Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Marrakech?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Marrakech or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Marrakech or Panama City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Marrakech or Panama City?
Marrakech
Marrakech is on of the most popular travel destinations in Morocco. It is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat and is located near the foothills of the Atlas Mountains only a few hours from the Sahara Desert. It's a beautiful city that is often referred to as the "Pink City" because of the pale pink color of many of the city's buildings. These striking colors make the city particularly beautiful during the evening hours when the low sun creates a very dramatic lighting.
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 10-Day Tours in Morocco, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco, The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, and The Best Adventure Tours to Panama.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMarrakech $68Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Marrakech is $68, 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 Marrakech and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMarrakech $46Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMarrakech $92Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Marrakech and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Marrakech 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: Marrakech Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Marrakech $6.28Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marrakech
Also for Marrakech, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer From Marrakech To Fez: $446
- One way transfer from Fes to Marrakech: $362
- Private Transfer between Marrakech and Casablanca: $311
- City to City Transfer - Marrakesh > Merzouga: $300
- Agadir private transfer from Ouirgane to Agadir airport (AGA): $290
- Transfer Marrakech to Tangier: $286
- Private Premium Transfert From / To Marrakech To / From Tangier: $284
- Private Transfer From Casablanca to Marrakesh: $279
- Transfert Departure Marrakech City to Casablanca Airport: $265
- Private Transfer from Marrakech Menara (RAK) Airport to Taroudant: $255
- Essaouira Day Trip From Marrakech With Private Transfers: $253
- Private Premium Transfert From / To Marrakech To / From Meknes: $250
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $33
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama City - Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panamá Tocumen Airport to Playa Bonita: $48
- Transfer in private minivan from Panama Tocumen Airport to Playa Bonita: $70
- Transfer in private minivan from Panama Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca-Farallon: $160
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Transfer from PTY Airport or Panama City to Playa Blanca and Back: $77
- Transfer from PTY Airport or Panama City to Cruise Terminal: $30
- Transfer from Downtown Panama City to PTY Airport: $24
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels.: $25
Is it cheaper to fly into Marrakech or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Marrakech 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 dayMarrakech $13Panama City $21
Typical Food Prices in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orange Juice on the Square$0.30
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Breakfast$1.19
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Dates$0.60
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Olives$0.89
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Sandwich$1.29
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Souvenir Spices$6.16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Agafay Desert Sunset, Camel Ride and Dinner from Marrakech: $15
- Cooking Lesson at the Ouirgane Ecolodge with Lunch: $19
- Dinner in Agafay desert from Marrakech & camel riding: $19
- Restaurant Dinner Experience with Hotel Pickup: $21
- Dinner and show in Desert Agafay with Quad bike & Camel ride: $22
- Sunset in Agafay: Dinner, Camel, Quad-Book Adventure with Viator: $22
- Agafay desert Sunset Camel ride with Dinner Show: $23
- Magical Dinner & Agafay Desert ,Under The Stars: $24
- Marrakech Amazing Dinner Show in Agafay Desert, Sunset Camel Ride: $24
- Dinner Experience in a Moroccan Restaurant with transfer: $24
- Moroccan Cooking Class with a Local Chef: $24
- From Agafay Desert Sunset Dinner with Live Show: $25
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
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- Night Out Experience (360 Panoramic Views + Dinner Show): $80
- 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.Marrakech $6.99Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Marrakech
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Marrakech's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Palace Tickets$1.99
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Golf at Atlas Golf$56
Tours and Activities in Marrakech
For Marrakech, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 10 Hours tour from marrakech to ouarzazate: $44
- 3 Day Private Desert Tour From Marrakech To Merzouga Dunes With Camel Trek: $274
- 3 Days Tour - Marrakech To Fez via Sahara Desert Erg chebbi: $207
- Agafay Desert: Three Valley Guided Tour From Marrakech : $21
- Atlas Mountains &Berber family & berber village experience : $90
- Atlas Mountains Horseback Ride Day Tour From Marrakech : $50
- Atlas Mountains, Berber Villages & Waterfall Tour: $25
- Best Marrakech Private walking tour: $44
- Desert Agafay & Berber Villages Day Tour From Marrakech including Camel Ride: $49
- Desert Thrills: Quad Biking Adventures in Palmeraie Marrakech: $44
- Desert tour small group with luxury tent: $98
- Experience Moroccan Hammam and Massage: $71
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- #1 Walking Tour in Casco Viejo, Panama Canal Museum & Lunch : $77
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour " : $100
- 1- or 2-Night Experience in San Blas Islands: $260
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 2 Hours Tour to Panama La Vieja for Groups: $170
- 2 Hr Express Tour for Business Travellers & Airport Layovers: $75
- 2-Day San Blas Adventure from Panama City: $270
- 3 Hour Airport Tour from Tocumen: $125
- 3 Hours Private Photo Tour in Casco Antiguo: $90
- 3-Hour Private Tour in Panama La Vieja: $45
- 4-Hour Gatun Lake Boat Tour and Jungle Wildlife: $99
- 5-Hour Tour to Miraflores Locks and Sloth Sanctuary: $140
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMarrakech $15Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Marrakech and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Marrakech much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Marrakech is in Africa 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 Marrakech would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Marrakech 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 Marrakech.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Marrakech Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Marrakech or Panama City?
Marrakech has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Marrakech 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.