Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Basel?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Basel or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Basel 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: Basel or Panama City?
Basel
Basel is often overlooked as a tourist destination in Switzerland, but despite this, it does have a lot to offer visitors as well as a beautiful medieval historic center. Every year it also hosts a Carnival festival that is one of the most popular in Europe, competing with those in Venice and Rio de Janeiro in its popularity. There are also some excellent museums and great examples of regional architecture around town. Basel also serves as an excellent entry point to the Swiss Jura mountains and a jumping off point to visit more popular cities such as Zurich or Lucerne.
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 Switzerland, The Best Bicycle Tours in Switzerland, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
-
Basel Prices
Switzerland PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBasel $309Panama City $102
The average daily cost (per person) in Basel is $309, 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 Basel and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBasel $158Panama City $35
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBasel $316Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Basel and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Basel 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: Basel Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Basel $50Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Basel
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Basel:
- Private direct transfer from Basel to Bern: $246
- Private Transfer from Basel Airport BSL to Basel City: $246
- Private Transfer Basel Airport BSL to Zurich City in Car or Van: $228
- Basel to Zurich One-Way Chauffeured Private Transfer: $215
- Basel Airport Transfer: Basel to EuroAirport (BSL MLH EAP) in Luxury Car: $165
- Private Direct Transfer from Basel to Zurich: $149
- Basel to Colmar Private Nonstop Transfer by Sedan or Van: $137
- Basel Airport (BSL) to Badenweiler - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $128
- Private Transfer Service from Basel to Basel Airport: $126
- Departure Private Transfer: Basel to EuroAirport (BSL MLH EAP) in Luxury Van: $125
- Basel Airport Transfer: EuroAirport (BSL MLH EAP) to Basel in Luxury Van: $125
- Arrival Private Transfer: EuroAirport (BSL MLH EAP) to Basel in Luxury Van: $125
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $18
- Private Airport Transfer PTY to Panama City or Playa Blanca: $18
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá: $19
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City: $19
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $27
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Old Town(Casco Viejo): $27
- Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $28
- Travel in Comfort Airport Transfer Pty: $30
Is it cheaper to fly into Basel or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Basel 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 dayBasel $116Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Basel
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Basel.
- Self-Guided Food Tour: $49
- Traditional Swiss Dinner: Cheese Fondue, Appetizers/Dessert: $162
- Traditional Swiss Dinner: Cheese Fondue, Appetizers and Dessert: $166
- Cooking Class: Homemade Italian Lasagna Experience by Locals: $187
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:
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show - All Inclusive Experience: $70
- Panama City by Night: Rooftop Skyline, Dinner & Folklore Show: $85
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $245
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Basel $41Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Basel
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Basel are as follows:
- Basel : Private Custom Walking Tour With A Guide (Private Tour): $86
- Basel Chocolate Workshop & Historic Old Town Tour: $110
- Basel City Sightseeing Bus Tour: $32
- Basel City Tour: The Essentials: $62
- Basel Exploration Game and City Tour on your Phone: $9.14
- Basel Historical Old Town Tour: $25
- Basel Historical Old Town Tour: $20
- Basel Old Town Walking Tour: $43
- Basel Old Town Walking Tour With A Guide: $58
- Basel Old Town Walking Tour With A Guide: $57
- Basel Old Town, Cheese & Chocolate Experience | From Basel: $114
- Basel Private & Small Group City Tour: Highlights And Hidden Gems: $68
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
- Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $15
- Panama Chocolate Factory Experience and Tasting: $19
- Sunset Bike Tour/ Cinta Costera Casco Viejo by Paradox Experience: $22
- Casco Viejo a Panama's Hidden Treasures Walking Tour: $24
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $26
- Rum & Chocolate Pairing: The Casa Baru Experience Casco Viejo: $28
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Panama City : Custom Walking Tour with A Guide (Private Tour): $34
- Panama Viejo UNESCO Ruins Tour | The Original Panama City: $35
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayBasel $36Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Basel
Also in Basel, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- From Colmar Christmas Market & Wine Tasting Small Group: $258
- Alsace wine tour & medieval villages small group guided tour: $368
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Basel and Panama City, we can see that Basel is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Basel 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 Basel would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Basel 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 Basel Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Basel or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Basel. When comparing the sizes of Basel 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.