Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Akureyri?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Akureyri or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Akureyri or Panama City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Akureyri or Panama City?
Akureyri
Akureyri is the largest town in the northern region of Iceland, and is often considered the unofficial capital of the north. The town is a popular fishing port and is often used as a basecamp for visiting the more rural surrounding area. Akureyri is known for their great art scene, beautiful architecture, and stunning natural scenery.
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 Romantic Tours for Couples in Iceland, The Best Northern Lights Tours in Iceland, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Akureyri Prices
Iceland PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAkureyri $189Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Akureyri is $189, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $101. 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 Akureyri and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAkureyri $102Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAkureyri $204Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Akureyri and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Akureyri 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: Akureyri Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Akureyri $23Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Akureyri
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Akureyri:
- Whale and Puffin Watching in Hauganes from Akureyri with Transfer: $164
- Whale Watching Tour with Transfer from Port: $141
- From Godafoss Waterfall Guided Trip with Transfers: $129
- Whale Watching from Akureyri with Roundtrip Transfer: $117
- Seamless Transfer from Akureyri Airport to Your Stay: $32
- Transfer to Akureyri Airport from your Stay: $32
- Akureyri Airport (AEY): Transfer to/from Akureyri City: $32
- Transfer from Accommodation to Akureyri Airport: $29
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
- Airport To City Hotel transfer: $50
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $84
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $75
- Panama 2 days / 1 night : hotel, transfers and city tour: $278
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $210
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $210
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $47
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $66
- Panama City Private Departure Transfer: $42
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $70
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Akureyri or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Akureyri 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 dayAkureyri $70Panama City $36
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$8.25
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 Food Tour Local Markets Immersion (Tasting tour + Lunch): $50
- Unique Ravioli Fusion Cooking Class with lunch in Panama City: $55
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission: $75
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Street Food Tour Panama (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $90
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Akureyri $18Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Akureyri
Here are a few actual costs in Akureyri for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Akureyri Guided E-Bike Tour: $165
- Akureyri Lake Myvatn Godafoss and Lava Fields Tour: $180
- Akureyri Northern Light Tour: $139
- Akureyri Port: Dettifoss, Goðafoss and Lake Mývatn Tour: $293
- Akureyri Port: Goðafoss and Akureyri Botanical Garden Tour: $170
- Akureyri Port: Goðafoss and the Forest Lagoon Tour: $203
- Akureyri Port: Godafoss Waterfall Classic Tour & Viewpoint: $81
- Akureyri Port: Hot Godafoss Waterfall Tour & The Forest Lagoon: $157
- Akureyri Port: Lake Mývatn & Goðafoss Guided Tour with Lunch: $328
- Akureyri Port: Lake Mývatn and Godafoss Waterfall Tour: $182
- Akureyri Port: Myvatn Nature Baths & Godafoss Waterfall Tour: $246
- Akureyri Port: Small Group Godafoss and Laufas Turf House Tour: $165
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- Casco Viejo a Panama's Hidden Treasures Walking Tour: $28
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- Half-Day Tour to Miraflores Locks & Casco Viejo: $32
- POIN Panama City Climb Experience: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAkureyri $15Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Akureyri and Panama City, we can see that Akureyri is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Akureyri is in Europe 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 Akureyri would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Akureyri 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 Akureyri Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Akureyri or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Akureyri. When comparing the sizes of Akureyri 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.