Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Abu Dhabi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Abu Dhabi or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Abu Dhabi and Panama City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Abu Dhabi or Panama City?
Abu Dhabi
It doesn't get more "lifestyles of the rich and famous" than a vacation to Abu Dhabi. The federal capital and center of government for the United Arab Emirates is arguably the most modern city in the world.
Abu Dhabi has a population of 1.5 million and provides a home to several oil companies and embassies, but this place is definitely a playground for the world's fanciest tourists. This city has several large projects underway including Yas Island's Formula 1 track and Ferrari theme park.
Note: homosexuality is still outlawed in the UAE with harsh punishments including deportation, fines, jail time or even a death sentence.
Panama City
Panama City is the cosmopolitan capital city of the country of Panama. With a population of almost 900,000 and almost 1.5 million in the metropolitan area, it's a very diverse city with expat residents from all over the world. You don't have to search far to find someone who speaks English, and many Panamanians are quite helpful and friendly.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to United Arab Emirates, The Best Tours for Seniors to United Arab Emirates, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAbu Dhabi $164Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Abu Dhabi is $164, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $86. 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 Abu Dhabi and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAbu Dhabi $98Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAbu Dhabi $196Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Abu Dhabi and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Abu Dhabi or Panama City? 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: Abu Dhabi Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Abu Dhabi $20Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Abu Dhabi
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Abu Dhabi are as follows:
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Car Rental$31
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Taxi to Airport$14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Abu Dhabi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Abu Dhabi:
- Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Tickets with Private Transfers: $289
- Warner Bro's with Private Transfers from Dubai: $279
- Private Transfer from Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH) to Talal Liwa: $277
- Private Transfer from Talal Liwa to Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH): $277
- Private Transfer from Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH) to Qasr Al Sarab: $277
- IMG World of Adventure with Sharing Transfers from Abu Dhabi: $250
- Ferrari world & Warner bros. parks with transfer from Dubai: $250
- Private Transfer from Abu Dhabi Airport to Dubai or Vice Versa: $242
- Visit Ferrari World Abu Dhabi From Dubai Included Transfer and Tickets: $235
- Warner Bros World Ticket's -Abu Dhabi Without Transfer: $220
- Private Transfer: Abu Dhabi to Dubai Airport DXB in Luxury Van: $215
- Private Transfer: Abu Dhabi Airport AUH to Dubai in Luxury Van: $215
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
- Panama City Private Arrival Transfer: $17
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport : $18
- Transfer Airport-City Hotel and Beach Hotel, Tours 5hrs Panama: $20
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- Transfer Airport - City / Min 2 pax: $20
- Panama: Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport: $20
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Private Airport Transfer: $23
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Old Town(Casco Viejo): $27
- PTY Airport Transfer Service To Panama City: $28
Is it cheaper to fly into Abu Dhabi or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Abu Dhabi 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 dayAbu Dhabi $45Panama City $21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Abu Dhabi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Abu Dhabi.
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows: $49
- Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari Tour with Shows and BBQ Dinner: $60
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner: $60
- Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner and all Camp Activities : $72
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari 4x4, BBQ Dinner, Camel Ride: $81
- Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari with Camel Ride and Dinner: $84
- Buffet Dinner Cruise including Transfer from Abu Dhabi: $93
- 4x4 Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with BBQ Dinner: $96
- Overnight Safari Abu Dhabi ,Belly Dance ,Camel Ride ,Henna Painting ,BBQ Dinner: $130
- Overnight Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner & Breakfast Abu Dhabi: $133
- Evening Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with Dinner: $140
- Overnight Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with BBQ Dinner & Morning Breakfast: $150
Typical Food Prices in Panama City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:
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Sandwich$8.27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Panama City
For Panama City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Night Out Experience (360 Panoramic Views + Dinner Show): $72
- Private Night Out Experience (360 Panoramic Views + Dinner Show): $80
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
- 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class : $85
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Theater Live Show Admission: $99
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Abu Dhabi $39Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Abu Dhabi
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Abu Dhabi are as follows:
- Full Day Abu Dhabi City & Louvre Museum Tour: $90
- Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi Ticket: $31
- Private Full-Day Tour in Abu Dhabi: $234
- 2 Days 2 Park- Ferrari World +Yas Waterworld Or Warner Bros World Combo Tickets: $155
- 4 Hour Cultural Tour of Abu Dhabi - Private Tour: $160
- 45 minutes Yas Experience: $42
- 8 Hours Al Ain City Tour without lunch : $117
- Abu Dhabi : Private Walking Tour with A guide (Private Tour): $44
- Abu Dhabi City Sightseeing Tour with Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque : $260
- Abu Dhabi City Tour & Ferrari World Ticket: $129
- Abu Dhabi City Tour Including Ferrari World Tickets from Dubai: $135
- Abu Dhabi City Tour With Louvre Museum Ticket: $160
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Discover Panama’s Heartbeat: In-App Audio Tour: $11
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $25
- Poin Glass Observation Deck Ticket with VR Tour: $27
- Bike tour to Old Town with locals: $27
- Walking tour in Casco Viejo with locals: $27
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $29
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- POIN Swing Experience: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAbu Dhabi $13Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Abu Dhabi and Panama City, we can see that Abu Dhabi is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Abu Dhabi is in Middle East and Panama City is in Central 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 Panama City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Panama City 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 Abu Dhabi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Abu Dhabi than you might in Panama City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Abu Dhabi Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Abu Dhabi or Panama City?
Abu Dhabi has a larger population, and is about 48% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Abu Dhabi and Panama City, 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.