Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Grande-Terre?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Grande-Terre or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Grande-Terre or Panama City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Grande-Terre or Panama City?
Grande-Terre
Grande Terre is an island that makes up the eastern half of the Guadeloupe 'mainland.' It is divided from the other half of the main Guadeloupe island, Basse Terre, by a narrow channel called Rivière Salee (or the Salt River). The island itself is characterized by rolling hills, white sand beaches, and cliffs, and its indented coastline is surrounded by coral reefs. It is home to most of Guadeloupe's farmlands and tourist resorts.
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 dayGrande-Terre €145Panama City €79
The average daily cost (per person) in Grande-Terre is €145, while the average daily cost in Panama City is €79. 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 Grande-Terre and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGrande-Terre €82Panama City €32
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGrande-Terre €164Panama City €64
Compare Hotels in Grande-Terre and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Grande-Terre 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: Grande-Terre Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Grande-Terre €9.00Panama City €9.85
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Grande-Terre
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Grande-Terre:
- Pointe-a-Pitre Airport (PTP) to Guadeloupe island - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $159
- Departure Private Transfer from Saint-Francois to Pointe a Pitre Airport by SUV: $92
- Private Transfer from Pointe a Pitre Airport to Deshaies or Trois Riviers by SUV: $91
- Pointe-a-Pitre Airport (PTP) to Guadeloupe island hotel-Arrival Private Transfer: $79
- Private Transfer in Guadeloupe: $71
- Departure Private Transfer from Sainte-Anne to Pointe a Pitre Airport by SUV: $60
- Private Transfers (Airport, Port, Hotels) Guadeloupe : $54
- Departure Private Transfer from Le Gosier to Pointe a Pitre Airport by SUV: $51
- Arrival Private Transfer from Pointe a Pitre Airport PTP to Le Gosier by SUV: $50
- Pointe-a-Pitre Airport (PTP) to Pointe-a-Pitre - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $46
- Departure Private Transfer from Pointe a Pitre to Pointe a Pitre Airport by SUV: $41
- Arrival Private Transfer Pointe a Pitre Airport PTP to Pointe a Pitre by SUV: $41
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 Grande-Terre or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Grande-Terre 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 dayGrande-Terre €48Panama City €19
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€7.61
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.Grande-Terre €45Panama City €61
Tours and Activities in Grande-Terre
Here are a few actual costs in Grande-Terre for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- *Cruise Stopover* - Tropical Forest - Sainte-Anne Beach: $60
- Cruise Stopover at Village Sainte Anne and its Beach: $31
- Cruise stopover - Plage du Gosier Round trip: $15
- Full Day Private Boat Tour to the Lagoon of Guadeloupe: $232
- Full Day Tour of Guadeloupe: $157
- Guided tour by electric tuk-tuk: $49
- Photoshoot + Drone on a Caribbean paradise beach or day tour : $100
- Private Surf Lessons Tour in Guadeloupe: $97
- Private Ultralight Seaplane Experience in Guadeloupe: $169
- Stand Up Paddle Adventure in Guadeloupe: $49
- Stopover Cruise - Valombreuse Botanical Garden + Sainte-Anne Beach: $49
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 dayGrande-Terre €12Panama City €17
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Grande-Terre and Panama City, we can see that Grande-Terre is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Grande-Terre 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 Grande-Terre would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Grande-Terre 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 Grande-Terre 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.