Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Bilbao?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Bilbao or Panama City?
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 Bilbao and Panama City. 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: Bilbao or Panama City?
Bilbao
The industrial city of Bilbao is located on a port of the Nervión River in northern Spain, an important location of Basque country. While the downtown is filled with skyscrapers and innovative architecture, it sits between a river and mountains of natural allure. A city of hard-workers to the core, Bilbao displays remnants of its industrial past, though in more recent years it has transformed into a center for art. It is now a popular location for visitors looking to experience art galleries and museums.
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 G Adventures Tours to Spain, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBilbao €137Panama City €78
The average daily cost (per person) in Bilbao is €137, while the average daily cost in Panama City is €78. 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 Bilbao and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBilbao €72Panama City €32
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBilbao €144Panama City €64
Compare Hotels in Bilbao and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Bilbao 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: Bilbao Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bilbao €26Panama City €9.63
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bilbao
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bilbao:
- Bilbao Airport (BIO) to San Sebastian City Center Transfer: $438
- Bilbao Airport Transfers to Pamplona: $432
- Bilbao Airport Transfers to Santander: $327
- Bilbao Airport Transfers to San Sebastian: $327
- Private Transfer from Bilbao to San Sebastian: $277
- Private Transfer from Bilbao city to San Sebastian Airport: $277
- Private Transfer from Bilbao city to Santander Airport : $261
- Private Transfer from Bilbao to Santander Port: $261
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Logroño: $253
- Private Transfer from Vitoria city to Logroño Airport : $253
- Private Transfer from Vitoria Airport to Pamplona city: $237
- Private Transfer from Vitoria to Pamplona: $237
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Accommodation and transfers for cruise departures from Puerto de Colón: $135
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to City by Luxury SUV: $84
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Panama City by SUV: $75
- Arrival Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama by Sprinter: $152
- Luxury SUV Private Transfer Panama City to Panama PTY Airport: $84
- PTY Airport Transfer Service To Panama City: $28
- PTY Tocumen Airport Private Transfer One Way or Round Trip!: $45
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $59
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca Round-Trip Private Transfer: $131
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $40
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $79
- Panama Airport Transfer from Tocumen PTY to Playa Blanca: $170
Is it cheaper to fly into Bilbao or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Bilbao 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 dayBilbao €45Panama City €19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bilbao
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bilbao.
- Basque Food Tour with Guide: $87
- The High End Bilbao Food Tour for Foodies: $100
- The Original Bilbao Food Tour with Wine Pairings: $105
- Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao : $113
- The High End Food Tour of Bilbao with a Local: $113
- The Award-Winning Bilbao Food Tour & Wine Pairing by Basque Local: $116
- Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class with Open Bar: $116
- Basque Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao: $119
- Paella Cooking Class with Sangria in Bilbao: $138
- Paella Cooking Class (with Basque Sangria) in Bilbao: $147
- Traditional Basque Cooking Class with Wine Tasting: $161
- Guggenheim Museum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour & Dinner: $199
Typical Food Prices in Panama City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:
-
Sandwich€7.44
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 Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- Night Out Experience (360 Panoramic Views + Dinner Show): $75
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
- 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class : $85
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $85
- 4 hours dinner and cocktail activity in Panama: $100
- The 'Real' Panamanian Private Food Tour: $200
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bilbao €29Panama City €59
Tours and Activities in Bilbao
Here are a few actual costs in Bilbao for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- PRIVATE San Sebastian and Basque Coast Tour from Bilbao: $299
- Pintxos Tasting in Bilbao Small Group or Private Walking Tour: $84
- 2 Hours Private Family Guided Walking Tour in Bilbao: $203
- 3-day Bilbao Bike Tour and Guggenheim Museum Ticket: $265
- Awesome Bilbao – Private Family Walking Tour: $398
- Basque Coast Tour: Vizcaya Bridge, Gaztelugatxe, Bermeo and Gernika: $68
- Basque Country 7-Day Guided Tour from Bilbao: $1,185
- Biarritz and French Basque coast small group tour lunch included: $269
- Bilbao & Guggenheim Private Walking Tour from Hotel/Center: $289
- Bilbao (Monumental) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $9.59
- Bilbao (Monumental): Sights & Highlights Walking tour: $9.42
- Bilbao (Old Town): Sights & Highlights Walking tour: $9.42
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $24
- Bike tour in Old City and Panama City by local guide: $25
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $25
- Poin Glass Observation Deck Ticket with VR Tour: $27
- Walking tour in Casco Viejo with locals: $27
- Best Bike tour to Old Town with locals: $27
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Walking tour through the Hidden treasures of Casco Viejo: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- POIN Swing Experience: $32
- Legends of Casco Viejo Tour: Uncover Hidden Gems: $33
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayBilbao €21Panama City €16
Sample the Local Flavors in Bilbao
Also in Bilbao, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Unique Spanish Wine Tasting with Sommelier - In Bilbao: $55
- Spanish Wine Tasting with Sommelier (close to Guggenheim museum): $56
- Pintxos and Wine Tasting Tour with Local Guide: $82
- From La Rioja Wineries Day Trip with Wine Tastings: $83
- Bilbao Txakoli Wine Tour: $183
- Guided Txacoli Wine Tasting: $194
- Rioja Wine Tour: Winery & Traditional Lunch From Bilbao: $234
- Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Vitoria: $248
- Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Bilbao: $254
- Rioja Wine Tour: Winery & Traditional Lunch From Vitoria: $260
- Architectural Rioja Small Group Wine Tour with Lunch from Bilbao : $265
- From Rioja Architecture and Wine Tour: $271
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bilbao and Panama City, we can see that Bilbao is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Bilbao 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 Bilbao would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bilbao 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 Bilbao Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bilbao or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 16% larger than the population of Bilbao. When comparing the sizes of Bilbao 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.