils on plains, slopes and mesas. Legend has it that Mormons in the 19th century came across the trees and thought they resembled Joshua from the Bible, with outstretched arms, beckoning them to the promised land. Well, they do kind of look like people.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Cultural Tours in United States of America, and The Best Photography Tours in United States of America.


Which place is cheaper, Joshua Tree National Park or Kingston?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Kingston is $109, while the average daily cost in Joshua Tree National Park is $152. 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 Joshua Tree National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kingston $64
    Joshua Tree National Park $87
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kingston $128
    Joshua Tree National Park $174
Compare Hotels in Kingston and Joshua Tree National Park

Looking for a hotel in Kingston or Joshua Tree National Park? 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 Kingston


Hotels in Joshua Tree National Park


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kingston $30
    Joshua Tree National Park $47

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kingston

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kingston:

  • Private Transfer to/from Kingston Airport: $42
  • Private Transfer from Kingston Hotels to Montego Bay Cruise Port: $118
  • Private Transfer from Kingston Airport (KIN) to Montego Bay Port: $118
  • Private Transfer Kingston Airport to Jewel Grande Montego Bay: $187
  • Private Airport Transfer from Kingston Airport: $90
  • Private Airport Transfer Sangster Airport to Kingston: $229
  • Private Airport Round Trip Transfer from Montego Bay Airport to Ocho Rios : $133
  • Port Antonio Hotel Private Roundtrip Airport Transfer from Kingston Airport(KIN): $235
  • NMIA & Kingston transfer to Negril: $225
  • MBJ Airport Transfer to/ from Hotels : $25
  • Tropical Off-Road ATV Tour with Lunch and Transfer: $280
  • Kingston Private Airport Transfer to Accommodation in Montego Bay: $170

Is it cheaper to fly into Kingston or Joshua Tree National Park?

Prices for flights to both Joshua Tree National Park 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Kingston $27
    Joshua Tree National Park $35

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kingston $13
    Joshua Tree National Park $27

Tours and Activities in Kingston

Here are a few actual costs in Kingston for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Dunn's River Falls Party Cruise, Blue Hole with Snorkeling, free beverages: $174
  • 4x4 Jeep Safari & Blue Hole Adventure from Ocho Rios: $158
  • Appleton Estate Rum Tour and Tasting from Ocho Rios: $232
  • Blue Hole and Sightseeing Tour from Ocho Rios: $99
  • Blue Mountain Bicycle Tour from Kingston: $231
  • Blue Mountain Bicycle Tour from Runaway Bay: $142
  • Blue Mountains Coffee Private Tour from Kingston: $180
  • Bob Marley Museum Tour from Kingston: $83
  • Bob Marley Museum Tour from Runaway Bay: $258
  • Bob Marley Museum and Devon House Kingston Day Tour: $320
  • Bob Marley Museum and Devon House Kingston Day Tour: $370
  • Bob Marley Museum and Kingston Sightseeing from Port Royal Cruise Port: $205

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kingston $11
    Joshua Tree National Park $4.93

Sample the Local Flavors in Kingston

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kingston:

  • Ocho Rios Pub Crawl and Sightseeing Tour from Ocho Rios: $185


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kingston and Joshua Tree National Park, we can see that Joshua Tree National Park 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 Joshua Tree National Park 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 Joshua Tree National Park would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Joshua Tree National Park 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 Joshua Tree National Park Expensive?.