Which place is cheaper, Oaxaca de Juarez or Montego Bay?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Montego Bay or Oaxaca de Juarez?
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 Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez?
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.
Oaxaca de Juarez
Officially known as Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca is the capital and largest city in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It's a beautiful colonial city in the foothills of the Sierra Madre. The city has beautiful architecture and a variety of festivals as well as a tree lined square called El Zocalo. Oaxaca's economy is heavily dependent on tourism and it is a wonderful place to see Mexican art and handicrafts. There are many artists and artisans in Oaxaca and the contemporary art scene is on the rise. The artists combine the area's rich indigenous culture and tradition with a modern twist. While you're in the area you should definitely make a point of experiencing the area's wonderful museums, interesting architecture, charming hotels and unique twist on Mexican cuisine.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Mexico City, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMontego Bay $203Oaxaca de Juarez $46
The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $203, while the average daily cost in Oaxaca de Juarez is $46. 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 Oaxaca de Juarez in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMontego Bay $104Oaxaca de Juarez $20
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMontego Bay $208Oaxaca de Juarez $40
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and Oaxaca de Juarez
Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or Oaxaca de Juarez? 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 Oaxaca de Juarez Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Montego Bay $15Oaxaca de Juarez $13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:
- Private Airport OneWay Transfer to Hotel in Montego Bay : $300
- Private Transfer from Montego Bay Airport To Ocho Rios: $267
- Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Kingston Hotels: $245
- Private Transfer to Island Gully Falls: $240
- Black River and YS Falls Adventure with Transfer: $235
- Private Transfer to Kingston: $215
- Kingston Airport Transfer (Montego bay,Negril,Ocho rio): $214
- Negril Hotels / Resort - Airport Transfers: $213
- Iberostar Airport Transfers Montego Bay MBJ (Private Roundtrip): $200
- Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Kingston Hotels: $195
- Jewel Resort Transfer: $192
- Luxury Suburban Private Airport Transfer with Chauffeur : $192
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Oaxaca de Juarez
Also for Oaxaca de Juarez, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Transfer from Downtown Oaxaca to the Airport: $10
- Transfer from your Hotel in Oaxaca to the Oaxaca Airport: $14
- Transfer Airport Hotel n Oaxaca: $16
- Transfer Private Vehicle from Huatulco City - Huatulco Airport (HUX): $27
- Roundtrip Private/Shared Airport Transfer: $29
- Oaxaca Xoxocotlan Airport (OAX) to Oaxaca hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $36
- Oaxaca Hotels to Oaxaca Airport OAX Departure Private Transfer: $36
- Oaxaca Airport OAX to Oaxaca Hotels Arrival Private Transfer: $36
- Oaxaca hotels to Oaxaca Xoxocotlan Airport (OAX) - Departure Private Transfer: $36
- Xoxocotlan Airport (OAX) to Oaxaca de Juárez-Arrival Transfer: $37
- Oaxaca de Juárez to Xoxocotlan Airport (OAX)-Departure Transfer: $37
- Private and safe transfer from the airport to the hotel in Oaxaca: $50
Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or Oaxaca de Juarez?
Prices for flights to both Oaxaca de Juarez 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 $84Oaxaca de Juarez $14
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montego Bay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Montego Bay.
- Private Transportation to DINNER or NIGHT CLUBS: $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
- 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
- Houseboat Restaurant and Grill for Dinner Private Transportation : $180
- Private Sea-Food Tour & Floyds Pelican Bar from Montego Bay or ..: $185
- [PRIVATE] Premium Jamaican Food Tour of Local Cuisine: $190
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Oaxaca de Juarez
For Oaxaca de Juarez, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Oaxaca Night Street Food Tour with Transfers and Tastings: $50
- Oaxaca: Night Street Food Tour with Transfers and Tastings: $52
- Oaxaca: Vegetarian Cooking Class: $70
- Oaxacan Vegetarian Cooking Class: $71
- Central de Abastos Market Food Tour : $72
- Flavors of Oaxaca: Cooking Class with No Set Menu and Local Market Tour: $77
- AUTHENTIC OAXACA FOOD TOUR, eat like a local.: $89
- Food tour to the Tlacolula Market: $90
- Traditional Oaxaqueña Cooking with Grandma's Recipes: $90
- Cooking classes from the Isthmus with a Tehuana: $92
- Traditional Oaxacan Cooking Class (includes transportation): $94
- Traditional Cooking Class in Teotitlan Valle: $96
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Montego Bay $32Oaxaca de Juarez $13
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$2.74
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Snorkeling Trip$19
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One Tank Dive$38
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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:
- ATV Adventure to Seven Mile Beach and Ricks Cafe: $220
- ATV, Bamboo Rafting, and Horseback Ride Tour From Montego Bay: $173
- Appleton Estate Rum Tour and Pelican Bar Customize Tour: $120
- Bioluminescence Lagoon tour from Montego Bay with Pick Up: $105
- Black River Day Adventure Tour: $92
- Blue Hole Adventure Tour : $120
- Dirt Adventure ATV from Montego Bay: $160
- Floyds Pelican Bar Private Tour : $155
- Green Grotto Cave Private Tour: $115
- Horseback Riding and Tour from Montego Bay : $230
- Jetski Experience: $245
- Luminous Lagoon Night Tour from Montego Bay: $118
Tours and Activities in Oaxaca de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Oaxaca de Juarez.
- MTB Bike Tour to the Tule Tree (Through the country-side): $6.00
- Oaxaca Art Walk Tour: $15
- Bicycle Tour through Oaxaca learning about its Urban Art and History: $19
- Bike tour to the Tule Tree and the Gastronomic Market: $20
- Oaxaca: Oaxaca City Beyond the Surface Walking Tour: $23
- Private Mexican Engraving Workshop Experience: $24
- Oaxaca Walking Tour: Beyond the Surface: $26
- Monte Alban Walking Tour: $29
- Half day tour Monte Alban: $32
- Monte Alban Guided Half Day Tour: $32
- Oaxaca: Monte Alban Guided Archaeological Tour: $33
- Tour Monte Albán: $33
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMontego Bay $13Oaxaca de Juarez $15
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: $215
Sample the Local Flavors in Oaxaca de Juarez
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Oaxaca de Juarez:
- Hierve el Agua, Tule Tree, Mitla and Mezcal Distillery Tour: $45
- Only Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery tour: $50
- Only Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery Tour: $50
- From Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery: $52
- Tour to Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery (Small groups): $66
- Personalized Tour to Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Distillery: $107
- Artisanal Mezcal distillery in an authentic Zapotec village : $150
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Montego Bay and Oaxaca de Juarez, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Oaxaca de Juarez much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Montego Bay is in Caribbean Islands and Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez.
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 Oaxaca de Juarez Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Montego Bay or Oaxaca de Juarez?
Oaxaca de Juarez has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Montego Bay. When comparing the sizes of Montego Bay and Oaxaca de Juarez, 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.