Which place is cheaper, Crete 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 Crete?
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 Crete can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or Crete?
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.
Crete
The largest and most populous island of Greece, Crete has become a frequent vacation destination for many visitors. The terrain of the place is quite varied - very mountainous stretching east to west, with lush valleys, fertile plateaus, gorges, and famous caves like Idaion, the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus. The surrounding smaller islands and beaches are key attractions as well.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Panama, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, The Best Contiki Tours to Greece, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Greece.
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Panama City Prices
Panama PricesCrete Prices
Greece Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $101Crete $167
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $101, while the average daily cost in Crete is $167. 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 Crete in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35Crete $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70Crete $126
Compare Hotels in Panama City and Crete
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or Crete? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11Crete $55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $29
- Airport To City Hotel transfer: $50
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $75
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $84
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $212
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $24
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca Round-Trip Private Transfer: $160
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $33
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $67
- Panama City Private Departure Transfer: $42
- Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $28
- Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón - Arrival Private Transfer: $77
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Crete
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Crete:
- Private Guided Trek to Samaria Gorge with Transfer: $706
- Samaria Easy Way Hike From Sfakia with Prive Transfer: $547
- Full-Day Trip to Santorini island by Boat from Ag.Nikolaos Elounda with Transfer: $293
- Transfer Heraklion Airport/Port to CHANIA CITY/ PORT: $286
- Transfer Heraklion Airport/Port to SITIA area: $274
- Private Taxi Transfer from Heraklion Airport to Rethymno: $262
- Crete Private Taxi and Transfer from Chania Airport to Rethymno: $262
- From Rethymnon: Santorini Day Tour with optional transfer: $248
- Crete : Samaria Easy way Gorge from Sfakia with Private Transfer: $248
- One-Way Private Taxi/Transfer Heraklion to/from Chania: $231
- Private Transfer From,To Heraklion Airport & PORT To,From CHANIA: $220
- Lake Kournas: Pedal Boat Rental With Transfer: $216
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or Crete?
Prices for flights to both Crete 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 $36Crete $68
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 Ravioli Masterclass + Dinner in Panama City center: $55
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Street Food Tour Panama City (28+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $245
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Crete
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Crete.
- Traditional Cretan Night: Live Show and Dinner: $32
- Traditional Dance Show and Buffet Dinner with Wine: $33
- Troy Dinner-Show: $42
- Spectacular Dinner-Show: $48
- Plate smashing | Greek Night with Dancing & Buffet Dinner: $69
- Olive Oil Factory Tour, Dinner & Traditional Dancing: $71
- Rethymno: Cretan Night with Dinner and Live Music, LOCAL GUIDE: $72
- Olive Oil Festival in Cretan Farm with Traditional Dinner: $77
- Rethymno Old Town Walking Food Tour Local Market Visit Tastings: $89
- Heraklion: Finikia Horse Riding Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $90
- Amazing Sunset Jeep Safari Route with Dinner: $93
- Maravel Garden Experience Herbal Tour with Yoga and Dinner: $101
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66Crete $28
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Casco Viejo Golden Hour Rooftop Sunset Social Experience: $21
- Sunset Bike Tour/ Cinta Costera Casco Viejo by Paradox Experience: $22
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Casco Viejo Walking Tour: History, Culture & Local Tasting: $25
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Get to know the city on board CitySightseeing Panama (24 Hours): $30
- City Tour guiado en Panamá con Canal y Casco Antiguo: $35
- Bike tour in Old City and Cinta costera with local markets: $35
- Half-Day Casco Viejo The Real City Guided with a Local Touch Tour: $35
- Panama City : Custom Walking Tour with A Guide (Private Tour): $36
- Walking tour through the Hidden treasures and gems of Casco Viejo: $36
Tours and Activities in Crete
Here are a few actual costs in Crete for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 days Local Life Experience at Lassithi Plateau from Heraklion: $110
- 4 Hour Fishing and Swimming Boat Experience in Schisma Eloundas: $149
- 4x4 Cretan Experience from Rethymnon: $116
- 5Hour Safari Tour in Crete(Heraklion)with Quad,Jeep,Buggy & Lunch: $106
- Adventure in the South of Crete - Chora Sfakion, Sweet Water & Loutro Village.: $154
- Agiofarago and Matala Beach Tour with Lunch | Private: $225
- Archaeological Museum & Knossos Palace Guided Tour Half Day: $114
- Archaeological Museum Guided Tour Half Day: $63
- Archaeological Museum of Heraklion Tour: $119
- Balos & Falassarna Beach - Jeep Tour with Loungers and Lunch: $197
- Balos Lagoon & Gramvousa Island Cruise Tour: $64
- Balos Lagoon semi private Jeep tour: $167
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18Crete $26
Sample the Local Flavors in Crete
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Crete:
- Vatolakkos: Boutique Winery Tour & 5-Wine Tasting: $28
- From Chania:Elafonissi Beach Day Trip, Elos, Honey & Wine Tasting: $33
- Authentic Crete Farm & Wine Tasting Experience from Heraklion: $51
- Crete Food & Wine Tour: Olive Oil, Cheese & Wine Tasting: $55
- Platanias: Guided Road Trip with Olive Oil and Wine Tastings: $80
- Private-Wine Tasting and Olive Oil Factory .: $143
- Heraklion: Ebike - All in one - Food tasting & Wine tasting: $177
- PRIVATE Walking Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting by a Sommelier: $191
- The Gourmet Wine Tour of Heraklion area: $197
- Full Day - Ecobike - Discover old villages & Wine tasting: $209
- Gastronomy tour and wine tasting in traditional villages: $215
- Private Wine Tour at Peza Valley - 2 Wineries and Lunch at Peza: $277
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and Crete, we can see that Crete 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 Crete is in Europe, 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 Crete would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Crete 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 Crete Expensive?.
Which has a larger population, Panama City or Crete?
Crete has a larger population, and is about 47% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and Crete, 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.