Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Eagle Beach?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Eagle Beach or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Eagle Beach or Panama City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Eagle Beach or Panama City?
Eagle Beach
Aruba, only fifteen miles north of Venezuela, is a top Caribbean tourist destination. It's a small island, only 20 miles long and 6 miles wide, and is an autonomous dependency of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. One of the most popular and beautiful beaches on the island is Eagle Beach. It's a popular beach with the locals, and a common destination for many who are looking for a party. The beach is particularly crowded on Easter weekend. The sand is a sugary white and the waters are a stunning crystal blue color. The beach itself is quite flat and the ocean is so calm it's like swimming in a pool. There are a handful of palm trees if you're seeking shade, but otherwise it's the ideal place to soak up some rays. You'll find some shaded picnic areas as well if you're hoping to enjoy a casual lunch.
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 Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEagle Beach $341Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Eagle Beach is $341, 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 Eagle Beach and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEagle Beach $227Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEagle Beach $454Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Eagle Beach and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Eagle Beach 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.Eagle Beach $33Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Eagle Beach
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Eagle Beach:
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Round-trip Bus Ticket$2.22
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One Day Scooter Rental$40
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Eagle Beach
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Eagle Beach:
- VIP luxury limousine airport transfer one way!: $190
- VIP Luxury SUV Airport Transfer: $120
- Round Trip Private Airport Transfer: $120
- VIP Luxury Sedan Airport Transfer: $105
- Platinium Aruba Transport - All Around Luxury Private Transfers: $90
- Aruba Queen Airport(AUA) to Aruba Island - Round-Trip Transfer: $79
- Private Transfer from Aruba Queen Airport (AUA) to Aruba Island: $75
- Transfers & Pickups: $67
- Private Airport Transfers in Aruba: $58
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Vehicle Aruba Airport (AUA) - Aruba: $55
- Aruba Private Van Airport Transfer (Max 5): $55
- 2 Ways Private Transfers: $45
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 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 Blanca Round-Trip Private Transfer: $127
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $38
- 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
- One-Way or Round-Trip PTY Airport Transfer: $47
- Shopping at Albrook Mall & Round-Trip Transfer: $36
Is it cheaper to fly into Eagle Beach or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Eagle Beach 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 dayEagle Beach $68Panama City $21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Eagle Beach
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Eagle Beach.
- Noord, Aruba: Exclusive Private Dinner aboard the Aqua Donut: $90
- Aruba Caribbean Dinner Sail Experience: $92
- Sunset Sail Cruise to Boca Catalina with BBQ Dinner: $110
- Sunset Sail: Aruba Dinner Cruise with Open Bar by Catamaran: $119
- Caribbean Cooking Class in Aruba: $160
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:
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class : $85
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
- 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.Eagle Beach $121Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Eagle Beach
Here are a few typical costs in Eagle Beach for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Full Day Bike Rental$25
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Kayak & Snorkeling Tour$98
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Horseback Riding Tour$70
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4 Hr Snorkel Trip$74
Tours and Activities in Eagle Beach
Here are a few actual costs in Eagle Beach for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Aruba Semi-Submarine Cruise from Oranjestad: $60
- Discover Snorkeling Tour Mangel Halto & Baby Beach: $115
- 2-Hour Horseback Riding Tour to Little Natural Bridge in Aruba: $116
- 2-Seater UTV Island Tour in Aruba: $99
- Adventure Kayak & Snorkeling at Reef Island Aruba: $130
- Amazing UTV Island Tour around Aruba!: $200
- Antilla Shipwreck Seabob Tour: $120
- Art, Facts & Baby Beach UTV Adventure by Fofoti: $235
- Aruba ATV Adventure: Off-Road Tour in Single and Double Seaters: $109
- Aruba ATV Rentals For Off-Road Adventure - Single & Double-Seater: $96
- Aruba Baby Beach Express Tour: $49
- Aruba Beach and Cave Island Tour : $78
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Tour de bares en El Cangrejo con Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- Bar tour in El Cangrejo with Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- POIN The Edge Experience: $27
- POIN Swing Experience: $27
- POIN Glass Viewpoint Experience: $27
- Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $28
- Panama City Bike Tour: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old Quarter with local guided: $31
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEagle Beach $31Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Eagle Beach and Panama City, we can see that Eagle Beach is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Eagle Beach is in Caribbean Islands 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 Eagle Beach would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Eagle Beach 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 Eagle Beach Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
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.