Which place is cheaper, Panama City 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 Panama City?
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 Panama City 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 Panama City?
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.
Panama City
Panama City is the cosmopolitan capital city of the country of Panama. With a population of almost 900,000 and almost 1.5 million in the metropolitan area, it's a very diverse city with expat residents from all over the world. You don't have to search far to find someone who speaks English, and many Panamanians are quite helpful and friendly.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Montego Bay Prices
Jamaica PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMontego Bay $260Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $260, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $101. 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 Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMontego Bay $102Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMontego Bay $204Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or Panama City? 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 Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Montego Bay $15Panama City $11
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
- Private Transfer from Montego Bay Airport to Negril Hotels: $270
- Private Transfer from Montego Bay Airport To Ocho Rios: $267
- Ocho Rios Hotels / Resort - Airport Transfers: $267
- Airport - Ocho Rios Hotels Transfers and Returns: $260
- Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Kingston Hotels: $245
- Private Transfer To/From Montego Bay & Airport MBJ Across Jamaica: $215
- Negril Hotels / Resort - Airport Transfers: $213
- Luxury Suburban Private Airport Transfer with Chauffeur: $200
- Airport Transfer From Kingston: $200
- Montego Bay Sunset Catamaran with Private Transfer: $190
- Luxury MBJ Airport Transfer to Montego Bay Hotels: $180
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Panama: Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport: $23
- Panama: Private transfer to Tocumen Airport: $24
- Panama: Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport: $24
- Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $28
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Shopping at Albrook Mall & Round-Trip Transfer: $36
- Premium Transfers in Panama: $36
- Private transfer from Panama to Airport: $36
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Gamboa: $40
- Private Transfer pty Tocumen to Panama City Price per Group: $42
- One-Way or Round-Trip PTY Airport Transfer: $51
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City 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 $142Panama City $36
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
- Montego Bay Jerk Tour and Rum Punch Mixology/Food Tour: $50
- Street Food Tour in Montego Bay: $59
- Mystic Lagoon Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Lagoon Swim: $95
- 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
- Dinner Experience and Celebration on the Beach with Decorations: $175
- Restaurant Transportation for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Montego Bay: $180
Typical Food Prices in Panama City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:
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Sandwich$8.25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Panama City
For Panama City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Montego Bay $32Panama City $66
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$2.69
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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 Efoil Experience in Montego Bay: $150
- 1 Hour Horse Back Riding & Dunn's River Falls Tour Combo: $240
- 2 Hour Private Montego Bay City Tour with Souvenir’s Shopping: $80
- 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 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
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Half-Day Tour to Miraflores Locks & Casco Viejo: $32
- POIN Panama City Climb Experience: $32
- Poin Glass Observation Deck Ticket with VR Tour: $32
- POIN Swing Experience: $32
- Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
- Half-Day Casco Viejo Tour: The Real City with a Local Touch: $35
- Walking tour through the Hidden treasures of Casco Viejo: $35
- Legends and Hidden Gems of Casco Viejo Tour: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMontego Bay $13Panama City $18
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 Pub Crawl To Negril and Rick's Cafe: $255
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Montego Bay and Panama City, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Montego Bay is in Caribbean Islands and Panama City 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 Panama City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Panama City 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 Panama City.
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 Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Montego Bay or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Montego Bay. When comparing the sizes of Montego Bay and Panama City, 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.