Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Lausanne?
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 Lausanne or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Lausanne or Panama City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Lausanne or Panama City?
Lausanne
Located on Lake Geneva, Lausanne is the capital city of French-speaking region of Vaud, Switzerland. The slopes of Lake Geneva's shores are known for growing wine, while the city of Lausanne sprawls across three hills. The city is also home to the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Museum, and lakeshore Olympic Park, as well as an old town that dates to medieval times.
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 Switzerland, The Best Tours for Seniors to Switzerland, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Lausanne Prices
Switzerland PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLausanne $309Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Lausanne is $309, 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 Lausanne and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLausanne $154Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLausanne $308Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Lausanne and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Lausanne 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: Lausanne Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lausanne $46Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lausanne
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lausanne:
- Taxi, Airport Transfer and Limousine Service in Switzerland: $248
- Lausanne accommodation to Geneva Airport (GVA) - Departure Private Transfer: $173
- Private Transfer from Geneva Airport to Évian-les-Bains: $171
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- Airport To City Hotel transfer: $50
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $75
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $84
- PTY Tours & Airport transfers: $22
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $206
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $32
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $65
- Panama City Private Departure Transfer: $42
- Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $28
- Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón - Arrival Private Transfer: $75
Is it cheaper to fly into Lausanne or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Lausanne 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 dayLausanne $121Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lausanne
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lausanne.
- Taste Lausanne – A Full Swiss Food Tour by Do Eat Better: $219
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:
- Panama Food Tour Local Markets Immersion (Tasting tour + Lunch): $50
- Unique Ravioli Fusion Cooking Class with lunch in Panama City: $55
- 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.Lausanne $42Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Lausanne
Here are a few actual costs in Lausanne for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- (KTL303) - Winter Tour Montreux and Chaplin's World from Lausanne: $177
- Boat cruise from Lausanne to Evian: $56
- Chaplin's World Entrance Ticket: $38
- Chillon Castle & Chaplin's world Tour with cruise from Lausanne: $225
- Coffee and Chocolate Walking Tour in Lausanne Switzerland: $101
- Day Tour to Zermatt Matterhorn and Glacier Paradise from Lausanne: $196
- From Glacier 3000 Experience Tour: $111
- From Glacier 3000 experience and Montreux: $119
- From Gruyères Tour with Train, Chocolate & Cheese: $262
- From Interlaken and Jungfrau Train Experience: $456
- From Montreux, Chaplin, and Chillon Castle Tour: $176
- From Spectacular Schilthorn with 007 Experience: $293
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $25
- Casco Viejo Walking Tour: History, Culture & Local Tasting: $25
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- Get to know the city on board CitySightseeing Panama (24 Hours): $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Panama City : Custom Walking Tour with A Guide (Private Tour): $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
- City Tour guiado en Panamá con Canal y Casco Antiguo: $35
- Panama City Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLausanne $30Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lausanne and Panama City, we can see that Lausanne is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Lausanne is in Europe 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 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 Lausanne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lausanne 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 Lausanne Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Lausanne or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Lausanne. When comparing the sizes of Lausanne 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.