Which place is cheaper, Montego Bay or Masai Mara?
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 Masai Mara or Montego Bay?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Masai Mara and Montego Bay. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Masai Mara or Montego Bay?
Masai Mara
Masai Mara National Reserve is a beautiful, scenic, nature reserve in southwest Kenya, just west of the capital city, Nairobi. The reserve belongs to the Masai people and was created in order to protect the land and the people and animals living on it. Masai Mara is considered to be one of the best reserves in all of Africa, offering the quintessential African safari experience.
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 Budget Safaris in Kenya, and The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesMontego Bay Prices
Jamaica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $132Montego Bay $258
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Montego Bay is $258. 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 Masai Mara and Montego Bay in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Montego Bay $101
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Montego Bay $202
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Montego Bay
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara 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: Montego Bay Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Montego Bay $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:
- RIU Montego Bay or S Hotel Airport & Hotel Transfer: $8.80
- Shared Transfer: From/to Montego Bay International Airport: $9.75
- Hyatt Zillara or Ziva Rose Hall private Transfers: $10
- Montego Bay Airport Private Transfers to any Montego Bay Hotels: $10
- Private Airport Transfers from Montego Bay: $10
- Breathless Resort Exclusive Private Airport Transfer: $10
- Private Airport transfer Montego Bay: $12
- Private Transfers: MBJ Airport ↔ RIU Montego Bay, Palace & Reggae: $13
- Montego Bay Airport Transfer: RIU Mobay, RIU Reggae & RIU Palace: $13
- Tropical Court Hotel Private Airport Transfer: $13
- Grandiosa Hotel Private Airport Transfer: $13
- El Greco Resort Private Airport Transfer: $13
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Montego Bay?
Prices for flights to both Montego Bay and Masai Mara 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 dayMasai Mara $57Montego Bay $141
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.
- Nairobi National Museum and Carnivore Restaurant Food Tour: $275
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montego Bay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Montego Bay.
- Lunch or Dinner with Pickup from Montego Bay: $45
- Montego Bay City and Food Tour All Inclusive Experience: $48
- Montego Bay Jerk Tour and Rum Punch Mixology/Food Tour: $50
- Street Food Tour in Montego Bay: $59
- Club2727 Nightlife Experience With Optional Dinner In Montego Bay: $60
- Luminous Lagoon Sunset Cruise, Dinner & Glowing Waters Swim: $95
- Bar Hopping & Local Food Tour-From Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios: $130
- The Local Lime- Montego Bay Dinner and/or Nightlife Tour: $149
- Jamaican Seafood Street Food Tour from Montego Bay, Falmouth: $150
- Dinner and Nightlife -From Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios: $150
- Sunset Boat Cruise and Luminous Lagoon with Dinner and Transfer: $150
- Private Beach Day and Street Food Tour from Montego Bay: $170
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Montego Bay $31
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $34
- Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
- Guided "Matatu" Experience Half Day Tour Within Nairobi.: $60
- Nairobi: Private Cultural Tour to Bomas of Kenya: $60
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $75
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Ngong Hills Adventure from Nairobi: $85
- Nairobi City Tour with Bomas Of Kenya Visit: $90
- Full-Day Kiambethu Tea Farm Tour From Nairobi with Lunch: $90
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center Guided Day Tour: $95
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$2.67
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Snorkeling Trip$19
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One Tank Dive$37
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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:
- Lethe Rafting And Margaritaville Tour from Montego Bay: $20
- Shopping Tour for Whitter Village Mall Private / Charted Air Conditioned Taxi: $20
- Carnival Cruise Ship in Montego Bay to Great River & Hip strip: $20
- Blue Hole Adventure and Shopping Experience with Transportation: $20
- Montego Bay Beach Day Experience: $20
- Montego Bay Bamboo Rafting and Hip Strip Private Tour: $22
- Montego Bay Nightlife Tour with Private Transportation: $25
- Montego Bay Shopping Private Tour: $26
- Explore the Beauty of Montego Bay Nature Tour in Jamaica: $30
- Doctors Cave Beach Roundtrip Tour in Montego Bay: $30
- VR Experience in Montego Bay: $30
- Montego Bay Private Shopping Tour with Hotel Pickup: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Montego Bay $13
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 Jamaica Rum Distillery Tour Private Driver: $250
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Montego Bay, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Masai Mara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa 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 Masai Mara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Masai Mara 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 Masai Mara.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Masai Mara Expensive? and Is Montego Bay Expensive?.
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.