Travel website, TripAdvisor, determined that Jamaica is the second cheapest place — after Puerto Rico — for Americans to vacation during the cold spring season.

In its TripIndex Caribbean, a cost comparison was done for a one-week trip for a group of four to 20 popular Caribbean destinations during the travel period of March 1, 2014 – April 30, 2014.

The total cost for accommodations, flights, meals and snorkel trips (used as a proxy for at least one tour outing for three to four hours) was found to be US$21 cheaper in Puerto Rico than in Jamaica to stay for seven nights, because the average cost of the flight to the US territory was nearly US$300 less expensive.

“US travellers seeking Caribbean value may consider several destinations in the Greater Antilles, including Puerto Rico, the least expensive destination on the TripIndex with a total cost of US$4,609; Jamaica which ranks as the second best value (US4,631), and the Dominican Republic at number four ( US$5,315),” said a press release issued by TripAdvisor.

The travel website found hotel rooms to be cheaper in Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic than in Jamaica by as much as 18 per cent, but the only place cheaper than Jamaica in terms of the cost of meals was its Spanish-speaking Caricom neighbour.

St Barthelemy (St Bart’s) was found to be the costliest of the 20 Caribbean destinations, being three times as expensive as Jamaica, while the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos were twice as expensive to visit.

The TripIndex pegged the cost of vacationing in The Bahamas for US travellers at 26 per cent more than the cost to visit Jamaica, while Grenada and Barbados were found to be 43-45 per cent more costly.