A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Athens vs. David for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Athens or David?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Athens and David. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Athens or David?

Athens

Athens is the capital city of Greece and is home to a population of over 3.7 million people. It's most famous as the birthplace of Classical Greece and the history in the city is incomparable to that found anywhere. It became the national capital of the modern Greek State in the 1830s, before which it was just a small village with a very impressive history. The city was redesigned by architects and city planners and incorporated large public squares, lots of green space, and wide avenues. The city has had its ups and downs both economically and politically, but it remains a beautiful and impressive place to explore.

David

In the Pacific West of Panama, David is the capital city of Chiriqui province. The city's population of almost 150,000 is among the wealthiest in the country. There is a well established middle class and unemployment remains low in the area. The area has grown rapidly in recent years with growing commercial and banking sectors. The city is well connected to the rest of the country by the Pan American Highway.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Panama, and The Best Budget Tours to Panama.


Which place is cheaper, David or Athens?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €154, while the average daily cost in David is €34. 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 Athens and David in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Athens €63
    David €11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Athens €126
    David €22
Compare Hotels in Athens and David

Looking for a hotel in Athens or David? 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 Athens


Hotels in David


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: Athens Hotel Prices and David Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Athens €27
    David €11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Athens

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:


  • Airport Bus for Two
    €6.40
  • Metro
    €1.50
  • Metro
    €2.00
  • Metro from Airport to City Center
    €8.00
  • Taxi from Airport
    €35

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens

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

  • ATH Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center: $24
  • Santorini Luxury Private Airport, Port & Hotel Transfer: $25
  • Athens Private Transfer: Central Athens to Piraeus Cruise Port: $26
  • Athens City to Piraeus Port Private Transfer: $26
  • Private Transfer from Piraeus Port to Athens City Center: $26
  • Piraeus Port to Athens City Private Transfer with Meet & Greet: $27
  • Athens Hotels to Piraeus Port Private Transfer: $27
  • Athens hotels to Piraeus port Private departure transfer: $28
  • Piraeus port to Athens hotels Private arrival transfer: $28
  • Santorini Hotel/Port & Airport Transfers: $29
  • Private Transfer From Athens to Piraeus Port: $29
  • Private Transfer from Piraeus Port to Athens: $29

Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or David?

Prices for flights to both David and Athens 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
    Athens €64
    David €15
Typical Food Prices in Athens

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


  • Ice cream
    €3.00
  • Souvlaki
    €2.20

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Athens

For Athens, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Athens Food Tour (5+ Stops) - Full Meal Included by Do Eat Better: $55
  • Ancient Roman and Greek Dinner With Ancient Wine Styles: $64
  • Street Food Tour - Sample the Food the Locals Love: $68
  • Classic Athens Food Tour with Local Drink & Market Visit: $68
  • Cooking Class & Meal at a Roof Garden in Athens: $68
  • Traditional Greek Cooking Class and Organic Lunch on Poros: $74
  • Acropolis Food Tour with a Local Friend: $74
  • Athens Street Food Tour: Taste the best street food: $78
  • Athens, Greek food tour including market visit: $79
  • Athens Private Food Tour:Eat like a Greek! Seafood& Wine included: $80
  • Feast on LGBTQ+ Walking Food Tour: $82
  • Around Greece in 5 Dishes: Dinner, Theater & Music: $82

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Athens €36
    David €3.84

Tours and Activities in Athens

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

  • Self Guided Walking Tour in Athens Hidden Gems: $1.12
  • Self-Guided Tour In Athens With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.42
  • Ancient Athens Scavenger Hunt & Self-Guided Walking Tour: $3.42
  • Athens Walking Tour: Self-Guided City Game: $4.85
  • A Neoclassical Capital: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.50
  • South Slope Acropolis Self-Guided 3D Audio Tour (No Ticket): $8.00
  • Athens Interactive City Tour: $8.01
  • Athens Exploration Private Game and City Tour on your Phone: $9.14
  • Piraeus City Tour: 1-Day Hop On Hop Off Mini Train Ticket: $9.15
  • Athens' Podoniftis Stream: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $9.99
  • Athens, Delphi, Olympia, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Corinth Tour: $11
  • Athens Walking Tour with Audio Guide on Your Smartphone: $11

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Athens €23
    David -

Sample the Local Flavors in Athens

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Athens:

  • The Original Athens Pub Crawl: $14
  • Polykala Distillery: 128 years of history & liqueur tasting.: $16
  • The NightCrawlers | Athens Bar Hopping | Pub Crawl: $22
  • Experience Ouzo Tasting at Athens Oldest Distillery: $27
  • Athens Exclusive Hellenic Wine Tasting Experience at Brettos: $36
  • Greek Wine Tasting and Pairing in Chalandri: $46
  • Athens Small Group Wine Tasting with a Sommelier: $51
  • Greek Wine Tasting with Acropolis view: $56
  • Best rated Acropolis Wine Tasting: $56
  • Athens bar crawl: $57
  • Athens Greek Wine Tasting with Sommelier and City Views: $62
  • Greek food and wine tasting: $68


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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Athens Expensive? and Is David Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Athens or David?

Athens has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of David. When comparing the sizes of Athens and David, 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.