Should you visit Bali 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 Bali and Panama City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Bali or Panama City?
Bali
Known as the "Island of the Gods," it's not difficult to see why the Gods would want to set up shop in Bali. With a beautifully diverse landscape of hills, mountains, coastlines, beaches, vibrant rice fields and volcanic hillsides, you'll easily go into sensory overload.
Bali is home to 4 million people who all hold true to a deeply spiritual and unique culture. With champion surfing, world class resorts and challenging hiking trails, this Indonesian island accommodates travelers from every walk of life. It's often called, "paradise on earth, " and no one disagrees.
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 Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Bali?
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 Bali is $78, 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 Bali and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Bali 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:
Bali Hotel Prices and
Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bali
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:
-
Paragliding In Bali With Private Hotel Transfer:
$140
-
West Beach Nusa Penida Tour with Speedboat Transfer from Sanur:
$99
-
Unforgettable Batur Volcano Hiking With Private Transfer:
$85
-
Bali Parasailing Adventure,Banana Boat,Jet Ski and Donut Boat with Transfers:
$82
-
Bali Sea Walker, Parasailing, Banana Boat, Jet Ski with Transfer:
$81
-
Bali Quad and Buggy Discovery Tour, Including Round-Trip Transfer:
$76
-
Bali Sea Walker, Parasailing Adventure, Donut Boat with Transfer:
$67
-
Bali Spa Treatment with Airport Transfers (Departure):
$64
-
Bali Ultimate Watersport Package and Optional Transfers:
$64
-
Bali Massage with Transfer to International Bali Airport (DPS):
$59
-
LuxMe Bali Four Hands massage with Hotel Transfer:
$58
-
Bali Nusa Dua Combo Parasailing And Snorkeling Include Transfer:
$50
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Transfer Airport PTY to/from Panama City:
$17
-
Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY):
$18
-
Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá:
$19
-
Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport:
$19
-
Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City:
$19
-
VIP Transfer Panama: Playa Bonita, Panama City & Pacific Riviera:
$20
-
Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal:
$20
-
Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach:
$20
-
Tocumen Airport to Hotel Transfer in Panama City:
$22
-
Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer:
$23
-
Private Airport Transfer:
$23
-
Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Old Town(Casco Viejo):
$27
Is it cheaper to fly into Bali or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Bali 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
Bali $32
Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
-
Coffee
$1.10
-
Lunch for Two
$12
-
Bali Cafe for Two
$24
-
Lunch for Two
$7.16
-
Lunch for 2
$7.93
-
Dinner for 2
$8.70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.
-
Bali Sunset and Dinner: Uluwatu, Tanah Lot and Jimbaran:
$32
-
Amazing Private Tour-Uluwatu Kecak Dance and Romantic Seafood Dinner:
$33
-
Uluwatu Walking Sunset Tour with Kecak Fire Dance and Dinner:
$34
-
Bali Romantic Seafood Dinner under sunset jimbaran Beach:
$36
-
Private Tour Uluwatu Sunset Kecak Dance and Dinner at Jimbaran:
$41
-
Nusa Dua: Bali Cooking Class Spice Herb Garden Visit-Free Pick Up:
$45
-
Bali's Best Sunset: Uluwatu Kecak Dance & Dinner Jimbaran Beach:
$50
-
Nusa Dua Beachfront Bali Cooking Class, Market Tour, Free Pick Up:
$54
-
Uluwatu Temple Sunset Tour & Dinner at Jimbaran Bay:
$63
-
Authentic Balinese Cooking Classes:
$63
-
Bali Famous Beach, Kecak Dance, Uluwatu Temple, Sunset, Dinner:
$65
-
Snorkeling tour at blue lagoon and cooking class at local village.:
$66
Typical Food Prices in Panama City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:
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:
-
Panamanian Ravioli Masterclass + Dinner in Panama City center:
$55
-
3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama:
$70
-
Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show - All Inclusive Experience:
$70
-
E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission:
$75
-
Street Food Tour Panama City (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience:
$95
-
4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience:
$95
-
4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks:
$95
-
Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park:
$125
Entertainment
Typical Entertainment Prices in Bali
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bali are as follows:
-
Spa for Two
$48
-
Snorkelling Trip
$11
-
Cooking School
$25
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
-
2 Day Tours Ubud Art Village, Dance And Other Tourist Attractions:
$186
-
3-Days Lombok,Gili island Tour Hopping around departure from Bali island:
$300
-
ATV Jungle Adventure with Waterfalls and Tunnel Ride:
$34
-
Amazing Day Tour: Highlights of Ubud Village Hidden Waterfall:
$29
-
Amazing Private Tour: Lempuyang temple, Tirta gangga, Tukad cepung waterfall:
$60
-
Amazing Rafting adventure on the Telaga Waja white water Bali include breakfast:
$51
-
Bali 1 Day : UNESCO and Iconic Temple Tour - All Inclusive:
$70
-
Bali : Instagrams Tour Lempuyang Temple, Tirta Gangga- Tukad Cepung , Tibumana Waterfall:
$43
-
Bali ATV (Quad Bike)+Rafting with lunch+Coffee Plantation tour:
$125
-
Bali ATV Quad Bike Adventure and Ayung Rafting Combo with Lunch:
$57
-
Bali ATV Quad Bike Adventure and Snorkeling Tour:
$99
-
Bali ATV Quad Bike: Fun ADVENTURE:
$150
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
-
BEC Immersive Museum: Panama Through Your Senses Admission Ticket:
$15
-
Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja:
$15
-
Private Historic Tour of the Old Town:
$15
-
Panama Old Town Tour: Learn about our History and Culture:
$22
-
Sunset Bike Tour/ Cinta Costera Casco Viejo by Paradox Experience:
$22
-
Spanish Experience in Panama City:
$25
-
Casco Viejo Walking Tour: History, Culture & Local Tasting:
$25
-
Museum of Illusions Panama Admission Ticket:
$26
-
Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide:
$26
-
City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$30
-
Panama City Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems:
$30
-
Get to know the city on board CitySightseeing Panama (24 Hours):
$30
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bali and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Bali much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Bali is in Asia 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 Bali would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bali 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 Bali.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bali Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bali or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 1% larger than the population of Bali. When comparing the sizes of Bali 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.
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