Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Kota Kinabalu?
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 Kota Kinabalu or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kota Kinabalu 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: Kota Kinabalu or Panama City?
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu, originally Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah, which is on the northern part of the island of Borneo. Kota Kinabalu is located just between the western side of the island and Tambunan Rafflesia Forest Reserve. Most of Kota Kinabalu's historic buildings were destroyed by bombing during World War II, so the city had to be rebuilt. KK, as it's commonly called, is a compact, but booming town today, with its new shopping centers, seaside condominiums, and bustling marketplaces.
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 Luxury Tours to Malaysia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Malaysia, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Kota Kinabalu Prices
Malaysia PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKota Kinabalu $70Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Kota Kinabalu is $70, 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 Kota Kinabalu and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKota Kinabalu $21Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKota Kinabalu $42Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Kota Kinabalu and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Kota Kinabalu 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: Kota Kinabalu Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kota Kinabalu $26Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kota Kinabalu:
- Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Borneo - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $75
- Kota Kinabalu Hotel to Jetty Round Trip Transfer: $54
- Monsopiad Cultural Village Visit with Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu: $50
- Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) to Borneo - Arrival Private Transfer: $37
- Private Transfer: Kota Kinabalu International Airport to/from Hotel: $30
- Private Departure Transfer : Kota Kinabalu International Airport: $27
- Kota Kinabalu Airport (BKI) Private Transfer to Kota Kinabalu: $25
- Private Transfer- Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Transfer from Kota Kota Kinabalu Hotels to Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Transfer- Kota Kinabalu Port to Kota Kinabalu Airport BKI: $25
- Private Transfer from Kota Kinabalu Hotels to Kota Kinabalu Port: $25
- Private Airport Transfer in Kota Kinabalu: $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $14
- Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City: $19
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- Transfer to or from the airport / Min 2 pax: $20
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Private Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama City: $21
- PTY Tours & Airport transfers - Giants V.I.P Tours: $22
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Downtown Panama City, Panama: $23
- Transfer from Downtown Panama City to PTY Airport: $24
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels: $25
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Old Town(Casco Viejo): $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Kota Kinabalu or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Kota Kinabalu 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 dayKota Kinabalu $31Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kota Kinabalu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kota Kinabalu.
- Beringgis Mangove Fireflies, Sunset Tour & Dinner: $32
- Sabah Traditional Authentic Cuisine Cooking Class 3 Hours: $45
- Klias River Cruise with Dinner and Fireflies: $55
- Kawa Mangrove Cruise & Fireflies with Dinner: $67
- Kota Kinabalu Klias River Cruise with Dinner and Fireflies Tour: $72
- Traditional Sabah Cooking Class and Taste Local Flavors: $75
- Ethnic Cooking Class & Upside Down House & 3D Wonders Museum: $92
- North Borneo Sunset Dinner Cruise: $121
- Kota Kinabalu Night Tour with Dinner & Cultural Dance Show: $143
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.Kota Kinabalu $6.65Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Kota Kinabalu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kota Kinabalu are as follows:
- Bongawan River Cruise Proboscis Monkey, SkyMirror, Fireflies: $54
- Bongawan Rivercruise a Proboscis Monkey and Fireflies: $78
- Bongawan: River Safari Cruise, Private or Shared Ticket: $48
- Borneo (Klias) River Cruise & Fireflies Tour: $50
- Cowboy Town & Fireflies River Cruise: $62
- Day Trip to Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Spring Guided Tour: $70
- Discover Sailing Experience in Tanjung Aru Beach: $88
- Essential Half-Day Kota Kinabalu City Highlights and Museum Tour: $95
- From Kota Kinabalu : Kiulu White Water Rafting Tour + meal: $66
- Full Day Bongawan River Cruise with Proboscis Monkey Sightseeing: $57
- Indigenous Weaving Experience: $236
- Island Hopping Tour (2 Island) From Kota Kinabalu: $100
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Panama City Sunset Bike Tour (Cinta Costera & Casco Viejo): $22
- Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $25
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Get to know the city on board CitySightseeing Panama (24 Hours): $30
- Panama City Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems: $30
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- Panama City Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
- Panama Viejo Ruins & Museum Tour – Guided Exploration: $35
- Craft Your Own Rum: The Casa Barú Experience Casco Viejo: $35
- Half-Day Casco Viejo The Real City Guided with a Local Touch Tour: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKota Kinabalu $7.43Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kota Kinabalu and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Kota Kinabalu much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kota Kinabalu Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kota Kinabalu or Panama City?
Kota Kinabalu has a larger population, and is about 12% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Kota Kinabalu 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.