Which place is cheaper, Kingston or Vientiane?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Vientiane or Kingston?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Vientiane or Kingston, 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: Vientiane or Kingston?
Vientiane
You wouldn't expect the capital city to have such a relaxing environment, but in Vientiane, Laos you can sit back and take in the beautiful scenery without feeling pressure to see every little thing. With Vientiane, what you see is what you get.
While picturesque temples and markets line the streets, the city is still experiencing a successful building boom. Even the Presidential Palace has undergone some hefty renovations.
Kingston
Kingston is Jamaica's capital city with a population of about 579,000. For being located on an island, Kingston is a very large city with several different zip codes. Not only is Kingston the cultural capital of the country, but also the commercial one as well.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Laos, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Laos.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVientiane $15Kingston $107
The average daily cost (per person) in Vientiane is $15, while the average daily cost in Kingston is $107. 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 Vientiane and Kingston in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVientiane $6.00Kingston $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVientiane $12Kingston $126
Compare Hotels in Vientiane and Kingston
Looking for a hotel in Vientiane or Kingston? 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: Vientiane Hotel Prices and Kingston Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Vientiane $2.08Kingston $29
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vientiane
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vientiane are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$4.23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vientiane
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vientiane:
- Private Transfer in Laos: $5.00
- Vientian Private Airport Transfer - Wattay Airport: $15
- Vientiane Airport Transfer: Wattay airport to hotel - Private transfer: $15
- Vientiane Private Airport and Hotel Transfers: $9.00
- Wattay Airport (VTE): Private Transfer to/from Vientiane: $29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kingston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kingston:
- All Island Private Transfer To/From Kingston Airport (KIN): $22
- MBJ Airport Transfer to/ from Hotels : $25
- Airport Transfer Norman Manley international airport: $30
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Kingston International Airport (KIN): $34
- Private Transfer to/from Kingston Airport: $42
- Kingston Airport Taxi Transfers Private ***: $47
- Airport Transfer in Kingston: $50
- Private Transfer from Kingston Airport (KIN) to Falmouth Port: $71
- Private Airport Transfer from Kingston Airport: $90
- 10. Norman Manley Intl Kingston Airport Fun-Transfer to/from Montego Bay Resorts: $125
- Kingston Airport Transfers to Runaway Bay: $127
- Private Airport Round Trip Transfer from Montego Bay Airport to Ocho Rios : $133
Is it cheaper to fly into Vientiane or Kingston?
Prices for flights to both Kingston and Vientiane 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 dayVientiane $6.30Kingston $26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vientiane
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Vientiane.
- Private Evening Food Tour of Laos: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Vientiane $3.53Kingston $13
Tours and Activities in Vientiane
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Vientiane are as follows:
- Vientiane ATV and Canopy Walking Experience: $48
- Vientiane Sky Luge and Roller Zipline Experience: $55
- From Hue: Hue to Vientiane Bus tickets: $61
- Half-Day Vientiane City Bike Tour: $67
- Vientiane Half-Day City Tour: $69
- Guided Vientiane City and Buddha Park Full-Day Tour: $81
- Private Custom Tour with a Local Guide in Vientiane: $82
- Vientiane City Day Tour and Buddha Park Visit with Lunch: $88
- 2 Days Private Tour in Vientiane and Vang Vieng: $90
- Private Vientiane Tour - include Buddha Park: $100
- Private Tour: Full-day Vientiane's Must-See Sights and River Sunset with Lunch: $101
- Private Tour: Half-day City Guided Tour of Vientiane: $113
Tours and Activities in Kingston
Here are a few actual costs in Kingston for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Walking Tour with Mural Exploration: $26
- Montego Bay: All inclusive tours: $30
- Bob Marley Museum Tour Skip the Line Tickets: $45
- Cannabis Shopping Tour with Lunch: $50
- Ocho Rios Shore Excursion: Bus Tour of Ocho Rios, Fern Gully and Turtle Beach: $62
- Devon House Heritage Tour with Ice Cream from Kingston: $63
- Devon House Tour with Ice Cream from Kingston: $64
- Kingston Half Day Community and Art Tour: $70
- Kingston City Tour (starting in Kingston): $72
- Shared Tour: Irie Blue Hole & Secret Falls Adventure Tour from Ocho Rios: $73
- Friday Evening Kingston Harbour Cruise, Sunday Beach Cruise or Charter Our Boats: $75
- Bob Marley Museum Tour from Kingston: $81
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVientiane $2.34Kingston $11
Sample the Local Flavors in Kingston
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kingston:
- Ocho Rios Pub Crawl and Sightseeing Tour from Ocho Rios: $185
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Vientiane and Kingston, we can see that Kingston is more expensive. And not only is Vientiane much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Vientiane is in Asia and Kingston 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 Vientiane would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Vientiane 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 Kingston would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Kingston than you might in Vientiane.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Vientiane Expensive? and Is Kingston Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Vientiane or Kingston?
Kingston has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Vientiane. When comparing the sizes of Vientiane and Kingston, 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.
When is the best time to visit Vientiane or Kingston?
Both destinations experience a warmer climate with nice weather most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season.
Should I visit Vientiane or Kingston in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Vientiane and Kingston. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Vientiane year-round. Kingston attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Vientiane gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, Vientiane usually receives more rain than Kingston. Vientiane gets 266 mm (10.5 in) of rain, while Kingston receives 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain each month for the summer.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Kingston this time of the year. Vientiane usually receives less sunshine than Kingston during summer. Vientiane gets 141 hours of sunny skies, while Kingston receives 254 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Vientiane is generally around the same temperature as Kingston. Daily temperatures in Vientiane average around 30°C (85°F), and Kingston fluctuates around 29°C (83°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyVientiane 30°C (85°F)Kingston 29°C (83°F)
Should I visit Vientiane or Kingston in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Vientiane as well as Kingston. Vientiane attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Kingston throughout the year.
It's quite rainy in Kingston. Vientiane usually gets less rain in October than Kingston. Vientiane gets 87 mm (3.4 in) of rain, while Kingston receives 167 mm (6.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Kingston. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Vientiane this time of the year. In the autumn, Vientiane often gets around the same amount of sunshine as Kingston. Vientiane gets 222 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Kingston receives 229 hours of full sun.
Vientiane is around the same temperature as Kingston in the autumn. The daily temperature in Vientiane averages around 28°C (83°F) in October, and Kingston fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberVientiane 28°C (83°F)Kingston 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Vientiane or Kingston in the Winter?
Both Kingston and Vientiane are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Vientiane throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Kingston because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
In January, Vientiane usually receives less rain than Kingston. Vientiane gets 6 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Kingston receives 18 mm (0.7 in) of rain each month for the winter.
It's quite sunny in Kingston. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Vientiane. Vientiane usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Kingston during winter. Vientiane gets 254 hours of sunny skies, while Kingston receives 257 hours of full sun in the winter.
In the winter, Vientiane is around the same temperature as Kingston. Typically, the winter temperatures in Vientiane in January average around 24°C (75°F), and Kingston averages at about 26°C (79°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryVientiane 24°C (75°F)Kingston 26°C (79°F)
Should I visit Vientiane or Kingston in the Spring?
Both Kingston and Vientiane during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Vientiane because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Kingston year-round.
Vientiane usually gets more rain in April than Kingston. Vientiane gets 85 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Kingston receives 27 mm (1.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
In Kingston, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Vientiane. In the spring, Vientiane often gets less sunshine than Kingston. Vientiane gets 230 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Kingston receives 251 hours of full sun.
Vientiane can become quite hot in the spring. In April, Vientiane is generally a little warmer than Kingston. Daily temperatures in Vientiane average around 31°C (88°F), and Kingston fluctuates around 26°C (80°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilVientiane 31°C (88°F)Kingston 26°C (80°F)
Typical Weather for Kingston and Vientiane
| Vientiane | Kingston | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 24°C (75°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 18 mm (0.7 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (79°F) | 12 mm (0.5 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 16 mm (0.6 in) |
| Mar | 29°C (85°F) | 36 mm (1.4 in) | 26°C (80°F) | 14 mm (0.6 in) |
| Apr | 31°C (88°F) | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 26°C (80°F) | 27 mm (1.1 in) |
| May | 30°C (87°F) | 255 mm (10 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 100 mm (3.9 in) |
| Jun | 30°C (86°F) | 273 mm (10.7 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 83 mm (3.3 in) |
| Jul | 30°C (85°F) | 266 mm (10.5 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Aug | 29°C (85°F) | 323 mm (12.7 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
| Sep | 29°C (84°F) | 295 mm (11.6 in) | 29°C (83°F) | 107 mm (4.2 in) |
| Oct | 28°C (83°F) | 87 mm (3.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 167 mm (6.6 in) |
| Nov | 26°C (79°F) | 10 mm (0.4 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) |
| Dec | 24°C (74°F) | 3 mm (0.1 in) | 27°C (80°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) |
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.