Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Panama City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Panama City or Cusco?
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 Cusco can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or Cusco?
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.
Cusco
Cusco is most famous as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It is in the southern Sierras and is one of the most popular travel destinations within Peru. The city is located at 3,400 meters above sea level so it is best to acclimate yourself slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco is the starting point for many travelers making their way to the famed Machu Picchu or other Inca sites in the surrounding area.
The city is very beautiful and has impressive architecture throughout. The history is obvious as you walk around town and there are impressive ruins nearby, with the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman. The city also has a significant indigenous population that is obvious from their traditional clothing and style.
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate with a pleasant daytime temperature year around. There are two distinct seasons with the dry season being between May and August and the wet season between December and March. During the dry season there is plenty of sun with occasional nighttime freezes. Frost is less common in the wet season.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, The Best Adventure Tours to Panama, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $86Cusco $51
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $86, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $51. 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 Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35Cusco $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70Cusco $46
Compare Hotels in Panama City and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or Cusco? 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 Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11Cusco $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
- Private transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama City - Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): $15
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Private One-way Airport Transfer (Tocumen Airport To/From Panamá): $23
- Private Airport Transfer: $23
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels.: $25
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Old Town(Casco Viejo): $25
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cusco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cusco:
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Taxi Ride$1.09
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- From 2-Day Guided Trip to Machu Picchu with Transfers: $350
- Full-Day Trip to Machu Picchu with Hotel Transfers: $290
- Private Transfer from Alejandro Velasco Astete (CUZ) Airport to Valle Sagrado : $159
- Ollantaytambo train station to Cuzco RoundTrip Private Transfer: $151
- Transfer Cusco_Ollantaytambo or vice versa with city tour and Pisac: $140
- Ollantaytambo train station to Cuzco city or airport- Roundtrip Private Transfer: $135
- Puno Bus Transfer with Buffet Lunch: $109
- Arrival Transfer & Cusco City Tour (Private Service): $80
- Private City Tour and Saksaywaman Visit with Transfer: $80
- Cuzco to Ollantaytambo Train Station - Departure Private Transfer: $75
- Ollantaytambo Train Station to Cuzco - Arrival Private Transfer: $75
- Airport Cusco Transfers: $69
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco 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 $21Cusco $13
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:
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class : $85
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $85
- The 'Real' Panamanian Private Food Tour: $200
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.17
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Mango$0.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Folkloric Andean Show & 3-Course Dinner at Tunupa: $15
- 3-Hour Peruvian Cooking Class: $49
- Pete's Peruvian Cooking Class: $52
- Market Tour & Traditional Peruvian Cooking Class in Cusco: $53
- Cusco Cooking Class by ChocoMuseo in Cusco: $54
- Cooking Class and market tour with a local chef: $56
- Peruvian Cooking Class and Local Market in Cusco: $59
- Peruvian Cooking Class and Local Market Tour: $63
- Peruvian Cooking Class & Market Tour: $65
- Awamaki Cooking Class: $68
- Curious Monkey Cusco- Eat the Streets, Walking Food Tour: $70
- The 10 Tastings of Cusco With Locals: Private Food Tour : $77
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66Cusco $29
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
- Tour de bares en El Cangrejo con Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- POIN The Edge Experience: $27
- POIN Glass Viewpoint Experience: $27
- POIN Swing Experience: $27
- Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $28
- Panama City Bike Tour: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old City with locals: $31
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Cusco are as follows:
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Salsa Class$2.71
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- 2 Day Pisac Ollantaytambo Salt flats Moray Sacred Valley Tour: $297
- City tour of Cusco by E-BIKE: $131
- Colorful mountain adventure with a slightly steep hike: $48
- Half- Day City Tour Cusco : $150
- Night Tour in Cusco Private Service: $90
- Official Machupicchu Ticket: $96
- Official Ticket- Machu Picchu Lost Citadel: $72
- Private Tour to Sacred Valley Full Day from Cusco: $130
- Rainbow Mountain Full-Day | Group Tour |: $26
- Ticket To Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain : $89
- Tour de 1 dià a la montaña de colores : $47
- Sacsayhuaman Archaeological parks Cusco City Tour: $23
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18Cusco $9.56
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with 10+ benefits: $18
- Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Access and Drinks: $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and Cusco, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Cusco much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Panama City is in Central America and Cusco is in South 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 Cusco would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cusco 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 Panama City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Panama City than you might in Cusco.
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 Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or Cusco?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 31% larger than the population of Cusco. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and Cusco, 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.