Should you visit Gainesville or Panama City?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Gainesville or Panama City, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Gainesville
Home to the University of Florida as well as Santa Fe College, the town of Gainesville has all of the shopping, entertainment, and restaurants that you could want in a college town - plus easy access to a number of outdoor adventures from canoeing, diving, and kayaking to birding, fishing, hiking, and biking. Some of the top features include the Butterfly Rainforest, the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, and Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park.
Panama City
As the tropical breeze kisses your face amidst the never-ending rows of palm trees and high-rise beach condos, you find both pleasure and peace in this popular beach vacation spot. Such a city could be no place else than Panama City, Florida, located on the Florida Panhandle on the Gulf Coast. The entire region is known for it's calm beach with white sand, blue water, and spring break and summer vacation fun. Panama City offers a multitude of hotels, parks, beaches, and restaurants to make it a prime destination to both party and relax. However, as you explore the city, you will find that Panama City acquires its own diverse, vibrant character unique to other beach towns. Bring out the fishing rods and boogie boards and take advantage of one of Florida's most popular destinations! It's a great destination for families, kids, younger travelers, singles, couples, and retirees alike.
Which city is cheaper, Panama City or Gainesville?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Gainesville is $135, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $179. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Gainesville and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
A hotel room in Gainesville is about $138 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
A hotel room in Panama City is about $206 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
While meal prices in Gainesville can vary, the average travelers spends about $46 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Gainesville should cost around $18 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Gainesville is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
On average, meal and food prices in Panama City cost around $53 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around $21.
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Food
Meals for one day
Gainesville $46
Panama City $53
Typical Food prices in Gainesville
Some typical examples of dining costs in Gainesville are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Panama City.
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Food Tour - Panama Gastronomy:
$102
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Casco Antiguo Sunset Walking Tour with Dinner:
$170
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The 'Real' Panamanian Private Food Tour:
$200
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Whale Watching + Beach + Seafood Dinner - BEST VALUE IN PANAMA:
$205
Local Transportation
The cost of a taxi ride in Gainesville is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $33 per person, per day, on local transportation in Gainesville.
The average price of local transportation around Panama City is $38 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gainesville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Gainesville:
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Private Transfer from Gainesville to Orlando (MCO) Airport:
$453
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Private Transfer from Gainesville to Orlando-Sanford (SFB) Airport:
$676
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Private Transfer from Gainesville to Port Canaveral:
$658
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Panama City:
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Transfer to Panama Canal (Miraflores Locks):
$11
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Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY):
$12
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Private Arrival Transfer from Panama City Airport (PTY):
$12
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Shared Arrival Transfer: Tocumen International Airport to Panama City Hotels:
$15
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Shared Departure Transfer: Panama City Hotels to Tocumen International Airport:
$15
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Airport Private Transfer Tocumen Direct to Panama City:
$18
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Transfer to Dreams Playa Bonita:
$18
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Private Airport Transfer: Panama City to Tocumen International Airport (PTY):
$19
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Private Airport Transfer: Tocumen International Airport (PTY) to Panama City:
$19
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Transfer from Panama City to Tocumen Airport:
$19
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Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Downtown Panama City, Panama:
$20
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Private Transfer Airport PTY to Panama City:
$22
Is it cheaper to fly into Gainesville or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Gainesville 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.
Entertainment
Entertainment and activities in Gainesville typically cost an average of $14 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Panama City's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $15 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Typical Entertainment prices in Gainesville
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Gainesville are as follows:
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Manatee Tour for Two
$98
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Tour Guide Tip
$5.00
Tours and Activities in Gainesville
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Gainesville are as follows:
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Butterfly Rainforest at Florida Museum of Natural History Ticket:
$14
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Here are a few actual costs in Panama City for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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Casco Antiguo Virtual Live Tour:
$12
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Skip the Line: Panama La Vieja Admission Ticket:
$15
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Panama City Beach: Gulf World Marine Park Entrance Ticket:
$24
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Dolphin Sightseeing Tour on The Footloose Catamaran from Panama City Beach:
$25
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Sea Breeze Champagne Adventure:
$28
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Panama City and Canal Tour ( Centro de Visitante de Miraflores):
$31
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Private Panama Canal Tour:
$41
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Tour Colonial Panama:
$42
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Shopping Tour in Panama:
$42
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Panama Viejo Ruins Sightseeing Tour:
$43
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Panama City Tour highlight:
$45
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Panama City Sunset E-Bike Adventure:
$48
Alcohol
The average person spends about $39 on alcoholic beverages in Gainesville per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Panama City may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $45 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Panama City
Also in Panama City, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Panama Bar Crawl (private):
$33
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Gainesville and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Gainesville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Gainesville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Gainesville 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 Gainesville.
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