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

Should you visit Montego Bay or Puerto Natales?

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 Puerto Natales 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 Puerto Natales?

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.

Puerto Natales

Puerto Natales is a beautiful town located in the Chilean Patagonia on the Senoret Channel. The city is often used as a base camp for trips to the surrounding national parks due to their plentiful restaurant options and access to internet. Puerto Natales is also known for being the base city to the Torres del Paine National Park, which was named the 5th most beautiful place in the world by National Geographic.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Chile, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Natales or Montego Bay?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $203, while the average daily cost in Puerto Natales is $84. 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 Puerto Natales in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Montego Bay $104
    Puerto Natales $38
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Montego Bay $208
    Puerto Natales $76
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and Puerto Natales

Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or Puerto Natales? 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 Puerto Natales


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 Puerto Natales Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Montego Bay $15
    Puerto Natales $19

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:

  • Airport Transfer To Hotels in Negril : $60
  • Airport Transfer To S Hotel (Round-trip): $35
  • Airport Transfer to Montego Bay Hotels (Round-Trip): $54
  • Airport Transfers to Iberostar Hotel (Round-trip): $53
  • MBJ Airport Private Round Trip Transfer to Hotels in Montego Bay Area: $27
  • Riu Reggae , Riu Palace & Riu Mobay Montego Bay Airport Transfers: $11
  • Round-Trip Transfer Airport Transfer to Hotels in Montego Bay : $41
  • Roundtrip Transfer from Montego Bay Airport to Meliá Braco Hotel: $80
  • Shared Airport Transfer To Montego Bay Hotels: $55
  • 2727lounge/Magarativille/Pier1 & taboo nightlife private transfer: $35
  • Airport Transfer To Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa: $60
  • Airport Transfer to Excellence Oyster Bay and Royalton: $35

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Natales

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Natales:

  • Puerto Natales Airport Private Transfer: $18
  • From Torres del Paine Tour with Transfer: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or Puerto Natales?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Natales 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 $84
    Puerto Natales $28

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

Typical Food Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Cake
    $1.05
  • Dinner
    $18
  • Coke
    $1.05

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Montego Bay $32
    Puerto Natales $29
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
    $2.74
  • Snorkeling Trip
    $19
  • One Tank Dive
    $38
  • 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:

  • Greenwood Great House Entry Ticket: $20
  • Cinnamon Hill Great House Tour - Home of Johnny Cash: $23
  • Skip the Line: Rose Hall Great House & Garden Tour Ticket: $30
  • Private Shopping Tour in Montego Bay with Hotel Pickup: $35
  • Montego Bay Sightseeing Tour and Souvenir Shopping: $35
  • Rose Hall Great House Haunted Night Tour: $35
  • Skip the Line: Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery and Garden Admission Tickets: $35
  • Shopping and Sightseeing Tour of Montego Bay City: $39
  • Shopping and Sightseeing Local Guided Tour In Montego Bay: $40
  • Bamboo Rafting, Hip-Strip & Margaritaville Tour from Montego Bay: $40
  • Montego Bay Walking Tour: $40
  • Private Montego Bay Shopping Tour with Transportation: $45

Tours and Activities in Puerto Natales

Here are a few actual costs in Puerto Natales for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Bus ticket to El Calafate, Argentina: $44
  • City Bike Tour in Puerto Natales: $58
  • Puerto Natales Sightseeing Bike Tour: $62
  • From Torres del Paine National Park Day Tour: $80
  • Torres del Paine Full Day Tour: $87
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine + Milodon cave: $88
  • Full-Day Torres del Paine Tour: $90
  • Full Day Tour to Torres del Paine National Park: $92
  • Full day tour Torres del Paine: $93
  • Torres del Paine Park Full-Day Tour from Puerto Natales: $95
  • Full Day Torres del Paine Tour: $99
  • Full Day Patagonia Tour from Puerto Natales: $100

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Montego Bay $13
    Puerto Natales $17

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

Typical Alcohol Prices in Puerto Natales

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Puerto Natales:


  • Alcohol
    $13


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

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 Puerto Natales Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Montego Bay or Puerto Natales?

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