Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Edinburgh?
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 Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh 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: Edinburgh or Panama City?
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the moderately sized capital of Scotland. It is a medieval city that has managed to perfect the combination of Georgian architecture and medieval relics with a cosmopolitan population and avant-garde atmosphere. The city's population is quite young, in large part because of the University of Edinburgh. This youthful vibe gives this city a lot of vitality. There's a thriving nightlife, many restaurants, theatres, galleries and museums.
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 3-Day Tours in United Kingdom, The Best 2-Week Tours in United Kingdom, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Edinburgh Prices
UK PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEdinburgh £171Panama City £76
The average daily cost (per person) in Edinburgh is £171, while the average daily cost in Panama City is £76. 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 Edinburgh and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEdinburgh £74Panama City £26
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEdinburgh £148Panama City £52
Compare Hotels in Edinburgh and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Edinburgh 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: Edinburgh Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Edinburgh £17Panama City £8.04
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Edinburgh:
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Local Bus£3.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edinburgh
Also for Edinburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer to/from Edinburgh City, St'Andrews etc.: $330
- Luxury Transfer Service | Edinburgh to Glasgow: $294
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Kinbuck - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $291
- Luxury Transfer Service | Edinburgh to Gleneagles: $280
- Luxury Transfer Service | Gleneagles to Edinburgh: $280
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Glenshee Ski Resort - Arrival Transfer: $272
- Edinburgh to Gleneagles Luxury Private Transfer 1-6 passengers: $269
- Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow City One Way Private Transfer: $262
- Luxury Transfer Service | Edinburgh to Stirling: $257
- Private Car Transfer Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow: $235
- Private Transfer from Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow Up to 6 People: $235
- VIP Airport Transfer: $202
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- VIP transfers from the Airport to your Hotel in Panama: $32
- VIP Private Transfer: Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Panama City Hotels: $44
- Travel in Comfort Airport Transfer Pty: $30
- Transfers to Riu Playa Blanca, The Buenaventura Golf, Rio hato: $45
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $27
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Transfer from PTY/Panama City to Cruise Terminal or Back: $35
- Transfer Tocumen International Airport - Playa Blanca, Rio Hato, Buena Ventura: $75
- Transfer Panama City to Amador Cruise Port: $35
- Transfer Colon Cruise Port - Panama Airport: $90
- San Blas Day Trip (Transfers & Lunch included): $175
Is it cheaper to fly into Edinburgh or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Edinburgh 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 dayEdinburgh £68Panama City £27
Typical Food Prices in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Breakfast£8.50
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Dinner at Filling Station£10
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Lunch for Two£15
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Sandwich£1.85
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Cheese & bread£7.23
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Thai Restaurant Dinner (for 2)£25
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2 Coffees and Scones£5.80
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Turkish Delight£1.40
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Soup at the Pub£5.90
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Edinburgh Cheese Crawl : Guided Food Tour: $52
- Edinburgh Holiday Food Tour: Donuts, Pastries, & Sweet Treats: $70
- Edinburgh Food Tour with 5 Authentic Tastings & Local Scotch: $131
- Eating Old Town Small-Group Food Tour with Drinks: $140
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£6.21
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.Edinburgh £20Panama City £50
Typical Entertainment Prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Edinburgh's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Show Tickets£32
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Movie Tickets for Two£12
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Donation for Storytellers£6.00
Tours and Activities in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2-Day Inverness and the Highlands Very Small Group Tour from Edinburgh: $241
- 3hr Edinburgh City and Castle Private Walking Tour: $168
- A History of Witchcraft in A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Afternoon Old Town and Underground Ghost Tour 1:15, 3:15, 5:15: $22
- Alnwick Castle, Northumberland and Borders Small-Group Tour: $87
- Battle of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn Tour Edinburgh Pick Up: $269
- Best of Small Group Walking Tour (Max 10, 3 Hours): $52
- Big Bus Edinburgh 24 or 48 hour Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Tour: $30
- Big Bus Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off City and Britannia Bus Tour: $40
- Castles, Coastline and Whisky Tasting Tour with Admission: $161
- City Sightseeing Edinburgh Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour + Kids Go Free: $27
- Curious Tales of the Royal Mile - Private Walking Tour: $128
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 1- or 2-Night Experience in San Blas Islands: $260
- 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
- 3 1/2 Hour Experience of Lake Gatun in Panama: $95
- 4-Hour Guided Tour of Panama Canal & Old Town & More: $150
- 4-hour tour in Panama: $105
- 5 Hours Private Panama City Tour: $200
- 5 hour tour in Panama City: $35
- 5-Hour Tour of Panama City, Panama from Tocumen Airport: $130
- 5-hour tour in Panama by a Local Guide: $39
- 5hour tour of Panama City and Panama Canal - Shared or Private: $65
- 5hrs Panama City and Canal Tour + Amenities: $65
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEdinburgh £15Panama City £14
Typical Alcohol Prices in Edinburgh
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Edinburgh from other travelers:
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Beer & Wine£14
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Half Pint at Tollbooth Tavern£1.65
Sample the Local Flavors in Edinburgh
Also in Edinburgh, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl in Edinburgh: $20
- Port of Leith Distillery Tour and Tasting: $34
- Thirsty for Scotlands Best Historical Pub Tour: $39
- From Glenkinchie Distillery & Whisky Experience: $74
- Stirling, Highlands & Distillery in Spanish: $87
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Edinburgh and Panama City, we can see that Edinburgh is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Edinburgh is in Europe 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 Edinburgh would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Edinburgh or Panama City?
Edinburgh has a larger population, and is about 7% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Edinburgh 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.