Which place is cheaper, Bonaire 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 Bonaire?
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 Bonaire can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or Bonaire?
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.
Bonaire
An island municipality of the Netherlands, Bonaire resides in the Caribbean, east of Central America and north of Venezuela. It is a part of the ABC Islands together with Aruba and Curaçao, and is best known as a tropical vacation destination with many great dive spots, beaches, lagoons, and wildlife.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Panama City Prices
Panama PricesBonaire Prices
Caribbean Netherlands Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $101Bonaire $299
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $101, while the average daily cost in Bonaire is $299. 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 Bonaire in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35Bonaire $155
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70Bonaire $310
Compare Hotels in Panama City and Bonaire
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or Bonaire? 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 Bonaire Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11Bonaire $65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers to Riu Playa Blanca hotel, Buenaventura Golf & Beach: $8.00
- Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
- Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
- Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $15
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá: $19
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- Transfer to or from the airport / Min 2 pax: $20
- Panama: Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport: $23
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Private Airport Transfer: $23
- Panama: Private transfer to Tocumen Airport: $24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bonaire
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bonaire:
- Airport Transfer Return Included: $80
- Private Transfers between Bonaire airport and any local address: $40
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or Bonaire?
Prices for flights to both Bonaire 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 $36Bonaire $101
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:
- Unique Ravioli Fusion Cooking Class with lunch in Panama City: $55
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission: $75
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Street Food Tour in Panama (20+ flavors) By Paradox Experience: $90
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bonaire
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bonaire.
- Dinner at Sea: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66Bonaire $40
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $25
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- Casco Viejo a Panama's Hidden Treasures Walking Tour: $28
- Panama Canal Zone Bike Tour By Paradox Experience: $29
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- Half-Day Tour to Miraflores Locks & Casco Viejo: $32
Tours and Activities in Bonaire
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bonaire are as follows:
- 2 Hours Private Kitesurfing Adventure: $265
- 4 Hours Open Air Party Bus Tour with Beach Stop in Caribbean: $39
- 4 hour Individual Island Tour for 1 to 12 persons: $180
- Aquaspace Sunset Sail and Snorkel Tour on Bonaire with Diner: $130
- Bonaire Cave Tour: Walk, Climb & Swim: $75
- Bonaire CaveTour Climb, Snorkel & Explore the Hidden Gems : $83
- Bonaire Essentials Island Tour: $49
- Bonaire Landsailing Adventures: $79
- Bonaire Shore Excursion: The Bonaire Highlights Tour: $83
- Discover Scuba Diving Experience: $164
- North & South Highlights Guided Group Tour: $100
- Private Highlights Island Tour Lunch/Snorkling incl: $185
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18Bonaire $33
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and Bonaire, we can see that Bonaire is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Panama City is in Central America and Bonaire is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Bonaire would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bonaire 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 Panama City Expensive? and Is Bonaire Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or Bonaire?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Bonaire. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and Bonaire, 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.