Which place is cheaper, Panama City or La Plata?
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 Plata or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between La Plata and Panama City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: La Plata or Panama City?
La Plata
Just over an hour from Buenos Aires, the bustling university city of La Plata is notable for being South America's first planned city. Indeed, also known as the City of Diagonal, La Plata's intricate grid system includes diagonal streets that run through it, contributing to easy navigation but confusing intersections.La Plata is the Capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, the main Argentine state, so you will find lots of elaborate government buildings alongside leafy green plazas in this laid back as well as active city. La Plata is a happening university town with a population of over 700,000. You can walk the width of it in under an hour, stopping at trendy craft beer bars, local music joints, and great restaurants along the way. Also, football is a religion in Argentina and if you're looking for some local atmosphere, La Plata is the place to go! Two of Argentina's biggest football teams, Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and Estudiantes de La Plata challenge each other each year. If you are around during that special day for the city, you will witness thousands of fans wearing the relevant colours heading off to watch the match and parade by calle 7.
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 Argentina, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Argentina, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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La Plata Prices
Argentina PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLa Plata $65Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in La Plata is $65, 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 Plata and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLa Plata $50Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLa Plata $100Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in La Plata and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in La Plata 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 Plata Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.La Plata $4.05Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer to Panama City, Hotel and City tour - 1 night: $266
- Private Transfer from PTY to Playa Blanca resorts: $224
- Private Transfer from Panama City or PTY Airport to Beach Resort: $220
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $211
- San Blas Day Trip (Transfers & Lunch included): $175
- Private Transfer from Panama City Airport to Beach Resorts: $175
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Private Transfer from Panama City Hotels to Colón Cruise Port: $157
- Private Transfer from Colón Cruise Port to Panama City Hotels: $157
- Miraflores Visitor Center Ticket & Transfer: $155
- Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $148
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón resorts: $148
Is it cheaper to fly into La Plata or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and La Plata 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 Plata $6.82Panama City $36
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$8.25
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:
- Unique Ravioli Fusion Cooking Class with lunch in Panama City: $55
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission: $75
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Street Food Tour in Panama (20+ flavors) By Paradox Experience: $90
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.La Plata $22Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in La Plata
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for La Plata.
- Buenos Aires: Half-Day City Tour: $353
- Guided City Tour including Cathedral, Museum, and Lunch: $115
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- “Bike Tour Casco Viejo and Panama City Discover the Essence: $40
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 1- or 2-Night Experience in San Blas Islands: $260
- 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
- 2 Days Island Hopping Adventure San Blas Islands - Private Cabin: $265
- 2 Nights in San Blas - Shared Cabin + Meals + Boat Tour: $179
- 2-Day San Blas Adventure from Panama City with WiFi: $260
- 3 Hour Airport Tour from Tocumen: $125
- 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
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLa Plata $5.74Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between La Plata and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is La Plata much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since La Plata is in South America 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 La Plata would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Plata 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 La Plata.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is La Plata Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, La Plata or Panama City?
La Plata has a larger population, and is about 70% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of La Plata 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.