Which place is cheaper, Santa Marta 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 Santa Marta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Ocho Rios or Santa Marta, 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 Santa Marta?
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.
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is a city in the Magdalena Department of Colombia's Costa Norte. Over the last decade, security has steadily been replacing the shadow of the Colombia's violent past. One destination in Colombia's northeast region is now attracting more international visitors: the coastal Caribbean area of Santa Marta. Established in 1525 by the Spanish as a base of conquest, Santa Marta sits at the foot of the world's highest coastal mountain range, the towering Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is South America's oldest European-founded town and the second most important colonial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast. While many travelers complain about Santa Marta's horrible traffic and unsightly urban sprawl, the city holds a numerous amounts of great hotels, bars and restaurants and holds a few fantastic destinations nearby to which you can go during the daytime.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Colombia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Colombia.
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Ocho Rios Prices
Jamaica PricesSanta Marta Prices
Colombia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayOcho Rios $85Santa Marta $39
The average daily cost (per person) in Ocho Rios is $85, while the average daily cost in Santa Marta is $39. 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 Santa Marta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personOcho Rios $51Santa Marta $14
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomOcho Rios $102Santa Marta $28
Compare Hotels in Ocho Rios and Santa Marta
Looking for a hotel in Ocho Rios or Santa Marta? 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 Santa Marta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ocho Rios $7.32Santa Marta $5.15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ocho Rios
Also for Ocho Rios, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- VIP***Private KINGSTON Airport Transfers to***OCHO RIOS**HOTELS**: $292
- Sandals Ocho Rios Resort Airport Transfer: $67
- Runaway Bay Hotels Transfers between Montego Bay Airport: $60
- Runaway Bay Hotels Private Round Trip Transfers from MBJ: $160
- Runaway Bay Airport Transfer: $48
- Roundtrip Airport Transfer from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay Hotels: $240
- Round-Trip or Direct Private Airport Transfers to Runaway Bay: $50
- Private Transfers from Montego Bay Airport to Runaway Bay Hotels: $54
- Private Transfers To/From Ocho Rios & OCJ Airport Across Jamaica: $143
- Private Transfer to horseback,Bluehole,River rafting in OchoRios.: $70
- Private Transfer to Mystic Mountain from Ocho Rios: $20
- Private Transfer to Konoko Falls Botanical Gardens: $27
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santa Marta
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santa Marta:
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Gas$5.12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Marta
Also for Santa Marta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Exclusive transfer Santa Marta - Cartagena: $229
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Port to Cartagena Airport (CTG): $220
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Cruise Port to Cartagena hotels: $220
- Calderon Beach Club Day Pass with Lunch & Transfer: $194
- Cartagena to or from Santa Marta Private Transfer: $159
- Santa Marta to or from Cartagena Private Transfer: $149
- Private transfer between Santa Marta and Barranquilla (or viceversa): $130
- Private Transfer Santa Marta to Palomino (or vice versa): $117
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Airport SMR to Santa Marta Port: $72
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta city to Santa Marta Cruise Port: $72
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Port to Santa Marta Airport SMR: $72
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Cruise Port to Santa Marta city: $72
Is it cheaper to fly into Ocho Rios or Santa Marta?
Prices for flights to both Santa Marta 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 $28Santa Marta $17
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 Ocho Rios: $128
- Taste of Jamaica Food Tour from Ocho Rios: $150
Typical Food Prices in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Breakfast$3.07
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Santa Marta Walking Food Tour: $40
- Food Tour in Santa Marta Old City Half-Day : $66
- Food Tour in Santa Marta Old City: $76
- Private Santa Marta City & Food Tour: $86
- Flavors of Colombia - Santa Marta Street Food Tour: $93
- Santa Marta Street Food Tour: $93
- Fast Food Tour In Santa Marta More Than Just Food: $120
- Upscale Food Tour in A Culinary Journey: $155
- Fast Food Tour with Local Guide: $155
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ocho Rios $15Santa Marta $13
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$5.27
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Tour of Prospect Plantation$17
Tours and Activities in Ocho Rios
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ocho Rios.
- Black River Safari & YS Falls Tour from Runaway Bay: $285
- Blue Hole Tour From Ocho Rios: $60
- Blue Hole Waterfalls + Bamboo River Rafting Tour from Ocho Rios: $109
- Dunn's River Falls Party Cruise, Blue Hole with Snorkeling, free beverages: $165
- Dunn's River Falls and Ocho Rios Sightseeing with Shopping: $50
- Dunn's River Falls and Tubing Combo Tour from Ocho Rios: $140
- Private Dunn's River and Blue hole tour from Ocho Rios : $110
- Private Sightseeing Tour from Ocho Rios : $60
- Shopping Tour From Runaway Bay Hotels : $75
- 1 Hour Private Rafting Experience in Jamaica: $65
- ATV Adventure and Shopping from Falmouth (Minimum 4 persons): $165
- ATV Guided Tour To Blue Hole & Spanish Bridge In Ocho Rios: $270
Tours and Activities in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Tayrona Playa Cristal 7 Waves Neguanje Park Tour: $47
- "Gabo Márquez" Tour - Aracataca and Cienaga: $205
- 2 Day Minca Tour with Bird Watching: $95
- 2 days 1 night tour - in Trompito, I meet indigenous community Kogui Uldezhaxa.: $208
- 2-Day Cultural Tour to Gotsezhy from Santa Marta: $198
- 3-Day Private Tour of Taorayiná Ecolodge and Nature Reserve: $200
- A Pearl In The Caribbean-walking tour in English: $16
- Adventures in Santa Marta private beaches by Paddle or kayak: $52
- Al Tayrona yacht experience: $60
- Ancestral Thought Tour: $180
- Ancestral Thought Tour (Indigenous life in Kogui people) Santa Marta: $220
- Authentic experience with the Sewiaxa Kogui community and the River 1 day.: $137
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayOcho Rios $7.43Santa Marta $6.55
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: $113
Typical Alcohol Prices in Santa Marta
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Santa Marta from other travelers:
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Beer$0.56
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Beer$2.30
Sample the Local Flavors in Santa Marta
Also in Santa Marta, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Thursday Night Bar Crawl in Santa Marta, Colombia: $24
- Saturday Night Bar Crawl in Santa Marta, Colombia: $25
- Bar Crawl In Santa Marta: $125
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ocho Rios and Santa Marta, we can see that Ocho Rios is more expensive. And not only is Santa Marta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ocho Rios is in Caribbean Islands and Santa Marta 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 Santa Marta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Marta 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 Santa Marta.
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 Santa Marta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ocho Rios or Santa Marta?
Santa Marta has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Ocho Rios. When comparing the sizes of Ocho Rios and Santa Marta, 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.