Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Isla Mujeres?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres 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: Isla Mujeres or Panama City?
Isla Mujeres
About eight miles from the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Isla Mujeres is an island in the Mexican Caribbean Sea. The town, of the same name, has a population of about 13,000. Tourism has grown in the area since the 1970s and today it is a significant part of the island's economy. As such, there are plenty of amenities that cater specifically to visitors. The island's proximity to Cuba make it a common transit point for Cubans in route to the United States.
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 Historical Tours in Mexico, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, and The Best Adventure Tours to Panama.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIsla Mujeres $148Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Isla Mujeres is $148, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $86. 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 Isla Mujeres and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIsla Mujeres $78Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIsla Mujeres $156Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Isla Mujeres and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Isla Mujeres 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: Isla Mujeres Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Isla Mujeres $35Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Isla Mujeres
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Isla Mujeres:
- Private Transfer: Playa Mujeres to Cancun Airport CUN in SUV: $123
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
- Private transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama City - Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): $15
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Private One-way Airport Transfer (Tocumen Airport To/From Panamá): $23
- Private Airport Transfer: $23
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels.: $25
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Old Town(Casco Viejo): $25
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
Is it cheaper to fly into Isla Mujeres or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Isla Mujeres 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 dayIsla Mujeres $46Panama City $21
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$8.27
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.Isla Mujeres $21Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Isla Mujeres
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Isla Mujeres are as follows:
- Romantic tour in Isla Mujeres: $126
- Scuba Diving Adventure WITHOUT CERTIFICATION! Try it today!: $185
- 3 Hours VIP Semiprivate Tour Isla Mujeres Full Snorkeling Experience : $84
- Cancun Jungle Kingdom Adventure ATV, Zipline and Cenote : $70
- Cancun: Full-Day Catamaran Cruise to Isla Mujeres: $79
- Cancun: Isla Mujeres 12 pm Catamaran Tour with Snorkeling: $59
- Crystal Boat Tour to Isla Mujeres and Reefs: $43
- From Cancún: Isla Mujeres Sunset Catamaran Cruise: $75
- From Riviera Maya: Isla Contoy & Isla Mujeres Full-Day Tour: $163
- Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Adventure at the Underwater Museum: $47
- Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tour: $90
- Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tour Adventure: $49
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Bar tour in El Cangrejo with Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- Tour de bares en El Cangrejo con Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- POIN The Edge Experience: $27
- POIN Glass Viewpoint Experience: $27
- POIN Swing Experience: $27
- Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $28
- Panama City Bike Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $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
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old Quarter with local guided: $31
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIsla Mujeres $25Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Isla Mujeres
Also in Isla Mujeres, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Isla Mujeres Golf Cart Bar Crawl : $175
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Isla Mujeres and Panama City, we can see that Isla Mujeres is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Isla Mujeres is in North America 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 Isla Mujeres would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Isla Mujeres or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Isla Mujeres. When comparing the sizes of Isla Mujeres 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.