Which place is cheaper, Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara?
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 Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara?
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.
Guadalajara
Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco in western Mexico, as well as one of the country's largest cities. It is best known for tequila and mariachi music, which both originate in Jalisco, as well as a thriving historic center with colonial architecture and landmarks.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico.
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Montego Bay Prices
Jamaica PricesGuadalajara Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMontego Bay $259Guadalajara $146
The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $259, while the average daily cost in Guadalajara is $146. 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 Guadalajara in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMontego Bay $102Guadalajara $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMontego Bay $204Guadalajara $82
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and Guadalajara
Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or Guadalajara? 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 and Guadalajara Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Montego Bay $15Guadalajara $38
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:
- Jet Car Adventure in Montego Bay Daytrip with Transfers: $300
- Club Night Life Round-Trip Private Transfer in Montego Bay: $300
- Private Transfer from Montego Bay Airport to Negril Hotels: $270
- Ocho Rios Hotels / Resort - Airport Transfers: $267
- Explore Montego Bay Jamaica Luxury Round TTransfer in Montego Bay: $253
- Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Kingston Hotels: $245
- Airport-Negril Hotels Transfers and Returns For 1- 4 persons: $230
- Negril Hotels / Resort - Airport Transfers: $213
- Iberostar Airport Transfers Montego Bay MBJ (Private Roundtrip): $200
- Private Airport Transfer in Montego Bay: $200
- Luxury Suburban Private Airport Transfer with Chauffeur: $200
- Airport Transfer From Kingston: $200
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guadalajara
Also for Guadalajara, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- SHARED Airport Transfer to Guadalajara & Zapopan.: $28
- GDL Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center: $41
- Guadalajara hotels to Guadalajara Airport (GDL) - Departure Private Transfer: $53
- Transfer Private Guadalajara Airport Single: $89
- Private airport transfer to Guadalajara and surrounding areas: $91
- Transfer from International Airport to Tequila Jalisco: $95
- Guadalajara Airport (GDL) to Tequila - Arrival Private Transfer: $100
- Tequila to Guadalajara Airport (GDL) - Departure Private Transfer: $100
- Guadalajara Airport (GDL) to Guadalajara hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $106
- Transfer Guadalajara Airport and Tequila Airport: $128
- Private Driver Guadalajara Full Day Tours andTransfers: $130
- Transfer by car to or from Guadalajara Airport: $130
Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or Guadalajara?
Prices for flights to both Guadalajara 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 $142Guadalajara $80
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 Dining Experience in Montego Bay: $40
- Dinner or Lunch with Pickup from Montego Bay: $50
- 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
- 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
- Restaurant Transportation for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Montego Bay: $180
- Authentic Jamaican Cooking Experience in the Mountain from mobay: $210
- PRIVATE Food Tour of Local Jamaican Cuisine Montego Bay & Negril: $210
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guadalajara
For Guadalajara, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Private Guadalajara Street Food Tour - Best Rated: $39
- Private Street Food Tour and City Tour Guadalajara - Best Rated: $54
- Guadalajara Market Food Tour & Historic Landmarks Walk: $64
- Street Food Tour in Guadalajara with a Local Guide: $65
- Traditional Mexican Food Tour: Market & Local Barrio Experience.: $95
- Guadalajara Street Food Tour: Taste the Best of Tapatío Cuisine: $108
- VIP Tequila Night Tour with Dinner and Tasting: $299
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Montego Bay $32Guadalajara $27
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$38
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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:
- “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
- 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
- 4-Hour Catamaran Party Cruise with Open Bar from Montego Bay: $200
- 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 Party Catamaran Cruise with Snorkeling & Ricks Cafe: $115
- 7 in 1 Day Jamaican Adventure with Jhadano Tours: $50
Tours and Activities in Guadalajara
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Guadalajara.
- Guided Tour with Tasting in Tequilera Hacienda de Oro: $15
- Guided Tour of the Historic Center of Guadalajara in French: $16
- Orendain Classic Tour: $20
- Great Experience With A Tour Guide With Spark: $21
- Classical Experience: $21
- Tequila Jalisco Barrel Tour: $23
- Private Tasting Tour Hacienda de Oro, Amatitan Jalisco: $25
- Bar Tour of the Coolest Quarter of Guadalajara: $27
- Tequila Pueblo Mágico Tour desde Guadalajara: $29
- Tour in Tlaquepaque with Photography: $30
- Acuario Sealand Guadalajara Admission Ticket: $30
- Guided walking tour Delights for breakfast in Mazamitla: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMontego Bay $13Guadalajara $17
Sample the Local Flavors in Guadalajara
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Guadalajara:
- Guadalajara Pub Crawl: Free Drinks & Party Games: $21
- Saturday Night Bar Crawl in Guadalajara Mexico: $25
- Cultural tour, city fields and distillery: $32
- Tequila distillery experience, Jose Cuervo & Tequila Magic Town: $80
- full day Tequila tour visiting artisanal distillery and downtown.: $89
- Tequila tour visiting a local brewery: $129
- VIP Private Tequila Tour: Artisanal Distillery and Magical Town: $179
- Private Adventure to Casa Sauza Distillery and Visit to Tequila: $179
- Private Adventure to El Tequileño Distillery and visit to Tequila: $179
- Full-Day Tour to La Fortaleza Distillery and Cantaritos: $180
- Sip & Savor Tequila Experience Distillery w/ Lunch fr Guadalajara: $180
- Tour of El Castillo Distillery to Cantaritos Experience: $190
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Montego Bay and Guadalajara, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Guadalajara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Montego Bay is in Caribbean Islands and Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara.
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 Guadalajara Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Montego Bay or Guadalajara?
Guadalajara has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Montego Bay. When comparing the sizes of Montego Bay and Guadalajara, 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.