A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Guilin vs. Panama City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Guilin or Panama City?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Guilin and Panama City can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Guilin or Panama City?

Guilin

Guilin is a city in Southern China situated on the west bank of the Li River with Hunan to the north. Its name means, "Forest of Sweet Osmanthus," owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. Products like tea, sugar, and wine, can be made from the tree and are found in many shops throughout Guilin. A popular tourist destination, the city is renowned for its scenery of karst topography with unique mountains jutting out of the urban landscape.

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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, The Best Historical Tours in China, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.


Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Guilin?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Guilin Prices
    China Prices
    Panama City Prices
    Panama Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Guilin $90
    Panama City $101

The average daily cost (per person) in Guilin is $90, 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 Guilin and Panama City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Guilin $37
    Panama City $35
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Guilin $74
    Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Guilin and Panama City

Looking for a hotel in Guilin 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.

Hotels in Guilin


Hotels in Panama City


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: Guilin Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Guilin $6.23
    Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Guilin

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Guilin are as follows:


  • Taxi
    $2.99

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guilin

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guilin:

  • Private Transfer from/to Zhangjiajie to Guilin: $387
  • Private Transfer: Guilin to/from Zhangjiajie/Fenghuang: $256
  • Private Transfer from Guilin to Zhaoxing and stops at Chengyang Dong Village: $197
  • Guilin Airport to Yangshuo: Private Transfer for up to 15 Pax: $190
  • Private Transfer from Guilin to Zhaoxing and stops at Longji terraces: $168
  • Private Transfer from Yangshuo/Guilin to Sanjiang and stops Longji Rice Terraces: $160
  • Private Transfer from Haikou (HAK) airport to/from Sanya hotel: $120
  • Guilin Private Transfer in English-speaking Services: Airport to Hotel Roundtrip: $99
  • Guilin Private Transfer (English-speaking) Between Guilin Hotels & Yangshuo: $93
  • Transfer from Guilin Liangjiang Airport to Guilin City Center: $91
  • Haikou Private Arrival Transfer: Airport to Hotel: $88
  • Guilin Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Railway Station: $88

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City

Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $75
  • Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $84
  • Panama 2 days / 1 night : hotel, transfers and city tour: $278
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $203
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca Round-Trip Private Transfer: $153
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $64
  • Panama City Private Departure Transfer: $42
  • Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $28
  • Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón - Arrival Private Transfer: $74
  • Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca - Private Transfer: $77
  • Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Coronado/Gorgona - Arrival Transfer: $102

Is it cheaper to fly into Guilin or Panama City?

Prices for flights to both Panama City and Guilin 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Guilin $42
    Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Guilin

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Guilin:


  • Fresh Coconut Drink
    $1.49

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guilin

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guilin.

  • Wukong Guilin Neighborhood Food Tour: $69
  • Shantou Foodie Day Tour with Cooking Class: $199
  • Countryside Cycling 1-day Tour with Cooking Class: $306

Typical Food Prices in Panama City

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:


  • Sandwich
    $8.26

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
  • Street Food Tour Panama City (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $95
  • 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
  • Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
  • The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $245

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Guilin $30
    Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Guilin

Here are a few typical costs in Guilin for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Entrance to the Caves
    $18

Tours and Activities in Guilin

Here are a few actual costs in Guilin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 1 Day Congjiang Ethnic Dong Village Private Tour from Guilin: $219
  • 1 Day Guilin Sanjiang Tour to Dong Villages: $169
  • 1 Day Guilin Tour: Village Visit, Waterfall Viewing, Hiking: $230
  • 1 Day Li River Cruise and Yangshuo Biking Adventure: $80
  • 1 Day Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo with Private Guide: $209
  • 1 Day Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo with Private Guide & Driver: $209
  • 1 Day Private Cruise Tour at Li River from Guilin with Biking: $198
  • 1 Day Private Longji Rice Terraces and Minority Village Tour: $202
  • 1 Day Private Tour: Li River Cruise from Guilin & Yangshuo Biking: $88
  • 1 Day Relaxing Li River Cruise Private Tour with the 4 Star boat: $251
  • 1 Day Yangshuo Countryside Hiking along the Yulong river Private Tour: $103
  • 1 Day Yangshuo private Day Tour with the Scooter: $105

Tours and Activities in Panama City

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.

  • Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $15
  • BEC Immersive Museum: Panama Through Your Senses Admission Ticket: $15
  • Sunset Bike Tour/ Cinta Costera Casco Viejo by Paradox Experience: $22
  • Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
  • Museum of Illusions Panama Admission Ticket: $26
  • Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $26
  • City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
  • Panama City Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems: $30
  • Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
  • Panama City : Custom Walking Tour with A Guide (Private Tour): $34
  • 5 hour tour in Panama City: $35
  • Panama Viejo UNESCO Ruins Tour | The Original Panama City: $35

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Guilin $6.19
    Panama City $18


When comparing the travel costs between Guilin and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Guilin is in Asia and Panama City is in Central America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Guilin Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Guilin or Panama City?

Guilin has a larger population, and is about 59% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Guilin 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.