Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Cairo?
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 Cairo or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Cairo and Panama City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Cairo or Panama City?
Cairo
Cairo is the chaotic capital city of Egypt. With a population of more than 16 million, it is one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East. As a traveler, you're likely to arrive and leave from here and you'll get your first orientation to the area during the chaotic and congestion filled taxi ride from the airport.
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 Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Cairo Prices
Egypt PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $30Panama City $102
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $30, 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 Cairo and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $10Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $20Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Cairo 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: Cairo Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $3.46Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
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Metro Ride$0.08
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Taxi Ride$0.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- Cairo To Marsa Alam Private Transfer: $511
- From One-Way Private A/C Transfer To Luxor City.: $489
- 1 Day Aswan Abu Simple Tour with Transfer Included: $300
- 3-Days Private Guided Tour Package Covering all Cairo,Lunch and Airport Transfer: $300
- Private Transfer from Cairo City Hotels to Port Said Cruise Port: $296
- Private Transfer Cairo to Hurghada: $296
- Private One-Way Transfer to/from Hurghada: $292
- Private Transfer from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh: $290
- 2 Days and 2 Evenings Private Tour in Cairo include airport transfer and M&A: $280
- Private Transfer from Cairo City Hotels to Ain Sokhna Cruise Port: $275
- PrivateTransfer from Cairo Airport(CAI) to Suez Canal Cruise Port: $275
- 2-Day-One night Camping Tour in The Bahariya Oasis with Private Transfer: $274
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $75
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $84
- Panama 2 days / 1 night : hotel, transfers and city tour: $278
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca Round-Trip Private Transfer: $153
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $64
- Panama City Private Departure Transfer: $42
- Panama One Way Transfer: Van from Tocumen Airport to Panama City: $83
- Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $28
- Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón - Arrival Private Transfer: $74
- Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca - Private Transfer: $77
- Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Coronado/Gorgona - Arrival Transfer: $102
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Cairo 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 dayCairo $16Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Cairo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:
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Juice$0.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.
- Giza Pyramids,Sphinx,Camel Ride,ATV Bike,Shopping, Dinner cruise: $5.00
- Explore Giza Pyramids with Camel, ATV, Dinner Cruise, & Shopping: $5.00
- Giza Pyramids,Sphinx,Camel Ride,ATV Bike,Shopping, Dinner cruise: $5.40
- Night Dinner Nile cruise with belly dancer and folklore show: $7.00
- 2 Hour Cairo Dinner Cruise on Nile river with live band: $7.00
- Quad Bike ATV ,Camel Ride ,Nile Dinner Cruise Belly dancer show: $7.00
- Cairo Dinner Nile Cruise with Belly Dancer Show on Nile River: $7.00
- Private Nile Cruise with Dinner and Folk Show from Cairo: $7.50
- Cairo Dinner Cruise show with belly dancer show on Nile river: $8.00
- Private Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Quad Bike, Camel Ride, Nile Dinner Cruise: $8.00
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $8.00
- Cairo Food Tour – Discover Hidden Downtown Gems: $8.00
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$8.27
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $8.29Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo
Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Camel Market for Two$0.77
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$5.90
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- "Private Half-Day Tour to the Giza Pyramids Saqqara and Memphis: $25
- (Egypt jewel) Day Tour To Giza Pyramids, Museum, Mosque &Felucca: $55
- 01 Day Tour to Pyramids Of Giza Memphis And Sakkara: $86
- 1 Day tour to Alexandria from Cairo: $30
- 1 Day tour to Giza pyramids Memphis city Dahshur and Saqqara pyramids: $15
- 1 Hour Adventure In The Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
- 1 Hour Adventure In The Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
- 1 Hour adventure in the Nile River By Nile Taxi In Cairo: $60
- 1 Night 2 Days Bahariya Oasis Camp and Desert Tour in Cairo: $225
- 1-Hour Private Felucca Boat Tour on the Nile: $9.00
- 1-Hour Private Felucca Boat Tour on the Nile: $7.00
- 1-Hour Quad Bike Tour Around the Giza Pyramids: $55
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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.35Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairo
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cairo:
- Pub Crawl and Speakeasy Bar Tour with 2 Free Drinks: $69
- Cairo Autumn Downtown Food & Bar Crawl with Drinks: $109
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cairo is in Africa 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 Cairo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairo 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 Cairo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairo Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or Panama City?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Cairo 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.