Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Kathmandu?
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 Kathmandu or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Kathmandu and Panama City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Kathmandu or Panama City?
Kathmandu
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city in the country of Nepal. Its metropolitan area forms one large urban area that includes the area of Patan to the south. As of 2011 there were 2.5 million residents in the Kathmandu metropolis and over 3 million in the entire metropolitan area. Kathmandu is likely to be your entry point into Nepal and is a great place to pick up supplies and arrange the details for any treks you hope to do. Many travelers rush through Kathmandu, turned off by the pollution and crowds, but to skip Kathmandu is to miss a major cultural, financial, and influential part of what defines the country of Nepal. The city itself is quite fun to explore if you allow it enough time and an open mind.
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 Nepal, The Best 10-Day Tours in Nepal, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Kathmandu Prices
Nepal PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKathmandu $54Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Kathmandu is $54, 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 Kathmandu and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKathmandu $35Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKathmandu $70Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Kathmandu and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Kathmandu 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: Kathmandu Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kathmandu $6.04Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kathmandu
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Kathmandu:
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Taxi Ride$1.30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kathmandu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kathmandu:
- Lukla Flight Ticket with Sharing Transfer Service: $270
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu to Pokhara Hotels: $244
- Private Transfer by Car from Kathmandu to Pokhara: $210
- Private Transfer: Kathmandu to Chitwan Hotels: $210
- Kathmandu to Pokhara Transfer by Luxury Private Car: $200
- Mount Everest Flight with Guaranteed Window Seat & Transfers: $190
- Mount Everest Scenic Flight by Buddha Air with Free Transfers: $180
- Private Transfer to Syabrubesi from Kathmandu or Pokhara: $170
- Private Sunrise or Sunset Tour of Nagarkot with return transfers from Kathmandu: $158
- Yoga Experience Day Trip with Private Transfer From Kathmandu: $152
- Kathmandu VIP Airport Arrival Meet & Greet with Private Transfer: $150
- Kathmandu to Lumbini One Way Transfer by Private AC Car: $140
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 Airport PTY to/from Panama City: $17
- Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $18
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá: $19
- VIP Transfer Panama: Playa Bonita, Panama City & Pacific Riviera: $20
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Private Airport Transfer: $23
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $24
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Kathmandu or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Kathmandu 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 dayKathmandu $13Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of dining costs in Kathmandu are as follows:
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Dessert$1.17
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Dinner for Two$2.61
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kathmandu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kathmandu.
- Saturday Hidden Kathmandu Walk and Food Tour: $10
- Local Foodie Food Tour around Durbar Square: $15
- Cultural Stay in Kathmandu and experience dinner with family: $18
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking & Momo-Making Class: $20
- Authentic Private Nepali Cooking Class in Kathmandu: $23
- Cook and Eat: Cooking Class in Kathmandu near Thamel: $24
- Local Women Lead Nepali Cooking Class: $30
- Best Nepali Cooking Class in Thamel with Local Market Trip: $30
- Secret Food Tour - Food Bites and Sights Kathmandu 14+ Tastings: $35
- Walking Food Tour in Hidden Local Eateries of Kathmandu: $36
- Kathmandu Kitchens Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $39
- Everest Eats Kathmandu Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $39
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 Ravioli Masterclass + Dinner in Panama City center: $55
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission: $75
- Street Food Tour Panama City (28+ 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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kathmandu $6.98Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Kathmandu
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Kathmandu are as follows:
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Monkey Temple for Two$1.30
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Patan Durbar Square Entrance for Two$3.26
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Swayambhunath Stupa$1.30
Tours and Activities in Kathmandu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kathmandu are as follows:
- 1 Day Gay Tour Nepal: $155
- 1 Day Kathmandu Heritage 4 UNESCO Tour with Lunch: $99
- 1 Day Kathmandu Valley Sightseeing Tour: $35
- 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour from Pokhara or Kathmandu: $141
- 1 Night 2 Days Daman Tour: $215
- 1 Nights 2 Days Private Nagarkot Tour Package from Kathmandu: $150
- 2 Day Poon Hill Trek with 2 Day Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $731
- 2 Days Private Tour from Chitlang to Markhu: $210
- 2 Days and 1 Night Chitwan Safari Tour: $125
- 2 Nights 3 Days Pokhara Tour Package with Hotel Pick Up/Drop Off: $200
- 2 Nights 3 Days Pokhara Tour from Kathmandu: $80
- 20 Ponds Walking Heritage Tour in Bhaktapur: $110
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Sunset Bike Tour/ Cinta Costera Casco Viejo by Paradox Experience: $22
- Experience of Salsa in Panama: $25
- Casco Viejo Walking Tour: History, Culture & Local Tasting: $25
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Casco Viejo Golden Hour Rooftop Sunset Social Experience: $26
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Panama City Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems: $30
- Get to know the city on board CitySightseeing Panama (24 Hours): $30
- Panama City Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
- Half-Day Casco Viejo The Real City Guided with a Local Touch Tour: $35
- Panama Viejo UNESCO Ruins Tour | The Original Panama City: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKathmandu $4.97Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Kathmandu
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kathmandu:
- Bar Tour & Pub Crawl -Sip, Stroll, Repeat Thamel's Night: $75
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kathmandu and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Kathmandu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kathmandu is in Asia 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 Kathmandu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kathmandu 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 Panama City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Panama City than you might in Kathmandu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kathmandu Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kathmandu or Panama City?
Kathmandu has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Kathmandu 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.