Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Isla Mujeres?
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 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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Isla Mujeres Prices
Mexico PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayIsla Mujeres $164Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Isla Mujeres is $164, 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 Isla Mujeres and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personIsla Mujeres $71Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomIsla Mujeres $142Panama 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 $32Panama 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: $135
- Punta Sam / Isla Blanca to Cancún Airport (CUN)- Departure Private Transfer: $62
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 : $12
- Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
- Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
- Private Transfer from Panama City Airport (PTY): $16
- Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $16
- One Way Private transfer Panama City PTY Airport to City: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport : $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá: $19
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $20
- Transfer Airport - City / Min 2 pax: $20
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $20
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 $72Panama 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
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $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.Isla Mujeres $19Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Isla Mujeres
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Isla Mujeres are as follows:
- Scuba Diving Adventure WITHOUT CERTIFICATION! Try it today!: $160
- 3 Hours VIP Semiprivate Tour Isla Mujeres Full Snorkeling Experience : $84
- ATV Mangrove Adventure: $65
- Adventure and Snorkel with the Whale Shark From Playa del Carmen: $230
- Adventure and Snorkel with the Whale Shark departing from Cancun: $200
- Chill at -18°C Isla Mujeres Ice Bar (tickets): $25
- Contoy Island Tour from Cancun and Isla Mujeres with Snorkeling: $145
- Crystal Boat Tour to Isla Mujeres and Reefs: $39
- Isla Contoy Snorkeling Experience with Buffet: $166
- Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Adventure at the Underwater Museum: $52
- Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tour: $84
- Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tour Adventure: $53
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: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $29
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- Causeway and Old Town Night Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Guided Walking Tour in Panama City: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayIsla Mujeres $23Panama City $18
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.