A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Montego Bay vs. Joshua Tree National Park for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Montego Bay or Joshua Tree National Park?

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 Joshua Tree National Park 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 Joshua Tree National Park?

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.

Joshua Tree National Park

California's high desert has a unique landscape and has become synonymous with Joshua Tree, located in southeastern California. Joshua Tree National Park gained its namesake from its spiky, evergreen, and unusually shaped trees native to the Mojave Desert area, which only grow in arid soils on plains, slopes and mesas. Legend has it that Mormons in the 19th century came across the trees and thought they resembled Joshua from the Bible, with outstretched arms, beckoning them to the promised land. Well, they do kind of look like people.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in United States of America, and The Best 2-Week Tours in United States of America.


Which place is cheaper, Joshua Tree National Park 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.

  • Montego Bay Prices
    Jamaica Prices
    Joshua Tree National Park Prices
    USA Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Montego Bay $259
    Joshua Tree National Park $177

The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $259, while the average daily cost in Joshua Tree National Park is $177. 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 Joshua Tree National Park in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Montego Bay $102
    Joshua Tree National Park $87
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Montego Bay $204
    Joshua Tree National Park $174
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and Joshua Tree National Park

Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or Joshua Tree National Park? 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 Joshua Tree National Park


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Montego Bay $15
    Joshua Tree National Park $47

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:

  • luxury VIP Airport Transfer to RIU Palace, Reggae,Montego bay: $140
  • VIP Runaway Bay Transfer: $160
  • VIP Luxury Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Montego Bay/ Falmouth: $74
  • VIP Luxury Airport Transfer Mobay, Ocho Rios, Negril, Lucea,: $150
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Montego Bay APT-HTL (MBJ): $37
  • Transfers from Montego Bay Airport to Negril: $53
  • Transfer from/to Airport, Riu Reggae, Riu Montego Bay, Riu Palace: $17
  • Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Iberostar zone: $64
  • The Spa Retreat Boutique Hotel Private Airport Transfer: $50
  • Sunset at the Palm Private Negril Airport Transfer: $52
  • Sunscape Splash Montego Bay Private Airport Transfer: $20
  • Sports bar Day or Nightlife Experience with Private Transfer: $70

Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or Joshua Tree National Park?

Prices for flights to both Joshua Tree National Park 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
    Joshua Tree National Park $60

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Montego Bay $32
    Joshua Tree National Park $27
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
    $38
  • 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 Joshua Tree National Park

For Joshua Tree National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Rappelling Experience: $255
  • From San Diego: Joshua Tree National Park Private Tour: $998

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Montego Bay $13
    Joshua Tree National Park $4.93


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

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 Joshua Tree National Park Expensive?.