Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Doha?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Doha 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 Doha 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: Doha or Panama City?
Doha
Doha is the capital city of Qatar, modern and rapidly developing with much construction underway. It is home to Doha International Airport, the main point of entry for Qatar, as well as many of the country's best museums and examples of cultural heritage.
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 2-Week Tours from Panama City, and The Best Adventure Tours to Panama.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDoha $200Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Doha is $200, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $86. 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 Doha and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDoha $119Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDoha $238Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Doha and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Doha 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: Doha Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Doha $23Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Doha
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Doha:
- Private Full Day City Sightseeing Tour with Transfer: $243
- Private Transfer from Doha City to Doha (DOH) Airport: $191
- Qatar Doha Hamad Airport (DOH): Transfer to Doha city: $177
- Qatar Doha Airport (DOH) to Doha - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $144
- Doha Hamad Airport (DOH) to Doha - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $131
- ONE WAY: Doha International Airport - Private Transfer From/to Hotels: $122
- Departure Transfer: Doha to Hamad Airport DOH by Luxury Van: $120
- Airport Transfer: Doha to Doha Airport DOH by Luxury Van: $120
- Private Arrival Transfer - Al Khor: $120
- Private Sightseeing Tour in Doha with Roundtrip Transfer: $115
- Airport Transfer: Doha to Doha Airport DOH by Luxury Car: $108
- Private Arrival Transfer to Sumaysimah: $100
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- PTY Airport Transfer Service To Panama City: $50
- PTY Tocumen Airport Private Transfer One Way or Round Trip!: $45
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $57
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $38
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $77
- Panama City Private Arrival Transfer: $17
- Embera Indian Village Tour w/ Airport Transfer: $290
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $65
- Half-Day City & Canal Tour w/ Airport Transfer: $215
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Doha or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Doha 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 dayDoha $61Panama City $21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Doha
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Doha.
- Private Dinner on Al Safliya Island: $76
- Private Souk Waqif with Lunch or Dinner Tour: $96
- The Pearl-Qatar Food Tour & Boat Ride: $119
- Half Day Doha City Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $143
- BBQ Dinner in the desert resort; Dune bashing & camel ride: $165
- Doha Private Full Day Desert Safari Lunch | Dinner Included: $190
- Full Day Desert Safari with Camp Access, Buffet Dinner,Camel Ride: $195
- Doha : Full Day Desert Safari | BBQ Dinner | Inland sea: $197
- Private Desert Safari with BBQ Lunch/Dinner at Souk Al Wakra: $202
- Full Day Desert Private Safari with Lunch or Dinner: $214
- Private Overnight Desert Safari, Dune bashing, dinner & Breakfast: $220
- From Overnight Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner: $240
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:
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $60
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- Night Out Experience (360 Panoramic Views + Dinner Show): $80
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $85
- The 'Real' Panamanian Private Food Tour: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Doha $18Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Doha
Here are a few actual costs in Doha for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Doha City Tour And Dhow Boat Ride (Private Tour): $99
- Private Express Doha City Tour: $165
- Transit/Layover Tours from Doha Airport – Explore Doha City : $105
- (Private) Quickie to the Desert Safari Experience - Inland Sea Visit: $100
- 1 Hour Camel Ride Experience in Sealine Beach: $172
- 3-Hour Kayaking Eco Adventure - Mangrove Purple Island : $70
- 4 Hours-Doha City Private Tour: $74
- 4-Hour Private Group City Tour in Doha, Qatar: $72
- 4-Hour Private Group City Tour in Doha, Qatar: $70
- 4-Hour Private Tour to Msheireb Museums: $100
- 8-Hour Private Cultural Tour: $288
- Arabian Sands Half-Day Adventure in Qatar: $140
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Bar tour in El Cangrejo with Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- Walking Tour Metropolitan Park Panama City : $25
- POIN Swing Experience: $27
- Poin Glass Observation Deck Ticket with VR Tour: $27
- POIN The Edge Experience: $27
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $28
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old Quarter with local guided: $31
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old City with locals: $31
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDoha $15Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Doha and Panama City, we can see that Doha is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Doha is in Middle East 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 Doha would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Doha 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 Doha Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Doha or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 18% larger than the population of Doha. When comparing the sizes of Doha 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.