Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Grand Turk?
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 Grand Turk or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Grand Turk 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: Grand Turk or Panama City?
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Grand Turk Prices
Turks and Caicos PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGrand Turk $0.00Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Grand Turk is $0.00, 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 Grand Turk and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGrand Turk -Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGrand Turk $0.00Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Grand Turk and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Grand Turk 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.Grand Turk -Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 2 Days 1 Night Tour in Panama : Hotel and Transfers: $278
- 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
- One Way Private transfer Panama City PTY Airport to City: $19
- Panamá Tocumen Airport Hotel or airbnb Transfer: $25
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $34
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $67
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $70
Is it cheaper to fly into Grand Turk or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Grand Turk 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 dayGrand Turk -Panama City $36
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:
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $60
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Theater Live Show Admission: $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
- 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.Grand Turk -Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $28
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $29
- Panama: Panama City City Tour + Panama Canal (Miraflores Locks): $30
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Causeway and Old Town Night Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGrand Turk -Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Grand Turk and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Grand Turk much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Grand Turk 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 Grand Turk would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Grand Turk 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 Grand Turk.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Grand Turk Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Grand Turk or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 110 times larger than the population of Grand Turk. When comparing the sizes of Grand Turk 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.