Which place is cheaper, Panama City or La Fortuna?
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 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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La Fortuna Prices
Costa Rica PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLa Fortuna $138Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in La Fortuna is $138, 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 La Fortuna and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLa Fortuna $57Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLa Fortuna $114Panama 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 $23Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Fortuna
Some specific examples of transportation prices in La Fortuna:
- La Fortuna de Arenal: Transfer to Puerto Viejo de Limon: $500
- Private Transfer: San José Airport (SJO) ↔ La Fortuna: $300
- Private VIP Transfer La Fortuna to Tamarindo, Flamingo & Conchal: $299
- Private Transfer to Manuel Antonio & Crocodiles: $295
- Private Transfer From Liberia Airport To Arenal La Fortuna: $295
- From San Jose Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna - PRIVATE TRANSFER: $295
- Private Transfer Service From Liberia Airport To Arenal - La Fortuna: $285
- From Private Transfer to Tamarindo & Conchal: $279
- San Jose Airport: Private transfer from/to La Fortuna: $270
- Private Transfer Liberia Airport to Bijagua: $265
- Private Transfer from Bijagua to Liberia Airport: $265
- Private Transfer from Arenal La Fortuna to San Jose Airport: $255
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 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 $53Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Fortuna
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in La Fortuna.
- Traditional cooking lesson with a local family: $37
- Sloth Tour in La Fortuna and Tortillas Cooking Class: $38
- Traditional cooking class with Tica family: $40
- 2 Hours Private Cooking Class in La Fortuna: $45
- Farm to Table Cooking Class: $45
- Typical Costa Rican Cooking Classes in La Fortuna: $48
- Organic Farm Visit & Farm-to-Table Cooking Class: $50
- Costa Rican Cooking Class: $57
- Costa Rica The Chela Cooking Experience: $60
- 3-Hour Costa Rican Cooking Class with Dinner: $68
- Arenal Boat Tour & Pirate Hot Springs Dinner: $69
- Private typical cooking class with a Costa Rican family: $70
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.La Fortuna $49Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in La Fortuna
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for La Fortuna are as follows:
- 2-in-1 Arenal Coffee and Chocolate Tour: $75
- 3 Hours Rainforest Experience in Arenal: $24
- 5-Day Pura Vida Adventure: Volcano and Jungle in Costa Rica: $1,099
- 7 Nights Costa Rica Fully Guided Adventure: $1,850
- 7-Cable Zipline Adventure: Fly Over La Fortuna Waterfall: $84
- 7-Cable Zipline Canopy Tour Over La Fortuna Waterfall: $95
- A day of Arenal Adventure 1968 and Spring: $96
- ARENAL FORTUNA CITY TOUR .: $30
- ATV Tour near Arenal Volcano, Jungle, and River Crossing: $165
- ATV Tour: Adventure tour in La Fortuna: $161
- ATV adventure Tour in La Fortuna: $105
- Adventure Pass: $167
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 dayLa Fortuna $12Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in La Fortuna
Also in La Fortuna, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wine Tasting Experience: $135
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.