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

Should you visit Tokyo or Montego Bay?

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

Should I visit Tokyo 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: Tokyo or Montego Bay?

Tokyo

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is by far the most populous city in the world with a staggering 37 million people. As a worldwide hub for technology and business, it hosts millions of visitors annually. But Tokyo is not just a place for business trips. With its incredible mixture of historical temples and shrines, remarkably beautiful parks, endless shopping malls, and genuinely wonderful people, Tokyo is a terrific place to visit and to explore.

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 2-Week Tours in Japan, and The Best Bicycle Tours in Japan.


Which place is cheaper, Montego Bay or Tokyo?

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 Tokyo is $190, while the average daily cost in Montego Bay is $255. 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 Tokyo and Montego Bay in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Tokyo $79
    Montego Bay $100
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Tokyo $158
    Montego Bay $200
Compare Hotels in Tokyo and Montego Bay

Looking for a hotel in Tokyo 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.

Hotels in Tokyo


Hotels in Montego Bay


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: Tokyo Hotel Prices and Montego Bay Hotel Prices.

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tokyo

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

  • Hotel Transfer to/from Disneyland or DisneySea: $42
  • Haneda Airport: 1-Way Shared Shuttle Transfer: $54
  • DECKS Tokyo Beach & Odaiba 1 Way Door to Door Shared Transfer: $56
  • Tokyo City: One-Way Private Transfer to/from Yokohama City: $63
  • Shared Arrival Transfer : Haneda Airport to Central Tokyo City: $66
  • Narita Airport Private Transfer to Tokyo/Yokohama/MountFuji/Osaka: $78
  • Private Transfers to/from Narita Airport(NRT): $79
  • Private Transfer from Tokyo Haneda Int Airport(HND) to Tokyo Port: $82
  • Private Airport transfer Haneda Airport(HND) to Tokyo City: $85
  • Private Transfer from Nagasaki hotels to Nagasaki Cruise Port: $87
  • Japan Haneda Airport to Tokyo City, Transfer (HND): $88
  • 【Haneda Airport】Luxury Private Transfer : $90

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Montego Bay

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Montego Bay:

  • Kingston: One Way Private Transfer to Montego Bay Airport: $319
  • Private Airport Transfers To and From Kingston (KIN) Airport: $200
  • Horseback Ride/Swim and Blue Hole Falls Daytrip with Transfers: $190
  • Green Grato Caves and Dunns River Falls with Private Transfer : $180
  • Riu Resorts Airport Transfers Montego Bay MBJ (Private Roundtrip): $169
  • Private Martha Brae Bamboo Rafting Tour with Private Transfer: $135
  • Club Mobay VIP Lounge Access and Round-Trip Airport Transfer: $113
  • Private Transfer to Dunns River Blue Hole Tubing from Montego Bay: $110
  • Private Transfer to Dunn's River Falls and Blue Hole: $110
  • Experience Jamaica Private Tour with Airport Transfer: $100
  • Airport Transfer Service In Montego bay: $95
  • Sandals South Coast Airport Transfer: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into Tokyo or Montego Bay?

Prices for flights to both Montego Bay and Tokyo 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
    Tokyo $67
    Montego Bay $139
Typical Food Prices in Tokyo

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Tokyo:


  • Late Night Noodles
    $5.41
  • Conveyor Belt Sushi Snack
    $5.41
  • Meal at Airport
    $7.05

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Tokyo

For Tokyo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Hide's Table A Unique Dinner Gathering Every Wednesday Night: $21
  • For First Time Visitor:Tsukiji Food Tour with Tokyo Travel Advice: $35
  • Guided Tsukiji’s Local Food Tour : $35
  • Authentic Homestyle Japanese Cooking Class near Tokyo with Risa: $39
  • Ueno Private Walking Tour and Night Food Tour: $42
  • Tokyo Bay Yakatabune Dinner/Day Cruise with Japan Show and Drinks: $45
  • Tokyo Retro Backstreet Tokyo Tour Option to Add Dinner: $56
  • Tokyo Downtown Akihabara Tour And Dinner Party Adults Only: $59
  • Japanese cooking class - Bring the flavors of Japan to France: $61
  • Tokyo Cute Bento : Kawaii Lunchbox Cooking Class!: $63
  • Authentic Japanese Home Cooking Class in Chiba with Miyuki: $66
  • [1 Group Only] Explore Tokyo Ginza Food Tour for Family: $70

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Montego Bay

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

  • Club2727 Nightlife Experience With Optional Dinner In Montego Bay: $10
  • 3 to 5 Hour Private Herbal Tour Shopping and Dinner at Ricks Cafe: $120
  • Bar Hopping and Local Food Tour in Jamaica : $130
  • Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios Dinner and Nightlife Experience: $150
  • Dinner Experience and Celebration on the Beach with Decorations : $158
  • PRIVATE Food Tour of Local Jamaican Cuisine Montego Bay & Negril: $190

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Tokyo $71
    Montego Bay $31

Tours and Activities in Tokyo

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Tokyo.

  • Imperial Palace or Edo Castle Time Trip Learning Walking Tour: $3.48
  • Cross Roppongi Karaoke Nightclub Ticket (For Foreign): $6.76
  • Tokyo Asakusa & Senso-ji Tour with Audioguide: $8.35
  • Tokyo Metro Subway Ticket: $8.85
  • Shibuya drinking tour: $10
  • Gyoda Oshi Castle Ninja Experience : $11
  • Tokyo Subway Ticket : $11
  • Water Bus Ticket Odaiba ↔ Asakusa: $12
  • A Different Side of Shibuya: A Dogenzaka Self-Guided Walking Tour: $12
  • Tokyo Tower Admission Ticket: $12
  • Meet Asakusa with an experienced Japanese guide.: $14
  • Tokyo SkyTree Admission E-Tickets with options: $14

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:

  • Black River Day Adventure Tour: $92
  • Dunn’s River Secret falls with Horse-back&Bamboo Raft Experience: $125
  • Falmouth Mystic from Montego Bay Luminous Lagoon Night Tour: $90
  • Luminous Lagoon Glow in the Dark Boat Tour from Montego Bay: $65
  • Luminous Lagoon Night Tour from Montego Bay: $118
  • Private Dolphin Cove Adventure : $250
  • 1 Hour Horse Back Riding & Dunn's River Falls Tour Combo: $240
  • 3 Hours Private Highlights Tour & Shopping in Montego Bay Jamaica: $100
  • 3 Hours Private Tour in Montego Bay From Falmouth: $75
  • 7 Mile Beach & Ricks Cafe with free Shopping experience: $50
  • ATV Adventure and Rick's Cafe Tour with Transportation: $238
  • ATV Jungle Safari Tour from Montego Bay: $125

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Tokyo $34
    Montego Bay $13
Typical Alcohol Prices in Tokyo

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Tokyo:


  • Sake
    $4.06

Sample the Local Flavors in Tokyo

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Tokyo:

  • Tokyo Pub Crawl: Unique Japanese Drinks in Shimokitazawa: $34
  • 3 Hours Pub Crawl Welcome Guided Tour in Shibuya: $35
  • Mt. Fuji & Hakushu Distillery Whisky Museum Bus Tour from Tokyo: $94
  • Historic Sake Brewery Tour and Culinary Pairing: $125
  • Sake Brewery and Spiritual Nature Tour in Okutama Tokyo: $143
  • Cultural Sake Brewery Private Tour & Unlimited Tasting Near Tokyo: $172
  • From Tokyo:Mt.fuji /Museum/Sake brewery/ 1DAY BUS TOUR: $202
  • Private tour: Tokyo's Oldest Sake Brewery and riverside walk.: $243

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:

  • Appleton Estate Admission Ticket & Distillery Tour with Tastings: $39


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

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


Which is Bigger, Tokyo or Montego Bay?

Tokyo has a larger population, and is about 100 times larger than the population of Montego Bay. When comparing the sizes of Tokyo 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.


When is the best time to visit Tokyo or Montego Bay?

Tokyo has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Montego Bay experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Tokyo or Montego Bay in the Summer?

Both Montego Bay and Tokyo during the summer are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Tokyo in the summer for the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Montego Bay year-round.

In July, Tokyo is generally around the same temperature as Montego Bay. Daily temperatures in Tokyo average around 26°C (78°F), and Montego Bay fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).

In Montego Bay, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the summer, Tokyo often gets less sunshine than Montego Bay. Tokyo gets 137 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montego Bay receives 257 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in Tokyo. Tokyo usually gets more rain in July than Montego Bay. Tokyo gets 127 mm (5 in) of rain, while Montego Bay receives 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July
    Tokyo 26°C (78°F) 
    Montego Bay 28°C (82°F)

Should I visit Tokyo or Montego Bay in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Tokyo and Montego Bay. Most visitors come to Tokyo for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area during these months. Montego Bay attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

Tokyo is much colder than Montego Bay in the autumn. The daily temperature in Tokyo averages around 18°C (64°F) in October, and Montego Bay fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Montego Bay this time of the year. Tokyo usually receives less sunshine than Montego Bay during autumn. Tokyo gets 129 hours of sunny skies, while Montego Bay receives 233 hours of full sun in the autumn.

Montego Bay receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Tokyo gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Tokyo usually receives more rain than Montego Bay. Tokyo gets 165 mm (6.5 in) of rain, while Montego Bay receives 130 mm (5.1 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October
    Tokyo 18°C (64°F) 
    Montego Bay 27°C (81°F)

Should I visit Tokyo or Montego Bay in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Tokyo as well as Montego Bay. The winter months attract visitors to Tokyo because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine. The warm climate attracts visitors to Montego Bay throughout the year.

In the winter, Tokyo is much colder than Montego Bay. Typically, the winter temperatures in Tokyo in January average around 5°C (42°F), and Montego Bay averages at about 24°C (75°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Montego Bay. In the winter, Tokyo often gets less sunshine than Montego Bay. Tokyo gets 175 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Montego Bay receives 226 hours of full sun.

Tokyo usually gets less rain in January than Montego Bay. Tokyo gets 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain, while Montego Bay receives 70 mm (2.8 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January
    Tokyo 5°C (42°F) 
    Montego Bay 24°C (75°F)

Should I visit Tokyo or Montego Bay in the Spring?

Both Montego Bay and Tokyo are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The activities around the city and the natural beauty are the main draw to Tokyo this time of year. Plenty of visitors come to Montego Bay because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In April, Tokyo is generally much colder than Montego Bay. Daily temperatures in Tokyo average around 14°C (58°F), and Montego Bay fluctuates around 25°C (77°F).

It's quite sunny in Montego Bay. Tokyo usually receives less sunshine than Montego Bay during spring. Tokyo gets 161 hours of sunny skies, while Montego Bay receives 225 hours of full sun in the spring.

It's quite rainy in Tokyo. In April, Tokyo usually receives more rain than Montego Bay. Tokyo gets 125 mm (4.9 in) of rain, while Montego Bay receives 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April
    Tokyo 14°C (58°F) 
    Montego Bay 25°C (77°F)

Typical Weather for Montego Bay and Tokyo

Tokyo Montego Bay
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 5°C (42°F) 45 mm (1.8 in) 24°C (75°F) 70 mm (2.8 in)
Feb 6°C (42°F) 60 mm (2.4 in) 24°C (75°F) 30 mm (1.2 in)
Mar 9°C (47°F) 100 mm (3.9 in) 25°C (77°F) 30 mm (1.2 in)
Apr 14°C (58°F) 125 mm (4.9 in) 25°C (77°F) 60 mm (2.4 in)
May 19°C (66°F) 138 mm (5.4 in) 26°C (79°F) 80 mm (3.1 in)
Jun 22°C (71°F) 186 mm (7.3 in) 27°C (81°F) 80 mm (3.1 in)
Jul 26°C (78°F) 127 mm (5 in) 28°C (82°F) 60 mm (2.4 in)
Aug 27°C (81°F) 148 mm (5.8 in) 28°C (82°F) 80 mm (3.1 in)
Sep 23°C (74°F) 180 mm (7.1 in) 27°C (81°F) 110 mm (4.3 in)
Oct 18°C (64°F) 165 mm (6.5 in) 27°C (81°F) 130 mm (5.1 in)
Nov 13°C (55°F) 90 mm (3.5 in) 26°C (79°F) 120 mm (4.7 in)
Dec 8°C (46°F) 46 mm (1.8 in) 25°C (77°F) 100 mm (3.9 in)