Which place is cheaper, Montego Bay or Puerto Princesa?
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 Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa 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: Puerto Princesa or Montego Bay?
Puerto Princesa
The island of Palawan is known the Philippines' last frontier and its capital, Puerto Princesa, is considered the greenest city in the Philippines. With plenty of land that has yet to be explored and inundated with tourists, Puerto Princesa, also known as "The City of the Living God," is a nature buff's dream. Whether you want to swim with starfish, walk among the mangrove treetops, or visit the world's largest saltwater crocodile at the Palawan Nature Conservation Center, Puerto Princesa and its surrounding area offers plenty of opportunities to get into the great wide open.
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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesMontego Bay Prices
Jamaica Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $81Montego Bay $259
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $81, while the average daily cost in Montego Bay is $259. 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 Princesa and Montego Bay in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $23Montego Bay $102
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $46Montego Bay $204
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Montego Bay
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa 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 Princesa Hotel Prices and Montego Bay Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $48Montego Bay $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $7.11
- Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
- Puerto Princesa:El Nido – Shared Van Transfer: $14
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
- Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
- Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $17
- Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
- Transfer from Puerto Princesa Airport PPS to Puerto Princesa Port: $58
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:
- VIP Runaway Bay Transfer: $160
- VIP Luxury Airport Transfer Mobay, Ocho Rios, Negril, Lucea,: $200
- VIP Airport Transfer-RIU Palace, Reggae,Montego bay: $140
- Tryall / Round Hill - Montego Bay Airport Transfers: $107
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Montego Bay HTL-APT (MBJ): $37
- Tropical Court Hotel Private Airport Transfer: $13
- Transfers from Montego Bay Airport to Negril: $53
- 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
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Montego Bay?
Prices for flights to both Montego Bay and Puerto Princesa 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 dayPuerto Princesa $32Montego Bay $142
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner: $27
- Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner: $32
- Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $34
- Firefly Watching with Dinner: $39
- Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $53
- Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $59
- Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $80
- Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $87
- Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $116
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: $50
- Club2727 Nightlife Experience With Optional Dinner In Montego Bay: $60
- Mystic Lagoon Sunset Cruise with Dinner and Lagoon Swim: $95
- Bar Hopping and Local Food Tour in Jamaica: $117
- 3 to 5 Hour Private Herbal Tour Shopping and Dinner at Ricks Cafe: $120
- Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios Dinner and Nightlife Experience: $135
- Dinner or lunch at pier one Montego bay Food Tour: $144
- Jamaican Seafood Street Food Tour from Montego Bay, Falmouth: $150
- Sunset Boat Cruise and Luminous Lagoon with Dinner and Transfer: $150
- Private Beach Day and Street Food Tour from Montego Bay: $170
- Restaurant Transportation for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Montego Bay: $180
- Authentic Jamaican Cooking Experience in the Mountain from mobay: $210
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.35Montego Bay $31
Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- PPS CITY TOUR: $13
- Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $13
- Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
- Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
- Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
- Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $14
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
- 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
- Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30
- Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34
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$2.68
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Snorkeling Trip$19
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One Tank Dive$37
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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 Horse Back Riding & Dunn's River Falls Tour Combo: $240
- 2 Days Of Blue Hole, Dunns River Falls & Hidden Beauty Adventure: $180
- 2 Hour Private Montego Bay City Tour with Souvenir’s Shopping: $80
- 27/27 Lounge, Pier 1 & Margaritaville Nightlife Tour In Jamaica: $72
- 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
- 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 and Rick's Cafe in Negril from Montego Bay Private Tour: $120
- 7 in 1 Day Jamaican Adventure with Jhadano Tours: $50
- ATV & Bamboo Rafting Guided Tour In Jamaica: $295
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $13Montego Bay $13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Montego Bay, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Princesa is in Asia 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 Princesa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Princesa 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 Princesa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Princesa Expensive? and Is Montego Bay Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Montego Bay?
Puerto Princesa has a larger population, and is about 90% larger than the population of Montego Bay. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa 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.