Which place is cheaper, Dallas or Panama City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Panama City or Dallas?
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 Dallas can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or Dallas?
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.
Dallas
Located in the north central part of the state, Dallas is a prominent city in Texas and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in the United States of America. The business reputation of Dallas rose from its historical status as the center for cotton and oil industries. It was also positioned among numerous railroads.
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 Los Angeles, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $86Dallas $141
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $86, while the average daily cost in Dallas is $141. 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 Dallas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35Dallas $84
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70Dallas $168
Compare Hotels in Panama City and Dallas
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or Dallas? 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 Dallas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11Dallas $28
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dallas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dallas:
- Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW): Transfer to Dallas: $205
- Roundtrip Transfer Private Minivan Dallas Airport (DFW) - Dallas City Center: $138
- Arrival Private Transfer Dallas Airport DAL to Fort Worth by Luxury Vehicle: $135
- Private Transfer from Dallas Airport DFW to Dallas in Luxury Van: $126
- Private Transfer from Dallas Airport DFW to Dallas in Luxury SUV: $126
- Departure Private Transfer: Dallas to Dallas Airport DFW in Luxury SUV: $126
- RoundtripTransfer Executive Private Car Dallas Airport (DFW) -Dallas City Center: $120
- Private Transfer Fort Worth Airport DFW to Downtown Fort Worth by Luxury Vehicle: $109
- Arrival Private Transfer: Dallas Airport DFW to Dallas in Business Car: $105
- Private Transfer from Dallas Airport DFW to Dallas in Business Car: $104
- Private Transfer from Dallas to Dallas Airport DFW in Business Car: $101
- Private Transfer Downtown Dallas to Fort Worth Airport DFW Luxury Vehicle: $92
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or Dallas?
Prices for flights to both Dallas 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 $21Dallas $35
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
Typical Food Prices in Dallas
Some typical examples of dining costs in Dallas are as follows:
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Cowboys Stadium Tour (for 2)$55
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Whataburger Lunch (family of 4)$21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dallas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Dallas.
- West Village Happy Hour Food Tour: $39
- Dallas Secret Food Tour: $98
- Secret Food Tour of Dallas with Private Tour Option: $99
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66Dallas $13
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
Tours and Activities in Dallas
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Dallas are as follows:
- 2 Hour Dallas Night Sightseeing E-Scooter Tour: $90
- Private Walking Tour of Dealey Plaza Assassination of JFK: $135
- 1-Hour JFK Assassination Walking Tour: $28
- 1-Hour JFK Assassination Walking Tour : $28
- 2-Hour Historic Dallas Segway Tour: $79
- 3-Hour Ropes Course & Zip Line Adventure : $60
- 3hr Dallas Cowboys Stadium Small Group Tour with Transportation: $108
- Combination Southfork Ranch and Dallas/JFK Highlights Tour: $145
- Dallas Highlights Tour: $205
- Dallas Indoor Skydiving Experience with 2 Flights & Personalized Certificate: $114
- Dallas Terrors Ghost Tour By US Ghost Adventures: $30
- Dallas and Cowboys Stadium Combo Tour: $153
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18Dallas $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Dallas
Also in Dallas, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Terrors Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- Party Bike Pub Crawl in Deep Ellum and Downtown Dallas: $55
- Dallas Party Bike Pub Crawl in Deep Ellum: $55
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and Dallas, we can see that Dallas 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 Dallas 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 Dallas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dallas 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 Dallas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or Dallas?
Dallas has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and Dallas, 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.