Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Manila?
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 Manila 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 Manila and Panama City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Manila or Panama City?
Manila
A sprawling metropolis that is home to more than 12 million people, Manila is one huge, misunderstood concrete jungle, full of diverse cultures, traffic, pollution, restaurants, shopping malls, noise and nightlife. If you're looking to soak in culture and feel the vibe of a place rather than seeking a city that specifically caters to tourists, Manila is the place to be. Capital of the Philippines, Manila is also the center for education, business, and transportation.
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 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Manila Prices
Philippines PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayManila $98Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Manila is $98, 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 Manila and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personManila $50Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomManila $100Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Manila and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Manila 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: Manila Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Manila $13Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Manila
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Manila:
- Full On 5-7 hours ATV Adventure Rivers-Mountains-Jungle with Transfers Manila: $280
- Safe and secure Airport Transfer Best in Manila: $216
- Escape to Enchanting Hidden Valley Springs! with Transfers***: $170
- Adventure Awaits: Spelunking at Cavinti Cave Complex w/ Transfers: $160
- Amazing Pagsanjan Falls with Authentic filipino lunch Plus Transfers frm manila*: $150
- Amazing Taal Volcano Island Boat Tour with Transfers: $120
- Airport Transfer from Manila Airport: $96
- METRO MANILA AIRPORT TRANSFERS | VAN: $64
- Manila Int Airport (MNL) to Manila - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $51
- Transfers from Manila, Makati, Taguig and Pasay Hotel to Airport: $50
- Quality Safe and Reliable Manila Airport Transfers: $49
- Private Arrival Airport Transfer: All Hotels in Ortigas: $41
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 Manila or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Manila 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 dayManila $29Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Manila
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Manila.
- Manila Food Tour: Introduction to Philippine Street Food: $51
- Manila Food Tour: Explore World's Oldest Chinatown: $51
- Ugbo Manila Street Food Tour with Tuktuk Ride: $60
- ⭐ Manila Street Food Tour in the Downtown, Eat and Drink⭐: $62
- Guided Food Tour of Binondo with Tastings: $65
- Street Food tour & Local Jeepney, Tuktuk Ride: $66
- Binondo Chinatown Food Tour with Free Food Samples: $70
- Manila Chinatown Food Tour with Local Guide: $71
- Intramuros and Chinatown Food Tour with Food Samples: $80
- Cultural Dance Show with Dinner in Manila: $105
- A taste of Manila's History & Filipino Culture with Buffet Dinner: $175
- Subic: Sunset Dinner Yacht Cruise from Manila & Clark: $212
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.Manila $18Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Manila
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Manila are as follows:
- (Excursion) Day tour in Manila: $258
- A Night in Old Intramuros Walking Tour: $23
- Amazing Taal Volcano Sightseeing & Pagsanjan Falls Tour 2in1: $125
- Antipolo Day Tour with Cloud 9 and Pinto Art Museum: $80
- BAGUIO CITY DAY TOUR (FROM MANILA): $357
- BANAUE:BATAD Rice Terraces with Sagada 4D3N PRIVATE TOUR: $7,130
- Banaue-Hapao Rice Terraces (Car Rental W/ Manila Tourist Driver): $300
- Cavite Leisure And Farm Tour: $170
- Club Crawl and Party Experience at BGC: $71
- Discover Tagaytay's Countryside: Half-Day Sightseeing Tour: $85
- Experience Intramuros with Bamboo Bicycle - Ecotours: $39
- Experience Manila's Heritage: Intramuros & More in Half a Day!: $75
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 dayManila $9.18Panama City $18
When comparing the travel costs between Manila and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Manila is in Asia and Panama City is in Central America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Manila Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Manila or Panama City?
Manila has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Manila 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.