Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Acapulco de Juarez?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City? 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: Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City?
Acapulco de Juarez
Located on the southwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico is the beautiful beach city of Acapulco de Juarez. Acapulco is one of the original travel and resort destinations in Mexico, and it's still considered a popular spring break destination for Americans. Known as simply "Acapulco" to many travelers, this region is a popular spot for cruise lines to stop and timeshares to grow. Thanks to those cruise lines and timeshares, tourist activities like water parks and jet skis have experienced considerable growth.
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 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, and The Best Adventure Tours to Panama.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAcapulco de Juarez $81Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Acapulco de Juarez is $81, 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 Acapulco de Juarez and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAcapulco de Juarez $39Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAcapulco de Juarez $78Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Acapulco de Juarez and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Acapulco de Juarez 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: Acapulco de Juarez Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $16Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Acapulco de Juarez
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Acapulco de Juarez:
- Private Airport Transfer &on 2nd Day 4Hr TourAll AttractionsCombo: $90
- Private Best Round Trip Airport - Hotel - Airport Transfer : $70
- Private - One Way or Round Trip Airport Transfer: $66
- Airport Transfer in Suburban: $65
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Vehicle Acapulco Airport (ACA) - Bahia de Acapulco: $49
- Transfer in private minivan from Bahía de Acapulco -Acapulco Airport (ACA): $32
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Bahía de Acapulco - Acapulco Airport (ACA): $24
- Transfer in Private Vehicle from Acapulco Airport (ACA) -Bahía de Acapulco: $24
- Acapulco hotels to Acapulco Airport (ACA) – Departure Private Transfer : $20
- Acapulco Airport Transfer: $10
- Shared transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA) - Acapulco: $6.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- PTY Tocumen Airport Private Transfer One Way or Round Trip!: $45
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $57
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca Round-Trip Private Transfer: $127
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $38
- Embera Indian Village Tour w/ Airport Transfer: $290
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $65
- Half-Day City & Canal Tour w/ Airport Transfer: $215
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
- One-Way or Round-Trip PTY Airport Transfer: $47
- Shopping at Albrook Mall & Round-Trip Transfer: $36
Is it cheaper to fly into Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Acapulco de Juarez 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 dayAcapulco de Juarez $29Panama City $21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Acapulco de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Acapulco de Juarez.
- High Divers DeLuxe Three Course Dinner +Three Drinks plus SUNSET: $49
- Cliff Divers Exhibition 2 Drinks + Tacos al Pastor Dinner & Beer: $55
- Cliff Diver De Luxe 3 Course Dinner at "La Quebrada" in Acapulco: $56
- Cliff Divers Show With Dinner At Acapulco: $72
- Wrestling-Lucha Libre Experience Tacos Beer Dinner Only SUNDAY: $84
- Off the Beaten Path Mexican Cooking Class Lagoon Boatride &Lunch: $89
- Hands ON - Mex Cooking Class Experience - City Market & Lunch : $90
- Hands On Mexican Cooking Class with Food Tasting & Market Visit: $100
- Mexican Fiesta Show & Dinner: $115
- Bella Vista PRIVATE Al Fresco 3 Course Dinner Cliff Diver3Drinks: $191
- Super DeLuxe Bella Vista Dinner &1 Drink +2 Drinks at CliffDivers: $193
- Divers Show and Luxury Dinner in Acapulco: $199
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
- 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class : $85
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $85
- The 'Real' Panamanian Private Food Tour: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $18Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Acapulco de Juarez
Here are a few actual costs in Acapulco de Juarez for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4Hrs City Tour Exclusively for Hotels, Divers, Chapel & Mural.: $44
- 6Hr Walking Tour San Diego Fort Museum Cliff Divers Zocalo: $68
- Small-Group or Private All Inclusive 4 Hours City Tour & Divers: $36
- 4 Hrs Exclusive to Cruise Ship Passengers Sightseeing Experience : $62
- 4-6Hrs Acapulco City Tour With a Fun Guide. Diver Show, Mex Lunch: $47
- 4Hrs Small Group Half Day City Tour with Lunch at High Divers: $85
- 4hr City Tour For Cruises or Hotels Diver Peace Chapel & Mural: $40
- 6Hr City Tour Cruise or Hotel Turtle Nesting High Diver & Market: $51
- 6Hr Cruise or Hotels City Tour, Divers, Baby Turtles Peace Chapel: $51
- 6Hr Cruisers or Hotels High Diver Peace Chapel BabyTurtleRelease: $50
- Acapulco City Tour : $35
- Acapulco Historical Tour with Cliff Divers Show: $65
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Bar tour in El Cangrejo with Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- Tour de bares en El Cangrejo con Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- POIN The Edge Experience: $27
- POIN Glass Viewpoint Experience: $27
- POIN Swing Experience: $27
- Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $28
- Panama City Bike Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old Quarter with local guided: $31
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAcapulco de Juarez $11Panama City $18
When comparing the travel costs between Acapulco de Juarez and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Acapulco de Juarez is in North America and Panama City is in Central America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Acapulco de Juarez Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City?
Acapulco de Juarez has a larger population, and is about 60% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Acapulco de Juarez 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.