Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Chengdu?
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 Chengdu 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 Chengdu 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: Chengdu or Panama City?
Chengdu
Chengdu is in China's Sichuan Provence and is in what is known as the Red Basin. It is a particularly fertile region in China that is known for its agriculture. For this reason it is sometimes referred to as the "Land of Milk and Honey". The Funan River cuts through the city but has almost no boat traffic anymore. The city itself has a wonderful relaxed vibe compared to the rest of China and is filled with green parks and places to relax. It is considered one of the most livable cities in China.
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 Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Chengdu Prices
China PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChengdu $67Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $67, 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 Chengdu and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChengdu $21Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChengdu $42Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Chengdu and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Chengdu 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: Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chengdu $6.02Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:
- Chengdu 3-Day Self-Guided Jiuzhaigou&Huanglong with Transfer: $412
- Algou Valley Hiking Tour with Roundtrip Transfer: $289
- Chengdu Panda & Giant Buddha Day Tour With Private Transfer: $240
- 1-Day Chengdu Layover Tour: Leshan Giant buddha with Round Airport Transfer: $205
- Private Transfer from Chengdu to Mount Emei and Stops at Leshan Giant Buddha: $160
- Leshan Buddha Optional Tours w/ Transfer or Guide: $156
- Chengdu Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer for up to 5 pax: $120
- Round-Trip Private Transfer between Emei Shan and Chengdu City: $113
- Private Airport Transfer – Chengdu Tianfu: $110
- Downtown to Sichuan Opera round way transfer: $99
- Sichuan Face Changing Opera With Door to Door Private Transfer: $75
- Chengdu Airport (TFU) to Chengdu - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport To City Hotel transfer: $50
- 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: $25
- Panamá Tocumen Airport Hotel or airbnb Transfer: $25
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $33
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $70
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Chengdu or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Chengdu 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 dayChengdu $38Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.
- Chengdu Night: VIP Seat Opera Show or Back Alley Food Tour: $40
- Discovery more Chengdu evening food tour with locals : $55
- Eat Like a Local! Food Tour in the Hidden Alleys: $67
- Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $69
- Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit: $69
- Market Tour and Sichuan Cooking Class: $70
- Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $75
- Half day Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Class Tour(Cooking 3 dishes): $75
- Evening Food Tour with Local Guide: $78
- Chengdu Evening Food Tour: $79
- Half-Day Private Hot-Pot Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $80
- Cooking Class with Fresh Market Half Day Experience: $80
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$8.24
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
- Street Food Tour in Panama City with 24 samples and secret drinks: $69
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Cooking Class in Panama City with 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $205
- Street Food Tour in Panama with a Local Guide: $263
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chengdu $16Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Chengdu
Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3-Hour Private Tour of Antique Furniture and Flea Market : $51
- Chengdu Leshan Buddha and Drop off off Railway Station Day Tour: $226
- Chengdu Private Day Tour to the Leshan Giant Buddha and Huanglongxi Old Town: $248
- Chinese Traditional Massage Experience with Healthy Lunch: $68
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Panda Base Day tour: $238
- Dujingyan Panda Sanctuary Half day tour option panda volunteer : $99
- Private Chengdu Panda Base and Sichuan Cuisine Museum Day Tour: $120
- Private Chengdu day Tour of panda base with Leshan giant Buddha: $298
- Private Day Tour Chengdu Panda Base and The Leshan Giant Buddha: $230
- Private Full Day Chengdu Panda Base and Jinsha Site Museum Tour: $136
- 1 Day Panda Breeding Center Plus Chengdu City Tour: $175
- 1 Day Tea Trip in Mount Mengding with Tea Making Experience: $135
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- The Hull Experience Colonial Tour: $14
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Experience of Salsa in Panama: $25
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $29
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- Causeway and Old Town Night Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChengdu $3.99Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chengdu and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Chengdu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chengdu is in Asia 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 Chengdu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chengdu 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 Chengdu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chengdu Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Chengdu or Panama City?
Chengdu has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Chengdu 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.