A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Acapulco de Juarez vs. Panama City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

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 Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.


Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Acapulco de Juarez?

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

  • Acapulco de Juarez Prices
    Mexico Prices
    Panama City Prices
    Panama Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Acapulco de Juarez $67
    Panama City $102

The average daily cost (per person) in Acapulco de Juarez is $67, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $102. 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
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Acapulco de Juarez $33
    Panama City $35
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Acapulco de Juarez $66
    Panama 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.

Hotels in Acapulco de Juarez


Hotels in Panama City


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
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Acapulco de Juarez $14
    Panama 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
  • Acapulco Airport Roundtrip Transfers: $60
  • Transfer in private minivan from Bahía de Acapulco -Acapulco Airport (ACA): $31
  • Acapulco Airport (ACA) to Acapulco hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $20
  • Acapulco hotels to Acapulco Airport (ACA) – Departure Private Transfer : $20
  • Shared transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA) - Acapulco: $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City

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

  • Private round trip transfer service for layover flights : $39
  • Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
  • Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to City by Luxury SUV: $84
  • Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Panama City by SUV: $75
  • Luxury SUV Private Transfer Panama City to Panama PTY Airport: $84
  • PTY Tocumen Airport Private Transfer One Way or Round Trip!: $45
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $57
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca Round-Trip Private Transfer: $128
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $39
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $77
  • Panama Airport Transfer from Tocumen PTY to Playa Blanca: $170
  • Panama City Private Departure Transfer: $42

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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Acapulco de Juarez $24
    Panama City $36

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 + Two Drinks plus SUNSET: $53
  • Cliff Divers Exhibition 2 Drinks + Tacos al Pastor Dinner & Beer: $55
  • Sunset Dinner and Cliff Divers in Acapulco: $91
  • Hands On Mexican Cooking Class with Food Tasting & Market Visit: $100
  • Off the Beaten Path Mexican Cooking Class Lagoon Boatride &Lunch: $179
  • Divers Show and Luxury Dinner in Acapulco: $199
  • Super DeLuxe Bella Vista Dinner &1 Drink +2 Drinks at CliffDivers: $253

Typical Food Prices in Panama City

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


  • 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
  • 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
  • Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $85
  • E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Theater Live Show Admission: $99
  • Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $125
  • Street Food Tour in Panama with a Local Guide: $243

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Acapulco de Juarez $15
    Panama 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.: $60
  • High Diver Optional Lunch + Shopping Tour Flea Market & Shops: $131
  • Small-Group or Private All Inclusive 4 Hours City Tour & Divers: $49
  • 4 Hrs Exclusive to Cruise Ship Passengers Sightseeing Experience : $67
  • 4-6Hrs Acapulco City Tour With a Fun Guide. Diver Show, Mex Lunch: $55
  • 4hr Fun Guide Tour For Cruisers or Hotels Guests with Divers Show: $58
  • 6Hr Cruise or Hotels City Tour, Divers, Baby Turtles Peace Chapel: $75
  • 6Hr Cruisers or Hotels High Diver Peace Chapel BabyTurtleRelease: $96
  • 6Hr Fun Guide Different Options Tour for Cruiser or Hotel Guests : $76
  • Acapulco City Tour: $70
  • Acapulco City Tour: $58
  • Acapulco City Tour: $60

Tours and Activities in Panama City

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

  • Guided Walking Tour in Panama City: $22
  • Bike Tour and visit to Old Town: $22
  • Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $25
  • Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $25
  • Walking tour in Casco Viejo with locals: $27
  • Best Bike tour to Old Town with locals: $27
  • Bike Tour Panamá City and the Old Town: $28
  • Walking tour through the Hidden treasures of Casco Viejo: $30
  • Transportation From Airport To Port Of Cruises In Colon: $30
  • City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
  • Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $30
  • City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Acapulco de Juarez $9.09
    Panama City $18


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Acapulco de Juarez and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Acapulco de Juarez much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Acapulco de Juarez is in North America 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 Acapulco de Juarez would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Acapulco de Juarez 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 Panama City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Panama City than you might in Acapulco de Juarez.

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.