Which place is cheaper, Panama City or La Fortuna?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna 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: La Fortuna or Panama City?
La Fortuna
La Fortuna is in San Carlos, in the province of Alajuela. It is the closest town to Arenal Volcano, and the area is often simply refered to as Arenal. The volcano itself is active and has been constantly erupting since 1968. It erupts on average 41 times a day. This area of northern Costa Rica is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country.
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 Adventure Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Eco Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLa Fortuna $104Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in La Fortuna is $104, 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 La Fortuna and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLa Fortuna $51Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLa Fortuna $102Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in La Fortuna and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in La Fortuna 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: La Fortuna Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.La Fortuna $21Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- Puerto Viejo de Limon: Transfer to La Fortuna de Arenal: $400
- La Fortuna de Arenal: Transfer to Puerto Viejo de Limon: $400
- La Fortuna de Arenal: Transfer to Manuel Antonio or Quepos: $320
- Private One-Way Transfer to Manuel Antonio: $310
- La Fortuna de Arenal: Transfer to Tamarindo: $307
- Private Transfer from la Fortuna to Puerto Viejo & Cahuita Limon: $299
- VIP Private Transfer from La Fortuna (Arenal Volcano) to Tamarindo Beach: $299
- Private Transfer From La Fortuna To Manuel Antonio From 1 to 6 passengers: $297
- Transfer from Arenal or La Fortuna to Monteverde up to 5 passengers. (One Way): $295
- From San Jose Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna - PRIVATE TRANSFER: $295
- Private One-Way Transfer from/to La Fortuna to Papagayo Peninsula: $289
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna: $280
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 City - Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): $15
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- 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
- Tocumen Airport Private Transfer. Arrivals / Departures: $27
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
- Panama city to Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Private Transfer: $28
Is it cheaper to fly into La Fortuna or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and La Fortuna 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 dayLa Fortuna $27Panama City $21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- Skip the Line: Mineral Hot Springs Full Day Ticket w/ Optional Lunch or Dinner: $42
- Organic Farm Visit & Farm-to-Table Cooking Class: $45
- Farm-To-Table Cooking Class : $45
- Cooking Class and Sugar Cane Experience: $45
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Costa Rica Cooking, El Fogon de Chela: $50
- Costa Rican cuisine Cooking Class at Rancho Don Lelo: $60
- Cooking Class "Cook Like a Local" La Fortuna: $63
- Rainforest Night Walk and Authentic Costa Rican Dinner from La Fortuna: $65
- 3-Hour Costa Rican Cooking Class with Dinner: $68
- Private typical cooking class with a Costa Rican family: $70
- Cooking and Salsa Dance Lesson Combo : $74
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:
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $60
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
- 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class : $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.La Fortuna $44Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- Arenal Volcano Hike Experience (not guide included): $23
- La Fortuna's 3 Essentials Private Tour: $280
- Rio Celeste Tubing Experience: $54
- Sky Adventures Arenal : Zipline - Sky Tram & Sky Walk (guided): $260
- 1-Hour Private Sloth Tour in the Rainforest from Costa Rica: $30
- 12 cable Zipline Canopy Tour Over Waterfalls!: $101
- 2-Hour Chachagua Rainforest - Birdwatching Tour: $60
- 2-in-1 Arenal Combo Tour: Hanging Bridges + La Fortuna Waterfall: $164
- 2-in-1 Arenal Volcano Combo Tour: La Fortuna Waterfall and Volcano Hike: $170
- 3-Hour Arenal Lake Flexi Pass Adventure In Costa Rica: $69
- 7 Nights Costa Rica Fully Guided Adventure: $2,000
- 7 cable Zipline Canopy Tour Over La Fortuna Waterfall!: $80
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Casco Antiguo Virtual Live Tour: $12
- Tour de bares en El Cangrejo con Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- Bar tour in El Cangrejo with Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- POIN Swing Experience: $27
- POIN The Edge Experience: $27
- POIN Glass Viewpoint 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
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old City with locals: $31
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLa Fortuna $11Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Fortuna and Panama City, we can see that La Fortuna is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 La Fortuna would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Fortuna 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 La Fortuna Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, La Fortuna or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 140 times larger than the population of La Fortuna. When comparing the sizes of La Fortuna 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.