Which place is cheaper, Montego Bay or Nairobi?
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 Nairobi or Montego Bay?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Nairobi and Montego Bay 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: Nairobi or Montego Bay?
Nairobi
Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Kenya, and The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya.
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Nairobi Prices
Kenya PricesMontego Bay Prices
Jamaica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNairobi $68Montego Bay $260
The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $68, while the average daily cost in Montego Bay is $260. 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 Nairobi and Montego Bay in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNairobi $12Montego Bay $102
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNairobi $24Montego Bay $204
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and Montego Bay
Looking for a hotel in Nairobi or Montego Bay? 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: Nairobi Hotel Prices and Montego Bay Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Nairobi $11Montego Bay $15
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:
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Taxi from Airport$9.27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi
Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Nairobi Airport Transfer, Hotel Pick up and Drop Off: $20
- Private Airport Transfer in Nairobi Kenya: $20
- Nairobi Airport Transfers to City Hotels or Wilson Airport: $24
- Airport transfer; NBO to nairobi hotels: $27
- Nairobi Airport One Way Private Transfer: $27
- Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $28
- Nairobi Airport Transfers to Wilson Airport or City Hotels: $28
- From Wilson Airport: Nairobi private transfer in a car (3 pax): $30
- Nairobi Airport One Way Transfers: $30
- Professional Airport Transfer Service in Nairobi: $33
- Nairobi Airport Private Transfers: $35
- Nairobi Private Airport Transfer: $35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:
- VIP Luxury Montego Bay Airport Transfer to Montego Bay/ Falmouth: $74
- Tryall / Round Hill Private Transfer: $40
- Transfers from Montego Bay Airport to Negril: $53
- Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Runaway Bay: $172
- Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Iberostar zone: $64
- 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
- Silver Sands Hotel Private Airport Transfer: $53
- SeaGarden Beach Resort Private Airport Transfer: $20
- Sangsters Airport Hotels Private Transfers: $20
- Sangster's International Airport Transfer to RIU Montego Bay, Reggae, Palace: $26
Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Montego Bay?
Prices for flights to both Montego Bay and Nairobi 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 dayNairobi $13Montego Bay $142
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner for Two$5.02
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Karibu Kitchens Nairobi Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $55
- Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $55
- Cooking Lesson of Local Food $ Lunch: $68
- Dinner/Lunch Eating Experience Carnivore Restaurant & Transport: $75
- Barbecue Lunch/ Dinner At The Carnivore Restaurant - Nairobi: $85
- Safari Park dinner with live band music and cat dance show.: $90
- BBQ Dinner & Cat Dancers Experience at Safari Park Hotel: $90
- Safari Park Dinner with Safari Cats Dance Show: $97
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class in Nairobi with a Local: $98
- Safari Cat Dancers Show And Dinner: $100
- Nairobi dinner and safari cat dancers: $100
- Nairobi National Park Afternoon Game Drive/ Dinner Carnivore Restaurant: $100
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
- Club2727 Nightlife Experience With Optional Dinner In Montego Bay: $60
- Mystic Lagoon Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Lagoon Swim: $95
- 3 to 5 Hour Private Herbal Tour Shopping and Dinner at Ricks Cafe: $120
- Jamaican Seafood Street Food Tour from Montego Bay, Falmouth: $130
- Bar Hopping and Local Food Tour in Jamaica: $130
- Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios Dinner and Nightlife Experience: $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
- Authentic Jamaican Food Cooking Experience in the Countryside: $195
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Nairobi $46Montego Bay $32
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Village Visit$15
Tours and Activities in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Fashion African Fabric & Souvenir Market Tour: $12
- Kibera Slum Tour with a Local: $15
- Kibera Slum Cultural and Community Walking Tour: $15
- Private Tour in Kibera the Largest Slum: $15
- Nairobi Heritage Tour with Key Landmarks: $16
- Ankara Fabric Shopping and Same Day Tailoring Experience: $17
- Nairobi Matatu Culture Experience: $18
- Nairobi’s ultimate Walking City Tour with Hotel pickup: $20
- Nairobi Walking City Tour +pick-up: $20
- Nairobi City Walk Tour +pickup: $22
- Kibera Chocolate City Tour: $22
- Nairobi Artistic and Literary Walking Tour Experience: $22
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:
- 1 Hour Efoil Experience in Montego Bay: $150
- 1 Hour Horse Back Riding & Dunn's River Falls Tour Combo: $240
- 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
- 7 Mile Beach Private Tour: $122
- ATV & Bamboo Rafting Guided Tour In Jamaica: $295
- ATV & Horseback Ride Guided Tour in Jamaica: $66
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNairobi $16Montego Bay $13
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: $231
- Montego Bay Pub Crawl To Negril and Rick's Cafe: $255
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and Montego Bay, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Nairobi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Nairobi is in Africa and Montego Bay is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Nairobi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Nairobi 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 Nairobi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Nairobi Expensive? and Is Montego Bay Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Montego Bay?
Nairobi has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Montego Bay. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi and Montego Bay, 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.