Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Belfast?
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 Belfast or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Belfast 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: Belfast or Panama City?
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland and the second largest city on the island of Ireland after Dublin. It has a population of about 270,000 and almost 500,000 in the metropolitan area. It's located on the mouth of the River Lagan and is set between many low hills that rise up around it.
One of the most famous, and tragic times in Belfast's history is referred to as "The Troubles." During this time, between 1969 and 1997, there were many bomb and gun attacks throughout the city. This left many areas as essentially no-go zones. Neighborhoods became completely lawless do to the lack of security and the damage is still visible today in some areas. In 1998 the Good Friday Agreement was signed and much of the politically motivated violence ended. The city actually received praise recently as the safest city in the UK based on crime rate. Tourism is growing and many visitors enjoy seeing this less popular travel destination. The city has a lot of character and will give you an interesting take on Irish and British history.
Belfast has a temperate climate and temperature and precipitation have little variation throughout the year. The climate is influenced by the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, making it warmer than many cities that are found at the same latitude. Rain is common with precipitation falling an average of 157 days a year. Snow is much less common, although it does happen about ten days a year. The warmest days during the summer may reach a temperature around 25 degrees Celsius and the coldest days have lows that drop just below freezing.
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 Budget Tours to United Kingdom, The Best Tours for Seniors to United Kingdom, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Belfast Prices
UK PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBelfast £170Panama City £76
The average daily cost (per person) in Belfast is £170, while the average daily cost in Panama City is £76. 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 Belfast and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBelfast £68Panama City £26
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBelfast £136Panama City £52
Compare Hotels in Belfast and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Belfast 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: Belfast Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Belfast £14Panama City £7.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Belfast
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Belfast:
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Kircubbin: $298
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Crossgar: $279
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Hillsborough: $272
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Carrowdore: $272
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Whiterock: $271
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Groomsport: $258
- Private Transfer from Carryduff to Belfast Airport (BFS): $253
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Dundalk: $252
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Brookeborough: $243
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Lisburn Central: $237
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Millisle: $228
- Private Transfer from Belfast City Airport (BHD) to Helens Bay: $214
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): $14
- Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City: $19
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- Transfer to or from the airport / Min 2 pax: $20
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Private Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama City: $21
- PTY Tours & Airport transfers - Giants V.I.P Tours: $22
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Downtown Panama City, Panama: $23
- Transfer from Downtown Panama City to PTY Airport: $24
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels: $25
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Old Town(Casco Viejo): $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Belfast or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Belfast 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 dayBelfast £88Panama City £27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Belfast
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Belfast.
- Guided Craft Beer and Street Food Tour: $114
- Food Tour with 10+ Tastings of Bread, Beer, Seafood: $115
- The Original Belfast Food Tour™ with Drinks: $123
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£6.15
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
- Italian-Panamanian Ravioli Cooking Class + meal in Panama City: $55
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Street Food Tour Panama (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $90
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Belfast £18Panama City £49
Typical Entertainment Prices in Belfast
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Belfast are as follows:
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Movie Tickets£8.00
Tours and Activities in Belfast
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Belfast are as follows:
- 2 Hours Republican & Loyalist Mural Black Taxi Tour from Belfast: $102
- 2-hour Belfast Original Drivers the Troubles Black Taxi Tour: $100
- A History of Terror - Belfast City Centre Walking Tour: $35
- A Unique Belfast City Center Walking Tour: $29
- A Unique Belfast Walking Experience with a local Gardener: $34
- Afternoon Giant's Causeway Half Day Tour from Belfast: $39
- Afternoon Giant’s Causeway Half Day Tour from Belfast: $38
- Award Winning Exclusive 2 Hr Private Belfast Black Taxi Cab Tour: $109
- Award Winning Express 2 Hours Belfast Black Taxi/Cab tours: $109
- BELFAST BLACK TAXI TOUR: $133
- Belfast : Giant’s Causeway 8 hour private day tour: $937
- Belfast : Giants Causeway 5 hour express private tour: $764
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Panama City Sunset Bike Tour (Cinta Costera & Casco Viejo): $22
- Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $25
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Get to know the city on board CitySightseeing Panama (24 Hours): $30
- Panama City Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems: $30
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- Panama City Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
- Panama Viejo Ruins & Museum Tour – Guided Exploration: $35
- Craft Your Own Rum: The Casa Barú Experience Casco Viejo: $35
- Half-Day Casco Viejo The Real City Guided with a Local Touch Tour: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBelfast £7.86Panama City £14
Sample the Local Flavors in Belfast
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Belfast:
- Belfast Pub Crawl: $20
- Pub Crawl and Bar Walking Tour with Two Drinks: $21
- McConnell's - Belfast's Newest Distillery Experience: $22
- Explore and Taste Belfast Distillery Tour at Titanic Distillers: $34
- Belfast Giant's Causeway and Titanic Distillery Whiskey Tour: $74
- Giant's Causeway and Whisky Distillery tasting tour from Belfast: $75
- Titanic Museum and Whiskey Distillery Exploration with Tasting: $130
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Belfast and Panama City, we can see that Belfast is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Belfast 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 Belfast would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Belfast 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 Belfast Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Belfast or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 49% larger than the population of Belfast. When comparing the sizes of Belfast 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.