Which place is cheaper, Boston or Panama City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Panama City or Boston?
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 Boston can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or Boston?
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.
Boston
Boston is one of the oldest and most historic cities in New England. It is also the capital of the state of Massachusetts and the largest city in the region. The city proper covers 48 square miles and has a population of more than 600,000. The Greater Boston area has 4.5 million people and is the tenth largest metropolitan area in the country.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, The Best Adventure Tours to Panama, The Best 10-Day Tours in United States of America, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $86Boston $255
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $86, while the average daily cost in Boston is $255. 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 Boston in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35Boston $166
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70Boston $332
Compare Hotels in Panama City and Boston
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or Boston? 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 Boston Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11Boston $37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama City - Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Private transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
- Panama City Private Arrival Transfer: $17
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Transfer from Downtown Panama City to PTY Airport: $24
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels.: $25
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Playa Bonita: $30
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Boston
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Boston are as follows:
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Taxi$35
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Subway Daily Pass$9.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Boston
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Boston:
- Luxor Limo Private Transfer and City Tour: $1,195
- Private Transfer: between Manhattan and Boston: $968
- Flynn Cruiseport Private Transfer to Boston: $688
- Round trip Airport Transfer: Logan - Boston: $300
- Boston Logan Airport (BOS): Private Transfer to Boston city: $244
- Boston’s Logan International Airport to Providence – Arrival Private Transfer : $170
- Boston Airport (BOS): Transfer to Flynn Cruise Port Boston: $169
- Private Transfer in Boston (BOS) Airport/Home/Hotel/Work : $160
- Limo Private Transfer Boston to Logan International Airport : $160
- Limo Private Transfer Logan International Airport to Boston: $160
- Boston Logan Airport (BOS) to Boston - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $158
- Private Transfer between Boston Logan Airport and Boston City: $150
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or Boston?
Prices for flights to both Boston 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 $21Boston $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$8.27
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Boston
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Boston.
- AM Coffee Walks with Salem Food Tours: $34
- Boston's North End Pizza & History Walking Food Tour: $49
- North End Pizza Tour with 3 Slices and Cannoli: $55
- Boston Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $70
- North End Food Experience with Pizza, Meats & Cheese: $75
- Buffet Lunch or Dinner Cruise on Boston Harbor: $77
- Boston's North End Small Group Food Tour : $81
- Ultimate Boston Food Tour: North End & Boston Public Market: $89
- Ultimate Food Tour of North End & Public Market: $89
- Union Square, Somerville Neighborhood Food Tour: $90
- Boston Harbor: Gourmet Brunch or Dinner Cruise: $108
- Local Gems of the South End Neighborhood Food Tour: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66Boston $33
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Bar tour in El Cangrejo with Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- Walking Tour Metropolitan Park Panama City : $25
- POIN Swing Experience: $27
- Poin Glass Observation Deck Ticket with VR Tour: $27
- POIN The Edge Experience: $27
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $28
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old Quarter with local guided: $31
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old City with locals: $31
Typical Entertainment Prices in Boston
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Boston are as follows:
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Two Tickets to Celtics Game$101
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Duck Tour$32
Tours and Activities in Boston
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Boston are as follows:
- "Ghosts of Boston" Walking Ghost Tour: $25
- "Witch Trials" Walking Tour in Salem: $25
- 1 If By Land Walking Tours: History Walking Tour of Boston: $45
- 1 or 2 Day Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour with Harbor Cruise Option: $46
- 1-Day Tour to Portland-Maine from Boston: $175
- 1692 Salem Day Tour: $32
- 1692 Salem Night Walking Tour: $32
- 2 Hour North End 'Little Italy' Walking Tour : $35
- 2-Hour Beacon Hill True Crime Expert Guided Tour: $35
- 90-Minute Boston Harbor Sunset Sightseeing Cruise: $43
- A Bostonian Christmas Tour: $425
- A Bostonian Christmas Tour: $216
For more ideas for your next trip, check out Free Things to Do in Boston, Must-See Monuments and Memorials In Boston, and The Best Things To Do in Boston with Kids.
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18Boston $27
Sample the Local Flavors in Boston
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Boston:
- Boston Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- Haunted Pub Crawl of Historic Pubs and Taverns: $30
- Boston Ghosts Boos and Brews Haunted Pub Crawl : $34
- Salem Booze and Brews Haunted Pub Crawl by US Ghost Adventures: $35
- History Pub Crawl Tour Along the Freedom Trail: $59
- Boston Small-Group Freedom Trail History Tour Pub Crawl: $60
- Boston Signature Guided Brewery Tour: $105
- Guided Craft Brewery Tour with a Snack: $105
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and Boston, we can see that Boston 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 Boston is in North 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 Boston would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Boston 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 Boston Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or Boston?
Boston has a larger population, and is about 44% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and Boston, 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.