Which place is cheaper, Montego Bay or Puerto Iguazu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Montego Bay?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Montego Bay? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Puerto Iguazu or Montego Bay?
Puerto Iguazu
Puerto Iguazu is located in the northeastern part of Argentina at the border with Paraguay and Brazil. It is a tourist city and travel destination because of its close proximity to Iguazu Falls, which is only 18 kilometers away. Much of the city's infrastructure has grown to maintain the tourist crowds that come to see the falls. The town itself has a population of slightly over 80,000.
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 Tours for Seniors to Argentina, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Argentina.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Iguazu $8.20Montego Bay $203
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $8.20, while the average daily cost in Montego Bay is $203. 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 Puerto Iguazu and Montego Bay in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Iguazu $3.26Montego Bay $104
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Iguazu $6.52Montego Bay $208
Compare Hotels in Puerto Iguazu and Montego Bay
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Iguazu 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: Puerto Iguazu Hotel Prices and Montego Bay Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.52Montego Bay $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $8.00
- Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer: $8.34
- One-Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $11
- Transfer from Iguazú Airport to hotels on the Argentine side: $15
- Iguazu Falls Argentina Airport Roundtrip Transfer to Hotels: $20
- Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers: $61
- Argentine and Brazilian Falls with transfers: $67
- Puerto Iguazú Combo: Iguazu Falls 2 Day Tours + transfers: $98
- Transfer In + Transfer Out IGR Airport Puerto Iguazú Hotels Selva de Iryapu: $145
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:
- Zoetry Montego Bay Airport Transfers MBJ (Private Roundtrip Exclusive): $180
- Tryall / Round Hill - Montego Bay Airport Transfers: $107
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Montego Bay HTL-APT (MBJ): $37
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Montego Bay APT-HTL (MBJ): $37
- Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Iberostar zone: $55
- Sunset at the Palms Negril Airport Transfers: $53
- Southcoast Private Airport Transfer: $109
- Shuttle Transfer From Montego Bay Airport - RoseHall : $17
- Shuttle Transfer From Montego Bay Airport - Montego Bay: $13
- Secrets Wild Orchid Private Airport Transfer: $20
- Secrets Wild Orchid Hotel Airport Transfer : $21
- Secrets Wild Ochid/ St. James Private Airport Transfer: $44
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Montego Bay?
Prices for flights to both Montego Bay and Puerto Iguazu 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 dayPuerto Iguazu $3.01Montego Bay $84
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- El Quincho Del Tio Querido - Dinner And Show from Foz do Iguaçu: $46
- Iguazu Falls: The Argentine Experience Interactive Dinner: $59
- Argentine Experience: Immersive Dinner & Wine Pairing in Iguazú: $60
- Puerto Iguazú: Madero Tango Show with Optional Dinner: $76
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Selva Iriapu Hotels Exclusive: $110
- Rafain Steakhouse Show - Dinner and Show Included: $115
- Rafain Steakhouse Dinner & Show: $117
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse from Puerto Iguazú Hotels Private Tour: $120
- Dinner Show Rafain Steakhouse Gran Meliá Hotel Exclusive - Private Tour: $120
- From Foz do Iguaçu: Madero Tango with dinner: $123
- Experience Guamini Mision Dinner and Tango Show Gran Meliá Iguazú Exclusive: $145
- Churrascaria Rafain - Show and Dinner : $150
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montego Bay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Montego Bay.
- Dinner or Lunch with Pickup from Montego Bay: $40
- 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
- Flavors of Jamaica Food Tour from Montego Bay: $147
- Sunset Booze Cruise and Luminous Lagoon with Dinner and Transfer : $165
- Restaurant Transportation for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Montego Bay: $180
- [PRIVATE] Premium Jamaican Food Tour of Local Cuisine: $190
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Iguazu $2.69Montego Bay $32
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side Full-Day Tour: $18
- Hito Tres Fronters and La Aripuca City Tour: $24
- Puerto Iguazú: Iguazú Biocenter Tour: $25
- Argentinian Iguazu Falls Full Day Tour: $31
- Ciudad del Este Shopping Tour: $32
- Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side Tour: $34
- Iguazu Falls: one-day tour on the Argentine side: $40
- Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls Half-Day Sightseeing Tour : $41
- Tour to Iguaçu Brazilian Falls from Argentina: $44
- From San Ignacio Ruins and Wanda Mines Tour: $46
- Full-Day Tour to Iguazu Falls : $49
- Half-Day Iguazú Forest Adventure: $49
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:
- ATV Adventure to Seven Mile Beach and Ricks Cafe: $220
- ATV, Bamboo Rafting, and Horseback Ride Tour From Montego Bay: $173
- Black River Day Adventure Tour: $92
- Bob Marley Nine Mile and Dunn's River Falls Tour From Montego Bay : $240
- Catamaran Party Cruise and Snorkeling from Montego Bay: $220
- Dirt Adventure ATV from Montego Bay: $160
- Dunns River & BlueHole Tour Includes Entry Fees: $289
- Falmouth Mystic from Montego Bay Luminous Lagoon Night Tour: $90
- Floyds Pelican Bar Private Tour : $155
- Green Grotto Cave Private Tour: $115
- Horseback Riding and Tour from Montego Bay : $230
- Jet Ski, Parasailing and Margaritaville Guided Tour: $220
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Iguazu $1.29Montego 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:
- Montego Bay Pub Crawl To Negril and Rick's Cafe: $103
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Iguazu and Montego Bay, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Iguazu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Iguazu is in South America 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 Puerto Iguazu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Iguazu 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 Iguazu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Iguazu Expensive? and Is Montego Bay Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Iguazu or Montego Bay?
Montego Bay has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Puerto Iguazu. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Iguazu 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.