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

Should you visit Montego Bay or Flores?

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 Flores 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 Flores?

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.

Flores

The town of Flores is located in Peten, Guatemala. The main hub is located on an island on Lago Peten Itza, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. On the other side of the causeway are the towns of Santa Elena and San Benito, however, all three are often referred to as Flores. Most people visit the area for its proximity to the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal, though the town itself is also charming with colonial buildings and historic churches lining the cobbled streets.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Guatemala, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Guatemala.


Which place is cheaper, Flores 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.

The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $259, while the average daily cost in Flores is $43. 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 Flores in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Montego Bay $102
    Flores $8.78
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Montego Bay $204
    Flores $18
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and Flores

Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or Flores? 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 Flores


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 Flores Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Montego Bay $15
    Flores $8.01

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
  • VIP Luxury Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Montego Bay/ Falmouth: $74
  • VIP Luxury Airport Transfer Mobay, Ocho Rios, Negril, Lucea,: $200
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Montego Bay APT-HTL (MBJ): $37
  • Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Iberostar zone: $64
  • The Spa Retreat Boutique Hotel Private Airport Transfer: $50
  • Sunscape Splash Montego Bay Private Airport Transfer: $20
  • Sports bar Day or Nightlife Experience with Private Transfer: $70
  • Shared Shuttle Transfer to Montego Bay Airport: $30
  • Secrets and Breathless Montego Bay Private Airport Transfer: $20
  • Secrets Wild Orchid Private Airport Transfer: $20
  • Secrets St. James Private Airport Transfer: $20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Flores

Also for Flores, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Transfer : Mayan World Airport to Flores Island Hotels: $10
  • Bus transfer from Flores, Guatemala to Belize City: $20
  • Belize/Caye Caulke/San Pedro Van or Ferry Transfer: $20
  • Tikal National Park Guided Tour with Transfers: $24
  • Flores, Peten: One way shared transfer to Rio Dulce, Izabal: $39
  • From Flores, Peten: One way shared transfer to Tikal: $39
  • Transfer from Flores to Semuc Champey, Lanquin, Tourists Only: $40
  • One way shared transfer to Semuc Champey, Lanquin: $49
  • Tikal Transfer and Tour Guide From Flores: $90
  • Same day Round-Trip VIP Exclusive Transfer to Tikal from Flores: $160

Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or Flores?

Prices for flights to both Flores 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 $142
    Flores $23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montego Bay

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

  • Street Food Tour in Montego Bay: $59
  • Club2727 Nightlife Experience With Optional Dinner In Montego Bay: $60
  • Mystic Lagoon Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Lagoon Swim: $85
  • Bar Hopping and Local Food Tour in Jamaica: $117
  • 3 to 5 Hour Private Herbal Tour Shopping and Dinner at Ricks Cafe: $120
  • Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios Dinner and Nightlife Experience: $135
  • Jamaican Seafood Street Food Tour from Montego Bay, Falmouth: $150
  • Sunset Boat Cruise and Luminous Lagoon with Dinner and Transfer: $150
  • Private Beach Day and Street Food Tour from Montego Bay: $170
  • Authentic Jamaican Food Cooking Experience in the Countryside: $195
  • Dinner Experience and Celebration on the Beach with Decorations: $231

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Montego Bay $31
    Flores $20
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
    $2.68
  • Snorkeling Trip
    $19
  • One Tank Dive
    $37
  • 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:

  • “ATV Adventure & Rick’s Café Experience from Montego Bay: $123
  • 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 Tour In Jamaica: $72
  • 3 Hours Private Tour in Montego Bay From Falmouth: $75
  • 3-Hour Private Tour in the Highlights of Montego Bay: $58
  • 4 Hour ATV & Horse Back Riding Private Tour (Transportation Only): $105
  • 4 Hours Private Night Life Experience in Montego Bay: $66
  • 5 Hour Private Tour at Negril Beach and Rick's Cafe: $150
  • 7 Mile Beach & Ricks Cafe with free Shopping experience: $50
  • 7 Mile Beach Private Tour: $122

Typical Entertainment Prices in Flores

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Flores's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Tikal Entrance (for 2)
    $39
  • Map of Tikal
    $3.28

Tours and Activities in Flores

For Flores, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Tour and transportation with tour guide to Tikal.: $20
  • Tikal Sunset Tour Guided Exploration with Flores Pickup: $24
  • Shared Guided Sunset Tour in Yaxhá from Flores: $25
  • From Flowers Sunset Tour in Tikal: $25
  • Yaxha Shared Sunset Tour with Transportation & Guide: $25
  • Basic Tour to Tikal Includes Transportation and Guide Service: $25
  • Shared tour to Tikal from Flores Island: $30
  • Tikal Sightseeing Tour: from Mundo Maya Airport in Flores: $30
  • From Tikal Ruins Guided Tour: $31
  • Tikal Ruins Day Tour from Flores: $31
  • From Yaxha Ruins Guided Tour: $36
  • From Tikal Sunrise Archaeological Tour: $37

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Montego Bay $13
    Flores $21

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:

  • Montego Bay Jamaica Rum Distillery Tour Private Driver: $231
  • Montego Bay Pub Crawl To Negril and Rick's Cafe: $255

Typical Alcohol Prices in Flores

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Flores are as follows:


  • Two Margaritas
    $2.62


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

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 Flores Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Montego Bay or Flores?

Montego Bay has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Flores. When comparing the sizes of Montego Bay and Flores, 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.