A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Montego Bay vs. Boquete for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Montego Bay or Boquete?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Montego Bay and Boquete can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Montego Bay or Boquete?

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.

Boquete

Boquete is a village located in the pacific west of Panama. This town very recently became an attractive destination for tourists and expatriates. Before the early 2000's, it was a quiet town hidden away in the mountains with very little tourism. After the development of Valle Escondido, which is a largely residential area, many North Americans flocked to this town and an expat community developed. Boquete is known for it's near perfect year round temperature of about seventy degrees Fahrenheit, beautiful untouched nature, and world renowned coffee.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.


Which place is cheaper, Boquete or Montego Bay?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $205, while the average daily cost in Boquete is $54. 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 Montego Bay and Boquete in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Montego Bay $105
    Boquete $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Montego Bay $210
    Boquete $46
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and Boquete

Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or Boquete? 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 Montego Bay


Hotels in Boquete


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 and Boquete Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Montego Bay $15
    Boquete $5.24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:

  • Montego Bay Hotels Private Transfer : $10
  • Tropical Court Hotel Private Airport Transfer : $13
  • Riu Reggae , Riu Palace & Riu Mobay Montego Bay Airport Transfers: $13
  • Shuttle Transfer From Montego Bay Airport - Montego Bay: $13
  • Sandals Royal Caribbean Hotel Private Airport Transfer : $13
  • Montego Bay Airport Private Transfer to Riu Montego Bay, Reggae, Palace: $14
  • Private Airport Transfer to Breathless/ to Secrets Resort: $14
  • Private Airport Transfer to S Hotel, SeaGarden, Royal Decameron: $14
  • Private Transfer Sangster International Airport to Montego Bay: $15
  • Riu Reggae Montego Bay Airport Transfer: $15
  • Nightlife Experience in Montego Bay with Transfer and Drinks: $15
  • Private Transfer From Montego Bay Airport to Falmouth Trelawny : $16

Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or Boquete?

Prices for flights to both Boquete and Montego Bay 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
    Montego Bay $84
    Boquete $18

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montego Bay

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Montego Bay.

  • Dinner or Lunch with Pickup from Montego Bay: $40
  • Private Transportation to DINNER or "27 27" Club Lounge: $55
  • Lunch or Dinner with Pickup from Montego Bay : $81
  • Night cruise and swim the Falmouth Mystic Lagoon, Dinner and Rum Punch Inclusive: $85
  • Rick’s Cafe Cliff Diving, Sunset & Dinner Tour with Transportation : $130
  • Dinner or lunch at pier one Montego bay Food Tour: $144
  • Sunset Boat Ride in the Falmouth Luminous Lagoon swim and Dinner : $165
  • Sunset Boat Cruise in Falmouth Luminous Lagoon, Swim and Dinner : $170
  • Restaurant Transportation for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Montego Bay: $180
  • [PRIVATE] Premium Jamaican Food Tour of Local Cuisine: $190

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Montego Bay $32
    Boquete $17
Typical Entertainment Prices in Montego Bay

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Montego Bay are as follows:


  • Admission to Doctor's Cave Beach
    $2.76
  • Snorkeling Trip
    $19
  • One Tank Dive
    $39
  • 1.5 Hr Horseback Ride
    $44

Tours and Activities in Montego Bay

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Montego Bay are as follows:

  • Shopping Tour for Whitter Village Mall Private / Charted Air Conditioned Taxi: $20
  • Skip the Line: Rose Hall Great House & Garden Tour Ticket: $30
  • Private Tour Souvenir Shopping in Montego Bay : $30
  • Montego Bay Sightseeing Tour and Souvenir Shopping: $35
  • Rose Hall Great House Haunted Night Tour: $35
  • Skip the Line: Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery and Garden Admission Tickets: $35
  • Montego Bay Walking Tour: $40
  • 3-Hour Private Tour in the Highlights of Montego Bay: $45
  • Rose Hall Great House 2-Hour Night Tour: $45
  • City Highlights and Souvenir Shopping Tour: $45
  • Bamboo Rafting & Margaritaville/Hip Strip Private Tour: $45
  • Bamboo Rafting and Margaritaville Hip Strip Private Tour: $45

Tours and Activities in Boquete

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Boquete are as follows:

  • Schumann's BOTANICAL PARK TOUR: $30
  • Small Group Coffee Tour (Minimum 2 people): $40
  • Boquete Private 360° View Tour: $40
  • Self-Guided Half-Day Boquete Tour E-Bicycle: $46
  • Guided Market Tour with Sensory Coffee Tasting Boquete: $48
  • Boquete Adventure - E-Bike Tour (2 hrs.) (2 Person Min.): $55
  • 2-Hour Private Mezcal and Geisha Liqueur Tasting Experience: $65
  • The Local Flavors of Boquete E-Bike Tour (4 hrs.) (2 Person Min.): $80
  • 3-Hour Private Tour to La Estrella Lake from Boquete on E Bike: $84
  • Hiking Experience in Caldera Transportation Included: $90
  • 3-hour Private Tour to the Peque Doraz Butterfly Garden by Ebike: $90
  • E-Bike tour in Boquete and we culminate with a coffee experience: $90

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Montego Bay $13
    Boquete $4.47

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: $103
  • Montego Bay Jamaica Rum Distillery Tour Private Driver: $215


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Montego Bay and Boquete, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Boquete much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Montego Bay is in Caribbean Islands and Boquete is in Central 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 Boquete would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Boquete 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 Boquete.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Montego Bay Expensive? and Is Boquete Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Montego Bay or Boquete?

Montego Bay has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Boquete. When comparing the sizes of Montego Bay and Boquete, 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.