Which place is cheaper, Arica or Panama City?
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 Panama City or Arica?
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 Panama City and Arica can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or Arica?
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.
Arica
A mixture of coastline, desert and high Andean plateau, Arica is a seaside resort town, known for its surfing beaches located at the tip of Northern Chile. Arica boasts that it is "the land of the eternal spring," but its temperate climate and beaches are not the only reason to visit this small city. Arica's tourism is still principally geared toward domestic visitors and those from southern Peru and La Paz, who flock to its beaches mid-December through February. It is very easy to spend a few days in Arica in the sand, or seeing the sights in town, at a slow pace but the city also offers plenty of fun activities and exciting day trips.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, The Best 10-Day Tours in Chile, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile.
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Panama City Prices
Panama PricesArica Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $101Arica $100
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $101, while the average daily cost in Arica is $100. 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 Panama City and Arica in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35Arica $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70Arica $70
Compare Hotels in Panama City and Arica
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or Arica? 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: Panama City Hotel Prices and Arica Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11Arica $18
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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Arica
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Arica are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$2.09
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Arica
Also for Arica, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arica Airport Private Transfer: $95
- Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port: $83
- Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $83
- Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Airport (ARI): $75
- Private Transfer from Arica Airport (ARI) to Arica Cruise Port : $75
- Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica Hotels: $69
- Private Transfer from Arica Hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $69
- Private Transfer from Arica City hotels to Arica Cruise Port: $63
- Private Transfer from Arica Cruise Port to Arica city hotels: $63
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or Arica?
Prices for flights to both Arica and Panama City 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 dayPanama City $36Arica $49
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:
- 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.Panama City $66Arica $20
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
Tours and Activities in Arica
For Arica, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Archeological Sightseeing tour in Arica: $152
- Arica Private Sightseeing Tour : $148
- City Tour with Chinchorro Beach Visit: $82
- Half day Panoramic City Tour: $49
- Chungará Lake & Lauca Park Tour from Arica with Lunch: $197
- Private Tour to Tacna from Arica: $285
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18Arica $19
When comparing the travel costs between Panama City and Arica, 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 Panama City is in Central America and Arica is in South 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 Panama City Expensive? and Is Arica Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or Arica?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Arica. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and Arica, 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.