A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Montego Bay vs. Arica for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Montego Bay or Arica?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Montego Bay and Arica 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: Montego Bay or Arica?

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.

Arica

A mixture of coastline, desert and high Andean plateau, Arica is a seaside resort town, known for its surfing beaches located at the tip of Northern Chile. Arica boasts that it is "the land of the eternal spring," but its temperate climate and beaches are not the only reason to visit this small city. Arica's tourism is still principally geared toward domestic visitors and those from southern Peru and La Paz, who flock to its beaches mid-December through February. It is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace but the city also offers plenty of fun activities and exciting day trips.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Chile, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Arica or Montego Bay?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Montego Bay is $255, while the average daily cost in Arica is $100. 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 Montego Bay and Arica in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Montego Bay $100
    Arica $35
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Montego Bay $200
    Arica $70
Compare Hotels in Montego Bay and Arica

Looking for a hotel in Montego Bay or Arica? 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.

Hotels in Montego Bay


Hotels in Arica


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: Montego Bay Hotel Prices and Arica Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Montego Bay $14
    Arica $18

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
  • VIP Airport Transfer to Hotel in Montego Bay: $30
  • Tropical Court Hotel Private Airport Transfer : $13
  • Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Runaway Bay: $163
  • Transfer Service, Sangster MBJ Airport From/To Iberostar zone: $61
  • Tobys Resort Private Airport Transfer: $20
  • The Spa Retreat Boutique Hotel Private Airport Transfer: $50
  • Sunset at the Palms Negril Airport Transfers: $78
  • Sunset at the Palm Private Negril Airport Transfer : $52
  • Shared Transfer: From/to Montego Bay International Airport: $9.26
  • Shared Round-Trip Transfer: Montego Bay International Airport: $19
  • Shared Arrival Transfer from Sangster's International to Negril: $100

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arica

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arica are as follows:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $2.09

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arica

Also for Arica, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Arica City hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $63
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica city hotels: $63
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Hotels: $69
  • Private Transfer from Arica Hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $69
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $75
  • Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port : $75
  • Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port: $82
  • Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $82
  • Arica Airport Private Transfer: $95

Is it cheaper to fly into Montego Bay or Arica?

Prices for flights to both Arica and Montego Bay 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 day
    Montego Bay $139
    Arica $49

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montego Bay

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Montego Bay.

  • Montego Bay Jerk Tour and Rum Punch Mixology/Food Tour : $40
  • Lunch or Dinner Dining Experience in Montego Bay : $40
  • Street Food Tour in Montego Bay: $59
  • 3 to 5 Hour Private Herbal Tour Shopping and Dinner at Ricks Cafe: $120
  • Bar Hopping and Local Food Tour in Jamaica : $130
  • Dinner or lunch at pier one Montego bay Food Tour: $144
  • Cooking Class in Montego Bay with Home Chef: $150
  • Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios Dinner and Nightlife Experience: $150
  • Sunset Boat Cruise and Luminous Lagoon with Dinner and Transfer : $150
  • Private Beach Day and Street Food Tour from Montego Bay: $170
  • Dinner Experience and Celebration on the Beach with Decorations : $175
  • PRIVATE Food Tour of Local Jamaican Cuisine Montego Bay & Negril: $190

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Montego Bay $31
    Arica $20
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
    $2.63
  • Snorkeling Trip
    $18
  • One Tank Dive
    $37
  • 1.5 Hr Horseback Ride
    $42

Tours and Activities in Montego Bay

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Montego Bay are as follows:

  • 2 Days Of Blue Hole, Dunns River Falls & Hidden Beauty Adventure: $180
  • ATV Adventure to Seven Mile Beach and Ricks Cafe: $220
  • Bioluminescence Lagoon Tour from Montego Bay with Pick Up: $105
  • Black River Day Adventure Tour: $92
  • Bob Marley Nine Mile and Dunn's River Falls Tour From Montego Bay : $300
  • Dirt Adventure ATV from Montego Bay: $160
  • Dunn’s River Secret falls with Horse-back&Bamboo Raft Experience: $125
  • Falmouth Mystic from Montego Bay Luminous Lagoon Night Tour: $90
  • Falmouth to Bob Marley Nine Miles and Dunns River Falls Tour : $250
  • Floyds Pelican Bar Private Tour : $155
  • Green Grotto Cave Private Tour: $115
  • Horseback Riding and Tour from Montego Bay : $230

Tours and Activities in Arica

For Arica, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Half day Panoramic City Tour: $49
  • City Tour with Chinchorro Beach Visit: $82
  • Arica Private Sightseeing Tour : $148
  • Archeological Sightseeing tour in Arica: $152
  • Chungará Lake & Lauca Park Tour from Arica with Lunch: $197
  • Private Tour to Tacna from Arica: $285

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Montego Bay $13
    Arica $19

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 Jamaica Rum Distillery Tour Private Driver: $231
  • Montego Bay Pub Crawl To Negril and Rick's Cafe: $255


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Montego Bay and Arica, we can see that Montego Bay is more expensive. And not only is Arica much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Montego Bay is in Caribbean Islands and Arica 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 Arica would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Arica 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 Arica.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Montego Bay Expensive? and Is Arica Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Montego Bay or Arica?

Arica has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Montego Bay. When comparing the sizes of Montego Bay and Arica, 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.