Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Ocho Rios?
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 Ocho Rios or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Ocho Rios or Cusco, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Ocho Rios or Cusco?
Ocho Rios
Ocho Rios, or "Ochi" is a town located on the northeastern shore of Jamaica and is a popular hub for cruise ships. It is a great destination for tourists as it has many resorts and beautiful beaches.
Cusco
Cusco is most famous as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It is in the southern Sierras and is one of the most popular travel destinations within Peru. The city is located at 3,400 meters above sea level so it is best to acclimate yourself slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco is the starting point for many travelers making their way to the famed Machu Picchu or other Inca sites in the surrounding area.
The city is very beautiful and has impressive architecture throughout. The history is obvious as you walk around town and there are impressive ruins nearby, with the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman. The city also has a significant indigenous population that is obvious from their traditional clothing and style.
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate with a pleasant daytime temperature year around. There are two distinct seasons with the dry season being between May and August and the wet season between December and March. During the dry season there is plenty of sun with occasional nighttime freezes. Frost is less common in the wet season.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Ocho Rios Prices
Jamaica PricesCusco Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOcho Rios $87Cusco $66
The average daily cost (per person) in Ocho Rios is $87, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $66. 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 Ocho Rios and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOcho Rios $51Cusco $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOcho Rios $102Cusco $50
Compare Hotels in Ocho Rios and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Ocho Rios or Cusco? 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: Ocho Rios Hotel Prices and Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ocho Rios $7.44Cusco $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ocho Rios
Also for Ocho Rios, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Jamaica Private Hotel and Airport Transfer: $5.00
- Arrive Like Royalty VIP Airport Transfer from Montego Bay: $9.99
- Private Ian Fleming Airport Transfer to Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay: $15
- Montego Bay Airport (MBJ) Transfer One-Way or Round-Trip to Hotel: $19
- Private Transfer From the Ocho Rios Airport/ Ian Fleming: $20
- Private Round Trip Transfer to YAAMAN Adventure Park Ocho Rios: $27
- Private Transfer to Konoko Falls Botanical Gardens: $30
- Private Round Trip Transfer for Jamaican Jerk at Scotchie's Ocho Rios: $36
- Montego Bay Airport Transfer: $39
- Private Transfer to Mystic Mountain from Ocho Rios: $40
- Private Nightlife Transfer Around Ocho Rios: $40
- Private Transfer to Beach Horse Back Ride and Swim: $45
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cusco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cusco:
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Taxi Ride$1.18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- Direct Private Transfer From Cusco to Puno, English Local Speaking Driver: $285
- Ollantaytambo train station to Cuzco RoundTrip Private Transfer: $209
- Private Transfer from Valle Sagrado to Alejandro Velasco Astete (CUZ) Airport: $166
- Ollantaytambo Train Station to Cuzco - Arrival Private Transfer: $104
- Transfer to Ollantaytambo Cusco Peru: $90
- Ollantaytambo train station to Cuzco city or airport- Roundtrip Private Transfer: $81
- Transfer to Ollantaytambo from Cusco: $75
- Private Transfer to Ollantaytambo Station and Sacred Valley 24 7: $69
- Airport Cusco Transfers: $69
- Private Transfer from Cusco Airport to Urubamba: $60
- Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain from Cusco with transfers and lunch: $55
- Private Transfer from Ollantaytambo Train Station to Cusco or Airport: $45
Is it cheaper to fly into Ocho Rios or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and Ocho Rios 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 dayOcho Rios $28Cusco $25
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ocho Rios
For Ocho Rios, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Flavors of Jamaica Food Tour from Runaway Bay: $138
- Taste of Jamaica Food Tour from Ocho Rios: $150
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.36
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Mango$0.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Short Peruvian Cooking Class by Pete: $30
- Cusco Tunupa Restaurant Folk Show with Dinner: $32
- Cusco Billingual Cooking Class at 6pm: $40
- Bilingual Cooking Class with Pisco Cocktail in Cusco: $40
- Market-to-Table Peruvian Cooking Class and Cocktail in Cusco: $52
- Cusco Cooking Class by ChocoMuseo in Cusco: $54
- Cooking Class in Sacred Valley 8 Recipes and Drinks: $55
- 3hr Cooking Class in Cusco with 7 traditional recipes & drinks: $55
- High-End Peruvian Cooking Class, Pisco Sour & San Pedro Market: $56
- Short Immersion Cooking Class: $60
- Cusco Food Tour: Andean Cuisine & City Tour: $63
- Peruvian Cooking Class Cocktails and Market Tour in Cusco: $65
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ocho Rios $15Cusco $32
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ocho Rios
For Ocho Rios, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Tour of Brimmer Hall Estate$11
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Admission to Coyaba Gardens$5.36
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Tour of Prospect Plantation$18
Tours and Activities in Ocho Rios
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ocho Rios.
- Ocho Rios Shopping Tour: $20
- VIP Dunn River Falls and Blue Hole Experience: $25
- Original Blue Hole St. Ann Ocho Rios Jamaica Admission Fee Ticket: $25
- Bamboo River Rafting and Blue Hole Waterfall Adventure Ocho Rios: $30
- Private Dunn's River Falls, Ocho Rios Sightseeing and shopping: $35
- Ocho Rios City Bus Tour (Beach, Sightseeing & Shopping): $40
- Dunn's River Falls and Blue Hole Private Tour Ocho Rios Jamaica: $43
- Luminous lagoon Private & Group tour from Runaway Bay: $45
- Transportation to Horse Back Ride & Swim Adventure from Ocho Rios: $45
- Ocho Rios Scenic, Shopping and Lunch Tour: $45
- Blue Hole Tour from Ocho Rios: $49
- Jamaican Escapade Experience Dunn's River's Natural Majesty: $50
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Cusco are as follows:
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Salsa Class$2.96
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- 1 Day Ausangate 7 Lagoons Hiking Tour & Hot Springs: $59
- 1 Day Rainbow Mountain Tour From Cusco: $60
- 1 Day Rainbow Mountain Walking Tour: $35
- 1 Day Sacred Valley VIP Tour from Cusco: $100
- 1 Day Tour to Palccoyo (Alternative Rainbow Mtn) from Cusco, Peru: $154
- 1-Day Humantay Lake Tour From Cusco: $60
- 1-Day Tour Rainbow Mountain from Cusco: $190
- 1-Day Tour Sacred Valley From Cusco: $120
- 2 Day Machu Picchu Tour by Car: $150
- 2 Day Tour to Machupicchu by Minivan: $145
- 2 days 1 night - Machupicchu by bus tour: $220
- 2-Day Guided Tour of Ausangate Trek: $290
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOcho Rios $7.55Cusco $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Ocho Rios
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Ocho Rios:
- Bar Hopping, Pub Crawl, Shopping and Sightseeing Tour Ocho Rios: $90
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Discover Cusco Nightlife with Bar Crawl Cusco: $17
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Bar Tour, Drinks And Club with no waiting lines: $23
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ocho Rios and Cusco, we can see that Ocho Rios is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ocho Rios is in Caribbean Islands and Cusco 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 Cusco would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cusco 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 Ocho Rios would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ocho Rios than you might in Cusco.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ocho Rios Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ocho Rios or Cusco?
Cusco has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Ocho Rios. When comparing the sizes of Ocho Rios and Cusco, 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.