Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Marseille?
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 Marseille or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Marseille 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: Marseille or Panama City?
Marseille
Marseille is the second largest city in France and is the largest Mediterranean port in the region. For visitors, Marseille offers an authentic glimpse at France. It has many colorful markets, natural beauty such as the Calanques with its large, beautiful cliffs, and the old harbor area, which offers a glimpse at the areas working class history.
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 Contiki Tours to France, The Best G Adventures Tours to France, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Marseille Prices
France PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMarseille €179Panama City €86
The average daily cost (per person) in Marseille is €179, 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 Marseille and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMarseille €71Panama City €30
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMarseille €142Panama City €60
Compare Hotels in Marseille and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Marseille 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: Marseille Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Marseille €28Panama City €9.09
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Marseille
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Marseille:
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Metro Pass€3.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marseille
Also for Marseille, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Between Marseille Airport and Nice Airport: $1,292
- TRANSFER ROUNDTRIP PORT TO CASSIS: $349
- Private Transfer from Marseille city hotels to Toulon Cruise Port: $295
- Marseille Provence Airport transfer ↔ Avignon: $293
- Marseille Airport: VIP transfer to Baumaniere: $276
- Transfer (MRS) Marseille ⟺ Arles Cruise Port: $275
- Private Transfer from Marseille Airport to the Village of Gordes: $275
- Private Transfer from Marseille to Provence Designer Outlet: $274
- Transfer Marseille Airport to Gordes or L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: $274
- Marseille Private Transfer ⟺ Arles (Port Quai Lamartine): $266
- Marseille Provence Airport transfer ↔ Arles: $263
- Marseille Airport Transfer to St Rémy de Provence: $247
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Travel in Comfort Airport Transfer Pty : $12
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $20
- Transfers from Airport to Panama City: $40
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to hotels in Gamboa or Viceversa: $30
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels : $25
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Transfer from Panama Airport to Colon Cruise Terminal: $110
- Transfer from PTY/Panama City to Cruise Terminal or to the Marina: $32
- Transfer Tocumen International Airport - Playa Blanca, Rio Hato, Buena Ventura: $75
- Transfer Panama City to Amador Cruise Port : $30
Is it cheaper to fly into Marseille or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Marseille 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 dayMarseille €73Panama City €31
Typical Food Prices in Marseille
For Marseille, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Orangina€2.50
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marseille
For Marseille, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Web-cooking workshop / French cuisine or French pastry: $38
- Marseille Miam Miam Food tour: $114
- Marseille Food Tour – Full Meal of Local Tastes by Do Eat Better: $119
- Aix-en-Provence 3-Hour Walking Food Tour: $129
- Private Food Tour in Marseille 3 Hours with a local expert.: $155
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€7.03
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
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Theater Live Show Admission: $75
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Cooking Class in Panama City with 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $205
- Street Food Tour in Panama with a Local Guide: $263
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Marseille €38Panama City €56
Tours and Activities in Marseille
For Marseille, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Full Day Marseille Tour Especially Designed for Cruise Travelers: $83
- Guided Sea Kayaking Tour in the Calanques: $90
- Marseille French Pastries and Chocolate Tour: $114
- A Day in Provence Small Group Tour from Marseille: $198
- A Perfect Day of Discovery from the Cruise Port of Marseille: $81
- Adventure route in Cassis - Via Corda Philémon: $90
- Aix-en-Provence: Half-Day Shore Excursion Tour: $646
- Bookbinding experience in the Vieux Port: $102
- Calanques National Park Kayak Day Tour: $130
- Calanques Trilogy Electric Bike Tour from Marseille: $72
- Canyoning Half Day Tour from La Ciotat : $81
- Cassis : Two Calanques Tour by Electric Mountain Bike: $48
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Gatun Lake Panamá Wildlife Adventure Guided Experience: $159
- Horseback riding and Agri-Tour in Colon Private tour: $75
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo Tour: $115
- Panama a quick and memorable tour: $68
- San Blas Islands, 4-Island Tour All-Inclusive Welcome Cocktail: $149
- #1 Walking Tour of Casco Viejo Panama with Lunch included : $70
- “Bike Tour Casco Viejo and Panama City Discover the Essence: $40
- “Panama at Your Rhythm: Private Tour with Canal, Old Town and More”: $67
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour " : $100
- 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
- 2 Days 1 Night San Blas Adventure in Pamana: $260
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMarseille €27Panama City €15
Sample the Local Flavors in Marseille
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marseille:
- Marseille Riviera Bar Crawl Party with Free Shots and VIP Entry: $24
- Tailored Wine Tasting Experience in a Top Wine Shop: $75
- Short Day Tour around Aix en Provence and Wine Tasting : $131
- Côtes du Rhône Wine tour: Avignon, Palace of the Popes: $179
- From Marseille Cruise Port : Avignon & Wine Tasting: $187
- Marseille Shore Excursion - Full Day Wine Tour in Provence: $198
- Avignon and Côtes du Rhône Wine Tasting Tour: $211
- From Marseille : Sidecar Wine Tour to Cassis and Bandol: $289
- Cassis, Bandol, Le Castellet wine tour: Cliffs and Vineyards: $411
- Marseille Vieux Port & Wine Tasting - Private Tour: $1,116
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Marseille and Panama City, we can see that Marseille is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Marseille 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 Marseille would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marseille 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 Marseille Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Marseille or Panama City?
Marseille has a larger population, and is about 95% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Marseille 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.