Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Geneva?
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 Geneva or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Geneva and Panama City. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Geneva or Panama City?
Geneva
Geneva is the second largest city in Switzerland and was previously the home for the United Nations Headquarters. The UN is now housed in New York City, but there is still a very strong presence in Geneva. Geneva is not known to be as energetic as some other European cities, but if you search it out, then you're sure to find some interesting places and lively nightlife. It's a very international city, in part because of the heavy UN presence, giving it an interesting feel. It is a French speaking city, and advertisements, signs, and television are all done in French.
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 Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Switzerland, The Best Adventure Tours to Switzerland, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Geneva Prices
Switzerland PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGeneva $288Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Geneva is $288, 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 Geneva and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGeneva $168Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGeneva $336Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Geneva and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Geneva 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: Geneva Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Geneva $11Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Geneva
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Geneva:
- Private transfer from Geneva airport (GVA) to Verbier (Minibus): $1,465
- Private transfers: Geneva airport (GVA) to Interlaken.: $881
- Private Transfers: Geneva airport (GVA) to Zermatt.: $881
- Private Transfer from Geneva Airport(GVA) to Serre Chevalier: $797
- Private Transfers: Geneva airport (GVA) to Verbier.: $764
- Private Transfer From Geneva Airport to Neuchatel: $528
- Private transfers: Geneva airport (GVA) to Montreux.: $458
- Private Transfer from Geneva Airport(GVA) to Val Thorens: $449
- Private transfers: Geneva airport (GVA) to Lausanne.: $317
- Private 1-way Transfer from Geneva Airport (GVA) to Megeve: $305
- Private 1-way Transfer from Megeve to Geneva Airport (GVA): $304
- Chamonix: Private Transfer from Geneva with Wi-Fi and Water: $293
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport To City Hotel transfer: $50
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to City by Luxury SUV: $84
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Panama City by SUV: $75
- Arrival Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama by Sprinter: $152
- Luxury SUV Private Transfer Panama City to Panama PTY Airport: $84
- PTY Airport Transfer Service To Panama City: $25
- Panamá Tocumen Airport Hotel or airbnb Transfer: $25
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $33
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $70
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Geneva or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Geneva 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 dayGeneva $105Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Geneva
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Geneva.
- City Tour and Fondue Cooking Class, Swiss Folklore: $223
- Taste Geneva – A Full Food Tour of Swiss Flavors by Do Eat Better: $226
- Geneva City Tour with Cooking Class: $227
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$8.24
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:
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Street Food Tour in Panama City with 24 samples and secret drinks: $69
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Cooking Class in Panama City with 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $205
- Street Food Tour in Panama with a Local Guide: $263
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Geneva $35Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Geneva
Here are a few actual costs in Geneva for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- (KTG210) - Geneva City Tour and Yvoire: $201
- (KTG353) - Winter Tour: Gruyeres, chocolate tour from Geneva: $199
- (STTG04) - Sightseeing Cruise at Geneva with Wine and Aperitif: $37
- Annecy - Venice of the Alps - Tour from Geneva: $96
- Annecy Private Guided Tour from Geneva: $477
- Audioguided sightseeing cruise of Geneva: $24
- Best Intro Tour of Geneva with a Local: $178
- Best of Geneva City Tour with optional boat cruise: $74
- Best of Geneva City Tour: International Area and Old Town: $73
- Best of Private Walking Tour with a Local: $108
- Chamonix Mont-Blanc & E-bike Tour: $258
- Chamonix Mont-Blanc Full Day Guided Tour : $127
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- The Hull Experience Colonial Tour: $14
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Experience of Salsa in Panama: $25
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $29
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- Causeway and Old Town Night Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGeneva $26Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Geneva
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Geneva:
- Geneva Countryside Wine tasting, Aperitif, Castle By E-bike: $175
- Swiss Vineyard Wine Tasting Tour in Vaud: $263
- Lavaux, Chexbres, and Valais Wine Tasting Tour: $450
- Vineyard Tour & Wine Tasting by TukTuk: $541
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Geneva and Panama City, we can see that Geneva is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Geneva 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 Geneva would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Geneva 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 Geneva Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Geneva or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Geneva. When comparing the sizes of Geneva 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.