Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Da Nang?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Da Nang or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Da Nang 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: Da Nang or Panama City?
Da Nang
Halfway between Ho Chi Minh City in the south and Hanoi in the North is the easy-going beach city of Da Nang (or Danang, for some). The third most populated city in Vietnam, Da Nang draws in crowds with its beautiful and calm beaches as well as its history as a French colonial port.
With beaches, mountains, and cityscape, there's bound to be a point of interest for all travelers. Da Nang is also a transit hub to get to the four Vietnamese UNESCO World heritage sites: Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Hue, Hoi An, and My Son.
Da Nang experiences wet season from September through March and dry season from April through August with average temperatures of around 80℉.
Da Nang is also known to have some of the friendliest locals, probably due to the peace and quiet and lack of heavy traffic, even in the city.
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 Adventure Tours to Vietnam, The Best Eco Tours in Vietnam, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
-
Da Nang Prices
Vietnam PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDa Nang $56Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Da Nang is $56, 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 Da Nang and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDa Nang $18Panama City $35
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDa Nang $36Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Da Nang and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Da Nang 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: Da Nang Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Da Nang $11Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Da Nang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Da Nang:
- Private Transfer from Da Nang (DAD) Airport to Phong Nha: $223
- Da Nang to Phong Nha by Car–Private Transfer with English Driver: $205
- Golden Bridge Trip with Guide, Lunch &Transfer From Tien Sa Port: $165
- Private Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge with Lunch and Transfer: $155
- Ba Na Hills Full Day with Transfer, Buffet Lunch, Guide: $130
- Private Transfer Service Between Da Nang and Hue: $129
- Da Nang Airport To Hue Private Transfer: $126
- Private Transfer from Da Nang (DAD) Airport to Quang Ngai: $122
- One Way Transfer Tours, to or from Da Nang or Hoi An and Hue via costal roads: $115
- Private Roundtrip Transfer to GOLDEN BRIDGE BA NA HILLS & MARBLE MOUNTAIN: $115
- Private Car Transfer to Visit Golden Bridge Ba Na Hills & My Son Holyland: $113
- Private Transfer Hue to Danang Hoi An or return via Hai Van Pass: $105
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
- Private Transfer Airport PTY to/from Panama City: $17
- Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $18
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá: $19
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- VIP Transfer Panama: Playa Bonita, Panama City & Pacific Riviera: $20
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Private Airport Transfer: $23
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $24
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Da Nang or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Da Nang 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 dayDa Nang $27Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Da Nang
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Da Nang.
- Authentic Street Food Tour in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang: $1.89
- Da Nang Street Food Tour with Karaoke, Bar, Acoustic Optional: $5.00
- Da Nang Vietnamese Cooking Class Tour In Cam Thanh Coconut Jungle: $5.00
- Da Nang Private Street Food Tour with Students Flexible Itinerary: $5.00
- Coffee Making and Cooking Class: $17
- Tasty Dinner Han River Dragon Cruise by Yatch & Tradictional Show: $17
- Poseidon Cruise with Dinner and Dragon Bridge Show: $22
- Vietnamese Banh Xeo Cooking Class w.t Traditional Recipes-Private: $30
- Home Cooking Class: Market, Garden and cooking 4 dishes: $30
- Da Nang Street Food Tour On Scooter - up to 12 Tastings: $31
- Da Nang Private Tour Poseidon Dinner Cruise and Hotel Transfer: $33
- 6 Hours Cooking Activity Pick up Da Nang: $33
Typical Food Prices in Panama City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:
-
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:
- Panamanian Ravioli Masterclass + Dinner in Panama City center: $55
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission: $75
- Street Food Tour Panama City (28+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $245
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Da Nang $13Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Da Nang
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Da Nang are as follows:
- 2 Day Da Nang Eco Tour Son Tra and Countryside Trek: $299
- 2 Day Da Nang Tour Ba Na Hills Golden Bridge and Hoi An: $299
- 2 day tours of Da Nang city and Hoi An city: $210
- 2D1N ~ Da Nang City Tour + Hoi An Accient Town + Hue City Tour: $178
- 5 Days Danang Tour with Golden Bridge, Hue, Hoian and VinWonder: $190
- 5 days Center Vietnam Package Tour with Danang Hue and Hoian: $167
- 5-Day Central Vietnam Tour: Explore Hoi An, Hue & Da Nang city: $285
- 5D4N Cultural Tour of Central Vietnam Hoi An Hue and Da Nang City: $285
- 6-hour Discovering Da Nang Adventure: $105
- A Private Tour of Da Nang's Best Explore the Highlights with Jeep: $197
- Ancient Hoi An Town -Walking Tour -Lantern Boat Ride-Night Market: $79
- BA NA HILL - GOLDEN BRIDGE- SUNWORLD - FRENCH VILLAGE - PHOTO OPPORTUNITY Tour: $129
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Sunset Bike Tour/ Cinta Costera Casco Viejo by Paradox Experience: $22
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Casco Viejo Walking Tour: History, Culture & Local Tasting: $25
- Experience of Salsa in Panama: $25
- Casco Viejo Golden Hour Rooftop Sunset Social Experience: $26
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- Panama City Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems: $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 Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
- Half-Day Casco Viejo The Real City Guided with a Local Touch Tour: $35
- Panama Viejo UNESCO Ruins Tour | The Original Panama City: $35
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayDa Nang $9.00Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Da Nang and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Da Nang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Da Nang 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 Da Nang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Da Nang 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 Da Nang.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Da Nang Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Da Nang or Panama City?
Da Nang has a larger population, and is about 84% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Da Nang 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.