Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Interlaken?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Interlaken 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 Interlaken and Panama City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Interlaken or Panama City?
Interlaken
Interlaken is a small city that is located in the Bernese Highlands Region of central Switzerland. It sits pleasantly between two Alpine Lakes, Brienzersee and Thunersee. This scenic setting and its easy accessibility make it a popular base camp for travel into the Bernese Oberland Alps. It has become a top tourist destination in Switzerland and it is also a hub for outdoor sports enthusiasts with plenty of hiking, skiing, paragliding, and other activities in the region.. Interlaken is a great hoping off point to explore many of the nearby mountains, lakes, and valleys, too. It offers easy transportation to most major Swiss cities by train or car.
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 Geneva, The Best 10-Day Tours from Zurich, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
-
Interlaken Prices
Switzerland PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayInterlaken $326Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Interlaken is $326, 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 Interlaken and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personInterlaken $156Panama City $35
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomInterlaken $312Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Interlaken and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Interlaken 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: Interlaken Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Interlaken $15Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Interlaken
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Interlaken are as follows:
-
Cable Cars (for 2)$77
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Interlaken
Also for Interlaken, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Group transfer Interlaken - Zurich Airport: $892
- From Private One-Way Transfer to Lucerne: $325
- Day Hike to Augstmatthorn with Transfer from Interlaken: $262
- Private direct transfer from Interlaken to Zurich: $259
- Private Transfer from interlaken City to Lucerne City: $165
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Travel in Comfort Airport Transfer Pty: $30
- Transfers to Riu Playa Blanca, The Buenaventura Golf, Rio hato: $8.00
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $27
- Transfers: $37
- Transfer to or from the airport / Min 2 pax: $20
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca Hotels: $85
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Transfer from PTY/Panama City to Cruise Terminal or Back: $32
- Transfer from Downtown Panama City to PTY Airport: $24
- Transfer Tocumen International Airport - Playa Blanca, Rio Hato, Buena Ventura: $75
- Transfer Panama City to Amador Cruise Port: $35
- San Blas Day Trip (Transfers & Lunch included): $175
Is it cheaper to fly into Interlaken or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Interlaken 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 dayInterlaken $130Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
-
Tea at Interlaken$38
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- From Night Sledding with Cheese Fondue Dinner: $161
- Fondue Cooking Class and Cheese Workshop in Switzerland: $179
- Night Sledding & Fondue Dinner with Guide: $186
- Cheese and Chocolate Full-Day Food Tour: $836
Typical Food Prices in Panama City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:
-
Sandwich$8.25
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 Food Tour Local Markets Immersion (Tasting tour + Lunch): $50
- Unique Ravioli Fusion Cooking Class with lunch in Panama City: $55
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission: $75
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Street Food Tour Panama (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $90
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Interlaken $122Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Interlaken
For Interlaken, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Attraction Ticket: Day Pass for Lake Thun&Brienz Boat Cruise: $144
- Attraction Ticket: Grindelwald First from Interlaken: $192
- Attraction Ticket: Interlaken to Harder Funicular: $100
- Attraction Ticket: Interlaken to Harder Funicular: $101
- Attraction Ticket: Jungfraujoch self-guided day trip: $456
- Canyoning Experience Grimsel from Interlaken: $229
- City Lake and Mountain Sightseeing Tour in Interlaken: $294
- Discover Interlaken E-Bike Tour – Lakes Ruins and Scenic Views: $204
- E-Bike Tour to Lauterbrunnen and Isenfluh: $280
- E-Bike Tour to the Lauterbrunnen Waterfalls: $255
- From Afternoon Ski Experience for Beginners: $161
- From Grimsel Gorge Canyoning Tour: $223
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- “Bike Tour Casco Viejo and Panama City Discover the Essence: $40
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 1- or 2-Night Experience in San Blas Islands: $260
- 2 Days Island Hopping Adventure San Blas Islands - Private Cabin: $265
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 2 Nights in San Blas - Shared Cabin + Meals + Boat Tour: $179
- 2-Day San Blas Adventure from Panama City with WiFi: $260
- 3 Hour Airport Tour from Tocumen: $125
- 3 Hours Private Walking Tour in Casco Antiguo Panama City: $45
- 4-Hour Guided Tour of Panama Canal & Old Town & More: $150
- 4-hour tour in Panama: $105
- 5 Hours Private Panama City Tour: $200
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayInterlaken $20Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Interlaken and Panama City, we can see that Interlaken is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Interlaken 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 Interlaken would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Interlaken 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 Interlaken Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Interlaken or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 80 times larger than the population of Interlaken. When comparing the sizes of Interlaken 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.