Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Bern?
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 Bern or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Bern or Panama City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Bern or Panama City?
Bern
The capital city of Switzerland, Bern, is a surprisingly small city with a population of only about 130,000. It's located on a peninsula that is created by the turns of the River Aare. The city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it has a wonderfully preserved old town area. There are about four miles worth of quaint walkways that are lined with clock towers and fountains.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Switzerland, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Switzerland, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Bern Prices
Switzerland PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBern $332Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Bern is $332, 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 Bern and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBern $183Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBern $366Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Bern and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Bern 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: Bern Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bern $38Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bern
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bern:
- Private direct transfer from Bern to Lucerne: $255
- Private transfer from Bern to Basel with a 2 hour stop in Olten: $226
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 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
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- PTY Tours & Airport transfers: $22
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Downtown Panama City, Panama: $23
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels: $25
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $27
- Roundtrip Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY): $28
- Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $28
Is it cheaper to fly into Bern or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Bern 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 dayBern $117Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bern
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bern.
- Bern Bites Food Tour Culinary Exploration of Bern's Old Town: $152
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
- 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.Bern $38Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Bern
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bern are as follows:
- Attraction Ticket:Unlimited Boat Pass for Lake Thun & Lake Brienz: $144
- Bern : Highlights & Hidden Gems Walking Tour: $87
- Bern : Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide (Private tour): $60
- Bern Audio guided walking tour 1h50 and 23 audio commentary: $7.45
- Bern Food Market: Tour w/o Brunch: $44
- Bern Highlights and Hidden Gems Walking Tour With A Guide: $87
- Bern Old Town - Private Historic Walking Tour: $581
- Bern Old Town, UNESCO Historical Private Tour: $183
- Bern Private Walking Tour: $364
- Bern Private Walking Tour with a Local: $64
- Bern Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $85
- Bern Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $12
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $25
- Casco Viejo Walking Tour: History, Culture & Local Tasting: $25
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- Get to know the city on board CitySightseeing Panama (24 Hours): $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Panama City : Custom Walking Tour with A Guide (Private Tour): $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
- City Tour guiado en Panamá con Canal y Casco Antiguo: $35
- Panama City Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBern $30Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bern and Panama City, we can see that Bern is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Bern 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 Bern would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bern 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 Bern Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bern or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Bern. When comparing the sizes of Bern 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.