Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Montego Bay?
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 Montego Bay or El Calafate?
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 El Calafate 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 El Calafate?
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.
El Calafate
Located in Patagonia, El Calafate has become a popular tourist destination in Argentina because of its beautiful setting on the stunningly blue Lago Argentina. The town sits on the southern border of the lake in the southwestern part of the Santa Cruz Province. It's about 320 kilometers from Rio Gallegos.
The rise in popularity of Patagonia as a tourist destination has truly put this small town on the map. You'll find no shortage of trekkers in the town and it makes an excellent base to explore different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park. Popular places to visit include Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chalten, and Cerro Torre.
El Calafate has a cold semi-arid climate. The summers are cool to warm and very dry while the winters are cold and damp. Lago Argentino has a significant influence over the town's climate. The shallow bay where the town is located is usually frozen during the winter months.
Check out our ultimate guide to Hiking in Patagonia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina.
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Montego Bay Prices
Jamaica PricesEl Calafate Prices
Argentina Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMontego Bay $259El Calafate $57
The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $259, while the average daily cost in El Calafate is $57. 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 El Calafate in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMontego Bay $102El Calafate $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMontego Bay $204El Calafate $70
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and El Calafate
Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or El Calafate? 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.Montego Bay $15El Calafate $4.07
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:
- Zoetry Montego Bay Airport Transfers MBJ (Private Roundtrip Exclusive): $180
- Zoëtry Resorts Montego Bay Airport Transfer: $20
- VIP Runaway Bay Transfer: $160
- VIP Private Airport Transfer Montego Bay: $20
- VIP Luxury Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Montego Bay/ Falmouth: $74
- VIP Airport Transfer to Hotel in Montego Bay: $30
- Tryall / Round Hill Private Transfer: $40
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Montego Bay APT-HTL (MBJ): $37
- Tropical Court Hotel Private Airport Transfer: $13
- Transfer from/to Airport, Riu Reggae, Riu Montego Bay, Riu Palace: $28
- Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Runaway Bay: $172
- Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Iberostar zone: $64
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate
Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Calafate: Airport Transfer: $12
- Shared Transfer from El Calafate Airport to Hotel or v.v.: $16
- Airport Transfer Calafate Regular Bus or Private Car: $20
- Private Transfer to El Calafate Airport (FTE): $25
- El Calafate Shared Airport Transfer One-Way or Round-Trip: $29
- Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $32
- Private Transfer Hotel-Bus Station or Bus Station-Hotel (Calafate): $35
- One Way Shared transfer from Hotel downtown Calafate to the Calafate Airport: $38
- One Way Transfer from Airport-Hotel downtown(Calafate) vice versa: $38
- Transfer from Hotels to Airport: $45
- Perito Moreno Glacier expedition with transfer Included: $62
- Bus Transfer to Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $77
Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or El Calafate?
Prices for flights to both El Calafate 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
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Food Meals for one dayMontego Bay $142El Calafate $6.48
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 Jerk Tour and Rum Punch Mixology/Food Tour: $50
- Club2727 Nightlife Experience With Optional Dinner In Montego Bay: $60
- Mystic Lagoon Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Lagoon Swim: $95
- Sunset Dinner at Bamboo Beach Club: $99
- Glistening Bioluminescent Waters and Dinner at Jerk hut: $105
- 3 to 5 Hour Private Herbal Tour Shopping and Dinner at Ricks Cafe: $120
- Bar Hopping and Local Food Tour in Jamaica: $130
- The Local Lime- Montego Bay Dinner and/or Nightlife Tour: $149
- Jamaican Seafood Street Food Tour from Montego Bay, Falmouth: $150
- Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios Dinner and Nightlife Experience: $150
- Sunset Boat Cruise and Luminous Lagoon with Dinner and Transfer: $150
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Dinner & Show with Transfer: $88
- Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $92
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $138
- Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $165
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner and Wine Included: $184
- Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $197
- Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner and Horseback Riding: $240
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Montego Bay $31El Calafate $50
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$2.68
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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:
- 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: $60
- 3 Hours Private Tour in Montego Bay From Falmouth: $75
- 4 Hour ATV & Horse Back Riding Private Tour (Transportation Only): $105
- 4-Hour Catamaran Party Cruise with Open Bar from Montego Bay: $200
- 7 Mile Beach & Ricks Cafe with free Shopping experience: $50
- 7 Mile Beach Private Tour: $122
- 7 Mile Beach and Rick's Cafe Private Tour: $80
- 7 Mile Beach and Rick's Cafe in Negril from Montego Bay Private Tour: $120
- 7 in 1 Day Jamaican Adventure with Jhadano Tours: $50
Tours and Activities in El Calafate
For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Self-Guided History Museum Tour: $15
- Yeti Ice Bar: An Icy Adventure in the Heart of El Calafate: $33
- Guided Tour of the National Park + Perito Moreno Glacier + Boat Cruise (optional): $48
- Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Guided Full-Day Tour: $52
- Full Day Guided Tour Perito Moreno National Park and Glacier: $60
- Perito Moreno Glacier Guided Expedition with optional Cruise: $60
- Perito Moreno Glacier Walkway Tour: $66
- Perito Moreno Glacier & Optional Boat Cruise: $69
- Perito Moreno Glacier Guided Tour: $69
- Perito Moreno Glacier Full Day Tour with Optional Boat Safari: $80
- Full-Day Tour Perito Moreno Glacier with Optional Navigation: $84
- Full-Day Tour to Perito Moreno Glacier with optional Navigation: $84
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMontego Bay $13El Calafate $8.07
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 Montego Bay and El Calafate, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is El Calafate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Montego Bay is in Caribbean Islands and El Calafate is in South 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 El Calafate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Calafate 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 El Calafate.
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 El Calafate Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Montego Bay or El Calafate?
Montego Bay has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of El Calafate. When comparing the sizes of Montego Bay and El Calafate, 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.