Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Koh Samui?
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 Koh Samui or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Koh Samui or Panama City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Koh Samui or Panama City?
Koh Samui
The largest island on the east coast of southern Thailand, Ko Samui (or Koh Samui) sees a good number of visitors every year who come for its lush rainforest, beautiful shores, and undersea wildlife. The size of the island is still small enough to allow visitors to circumnavigate it with a taxi or motorbike in a day, while hikers and outdoor enthusiasts can find plenty of inland activities in the hills and jungle.
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 Tours Under $1000 in Thailand, The Best Budget Tours to Thailand, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Koh Samui Prices
Thailand PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKoh Samui $75Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Koh Samui is $75, 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 Koh Samui and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKoh Samui $25Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKoh Samui $50Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Koh Samui and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Koh Samui 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: Koh Samui Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Koh Samui $18Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Koh Samui
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Koh Samui:
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Scooter Rental$2.25
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Gas for Scooter$1.20
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Airport Taxi$13
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Taxi- Na Thon Pier to Lamai Beach$13
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Minibus- Airport to Chaweng$3.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Koh Samui
Also for Koh Samui, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- The Red Baron Luxury Yacht Cruise from Koh Samui with Return Transfer: $163
- ATV And Zipline Experience on Koh Samui with Transfer: $110
- The Jungle Club or The Roof Samui Table Reservation with Transfer: $92
- Thrilling 2 Hour ATV Jungle with Hotel Transfer from Koh Samui: $86
- Koh Samui Zipline 11 Lines with Jungle Views and Transfers: $83
- Koh Samui Beginner Friendly Jungle Treetop Zipline with Transfers: $79
- Private Arrival Transfer: Koh Samui Airports to Hotel by Minivan: $74
- Koh Samui Tree Bridge Zipline and Jungle Cafe with Hotel Transfer: $68
- Private Transfer from Samui (USM) Airport to Taling Ngam: $68
- Private Transfer from Mae Nam to Samui (USM) Airport: $68
- Smooth Koh Phangan to Phuket Transfer by Catamaran and Bus: $65
- Koh Pha Ngan to Phuket Scenic Catamaran and Bus Transfer: $60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Panama 2 days / 1 night : hotel, transfers and city tour: $278
- Private Transfer from Panama City or PTY Airport to Beach Resort: $220
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $208
- Private Transfer from Panama City Airport to Beach Resorts: $175
- San Blas Day Trip (Transfers & Lunch included): $175
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Panama Tocumen Airport(PTY) to Colón Round-Trip Private Transfer: $152
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón resorts: $146
- Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $146
- Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Decameron -Arrival Private Transfer: $104
- Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Coronado/Gorgona - Arrival Transfer: $104
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Linton Bay Marina: $90
Is it cheaper to fly into Koh Samui or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Koh Samui 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 dayKoh Samui $37Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Koh Samui
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Samui:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.46
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Koh Samui
For Koh Samui, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Coconut Corners Samui Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $59
- Thai Cooking Class from Koh Samui with Local Market: $76
- Sunset Dinner Cruise: $77
- Red Baron Sunset Dinner Cruise: $77
- Cooking Class by Samui Native Instructor Geng and O Family: $77
- Cooking Class in Koh Samui with Micro Organic Garden: $77
- Thai Cooking Class in Koh Samui with Market Tour: $77
- Cooking Class in Ko Samui for Small Group: $80
- Thai Cooking Class in Koh Samui: $87
- Sunset Dinner Cruise Koh Samui The Red Baron: $108
- Red Baron : A Sunset Dinner Cruise from Koh Samui with Return Transfer: $111
- Romantic Evening on Koh Samui’s Sunset Dinner Cruise: $111
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:
- Panama Food Tour Local Markets Immersion (Tasting tour + Lunch): $50
- Italian-Panamanian Ravioli Cooking Class + meal in Panama City: $55
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Street Food Tour Panama (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $90
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Koh Samui $12Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Koh Samui
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Koh Samui.
- 2 Hour ATV Jungle Adventure in Koh Samui Mountain Viewpoints: $86
- 2 Hours ATV Quad Bike Popular Tour From Koh Samui: $109
- 2-Hour Koh Samui ATV Quad Tour: $57
- 2.5-Hours ATV Jungle Adventure Experience from Koh Phangan: $107
- 3 Hour ATV Secret Waterfall Adventure in Koh Samui: $107
- 4 Hour Ultimate ATV Jungle Tour in Koh Samui Lunch Included: $139
- 6 Hours Elephant Care and Jungle Tour by 4WD in Koh Samui: $61
- ATV 1.5 Hours Jungle Safari Tour On Koh Phangan: $75
- ATV 2 hrs. Jungle Adventure on the Mountain Way in Koh Samui: $62
- ATV Jungle & Mountain Trails 30-Min Off-Road Adventure Koh Samui: $46
- Adventure Kayaking at Angthong Marine Park: $114
- Ang Thong Islands Luxury Small Group Tour From Koh Samui: $144
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 2 Days Island Hopping Adventure San Blas Islands - Private Cabin: $265
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 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
- 5-Star Embera Village Tour | Waterfall, Lunch & River: $75
- 5hour tour of Panama City and Panama Canal - Shared or Private: $65
- 5hrs Panama City and Canal Tour + Amenities: $65
- 7 hour Miraflores Locks + Sloth Sancturay in Gamboa Tour: $150
- ALL INCLUSIVE San Blas Islands Day Tour on Sailboat: $240
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKoh Samui $5.10Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Koh Samui and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Koh Samui much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Koh Samui 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 Koh Samui would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Samui 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 Koh Samui.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Koh Samui Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Koh Samui or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Koh Samui. When comparing the sizes of Koh Samui 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.