Which place is cheaper, Honolulu 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 Honolulu?
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 Honolulu can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or Honolulu?
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.
Honolulu
Hawaii's capital city of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is the state's center for government, finance, and transportation. It's also the home of Waikiki Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the state of Hawaii. Nearly one million people live in this Honolulu metropolitan area. This is almost 80% of the state's population. The city is not the relaxed Hawaiian destination that you might be searching for, but is instead a fast paced, cosmopolitan city. In addition to attracting many tourists every year, you'll also find international businesses, military defense and a diverse culture and population.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City.
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Panama City Prices
Panama PricesHonolulu Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $101Honolulu $329
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $101, while the average daily cost in Honolulu is $329. 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 Honolulu in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35Honolulu $190
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70Honolulu $380
Compare Hotels in Panama City and Honolulu
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or Honolulu? 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 Honolulu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11Honolulu $26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Panama 2 days / 1 night : hotel, transfers and city tour: $278
- Private Transfer from Panama City or PTY Airport to Beach Resort: $220
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $208
- Private Transfer from Panama City Airport to Beach Resorts: $175
- San Blas Day Trip (Transfers & Lunch included): $175
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Panama Tocumen Airport(PTY) to Colón Round-Trip Private Transfer: $152
- Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $146
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón resorts: $146
- Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Coronado/Gorgona - Arrival Transfer: $104
- Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Decameron -Arrival Private Transfer: $104
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Linton Bay Marina: $90
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Honolulu
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Honolulu are as follows:
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Rental Car for One Day$35
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Airport Shuttle for Two$30
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Hilton Parking$24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Honolulu
Also for Honolulu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Honolulu HNL Airport Round-Trip Private Transfer in SUV: $291
- Private Minibus Arrival transfer Honolulu Airport HNL to Waikiki: $290
- Private Transfer from Waikiki to Honolulu Airport HNL by Minibus: $290
- Private North Shore/Turtle Bay Airport Transfer | Up to 10 Guests: $275
- Private Airport Transfer from Honolulu to Ko Olina: $250
- Luxury Sprinter Transfer Airport, Waikiki and Cruise Terminal: $250
- One-Way VIP Transfer: Honolulu Airport, Ko Olina, Port 2/11: $240
- Airport to Waikiki Transfer with Meet and Greet: $225
- Private Airport Transfer from Honululu: $210
- Waikiki Private transfer Airport to Hotel *1-12 Passengers: $185
- Honolulu Airport & KoOlina Hotels Private Transfer by Luxury SUV(up to 5 People): $180
- Honolulu Hawaii Airport Transfer: $179
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or Honolulu?
Prices for flights to both Honolulu 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 $36Honolulu $91
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:
- Panama Food Tour Local Markets Immersion (Tasting tour + Lunch): $50
- Italian-Panamanian Ravioli Cooking Class + meal in Panama City: $55
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Street Food Tour Panama (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $90
Typical Food Prices in Honolulu
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Honolulu:
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Dinner for Two$73
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Lapperts Hawaii Ice Cream$5.55
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Chai's Island Bistro (for 2)$53
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Cheeseburger Waikiki (for 2)$34
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Matsumoto Shave Ice (for 2)$7.50
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Hot Dog with the Fixins'$8.30
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Sushi Dinner for Two$73
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Honolulu
For Honolulu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Waikiki Food Tour with Local Guide: $98
- Hawaii: Off The Beaten Path Food Tour: $150
- Ka Moana Luau Dinner and Show with Transportation: $166
- Sunset 5 Course Dinner Cruise with Entertainment: $193
- Nova Five Star Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Jazz: $236
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66Honolulu $40
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 2 Days Island Hopping Adventure San Blas Islands - Private Cabin: $265
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 3 Hours Private Walking Tour in Casco Antiguo Panama City: $45
- 4-Hour Guided Tour of Panama Canal & Old Town & More: $150
- 4-hour tour in Panama: $105
- 5 Hours Private Panama City Tour: $200
- 5-Star Embera Village Tour | Waterfall, Lunch & River: $75
- 5hour tour of Panama City and Panama Canal - Shared or Private: $65
- 5hrs Panama City and Canal Tour + Amenities: $65
- 7 hour Miraflores Locks + Sloth Sancturay in Gamboa Tour: $150
- ALL INCLUSIVE San Blas Islands Day Tour on Sailboat: $240
Typical Entertainment Prices in Honolulu
For Honolulu, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Parking for Hike$5.00
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Pearl Harbor Audio Tour for Two$12
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2 hr Dinner Cruise$85
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1 Day Kayak Rental$36
Tours and Activities in Honolulu
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Honolulu.
- #1 Private VIP USS Arizona Memorial & Historic Honolulu Tour: $899
- 3 Hour Sightseeing *SPECIALTY Tour: $149
- 3 Zipline Adventure with Waikiki Transportation: $153
- 3-Hour Honolulu Bottom Fishing Adventure: $87
- 4 Hour Half Day Island Jeep Tour: $190
- 5 Hour Romantic Hawaii Jeep Tour: $276
- 6 Hour Local Food Plate Jeep Tour: $230
- 7 Day Hawaii Tour!: $8,800
- 8 Hour Circle Island Jeep Tour: $275
- Afternoon at McGarret - Hawaii 5-0 TV Tour: $229
- Amazing Circle Island Tour: $139
- Arizona Memorial & Historic Honolulu City Tour from Waikiki Area: $76
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18Honolulu $6.47
Sample the Local Flavors in Honolulu
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Honolulu:
- Waikiki Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $38
- Kaka'ako Brewery Tour by 15-Passenger Bike: $45
- Kaka'ako Brewery Tour by 15-Passenger Bike: $45
- V.I.P Dole, Rum Distillery, N.Shore, Haleiwa Circle island tour: $241
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and Honolulu, we can see that Honolulu 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 Honolulu 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 Honolulu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Honolulu 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 Honolulu Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or Honolulu?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 10% larger than the population of Honolulu. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and Honolulu, 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.