Which place is cheaper, New Orleans or Panama City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Panama City or New Orleans?
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 New Orleans can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or New Orleans?
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.
New Orleans
New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, and it is a cultural city that is the home of jazz, unique cuisine, and Mardi Gras in the U.S. It was established in 1718 and is one of the oldest cities in the country. The culture of the city has a mix of French, Creole, African American, Caribbean, Irish, Haitian, German and Vietnamese. There's an energy and atmosphere that is unlike any place else.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, The Best Adventure Tours to Panama, The Best Adventure Tours to United States of America, and The Best Train & Rail Tours in United States of America.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $86New Orleans $239
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $86, while the average daily cost in New Orleans is $239. 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 New Orleans in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35New Orleans $125
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70New Orleans $250
Compare Hotels in Panama City and New Orleans
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or New Orleans? 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 New Orleans Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11New Orleans $51
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $33
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama City - Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panamá Tocumen Airport to Playa Bonita: $48
- Transfer in private minivan from Panama Tocumen Airport to Playa Bonita: $70
- Transfer in private minivan from Panama Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca-Farallon: $160
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Transfer from PTY Airport or Panama City to Playa Blanca and Back: $77
- Transfer from PTY Airport or Panama City to Cruise Terminal: $30
- Transfer from Downtown Panama City to PTY Airport: $24
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels.: $25
Typical Local Transportation Prices in New Orleans
Some typical examples of transportation costs in New Orleans are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in New Orleans
Also for New Orleans, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 25 Passenger New Orleans Airport or Hotel Transfer: $300
- One-Way Private New Orleans Arrival or Departure Transfer: $275
- Handicap New Orleans Airport or Hotel Transfer: $260
- Airport Transfer in New Orleans: $215
- Private Transfer from Port Of New of New Orleans Cruise: $210
- New Orleans Airport (MSY): Private Transfer to New Orleans: $209
- New Orleans Louis Armstrong Airport MSY Round-Trip Private Transfer: $206
- New Orleans Airport One way Transfer to Baton Rouge or Slidell: $200
- 11 Passenger Executive Van: New Orleans Airport or Hotel Transfer: $197
- New Orleans Airport (MSY) to New Orleans - Round-Trip Transfer : $164
- Private Transfer From New Orleans To Baton Rouge: $157
- Full-Day Whitney Plantation & Large Airboat Swamp Tour w/Transfer: $155
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or New Orleans?
Prices for flights to both New Orleans 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 $21New Orleans $45
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 New Orleans
For New Orleans, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cajun and Creole Cooking Class with Meal: $38
- New Orleans Demonstration Cooking Class with Meal: $42
- Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans: $55
- Evening Jazz Boat Cruise with Optional Dinner: $55
- Steamboat Natchez Evening Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option: $55
- French Quarter Food Tour: Signature Flavors of New Orleans: $59
- The Premier New Orleans Food Tour: $77
- Taste Of New Orleans Food Tour and Experience: $80
- Private New Orleans Food Tour of the French Quarter : $85
- French Quarter Food Tour with Tastings: $89
- New Orleans' Lower Garden Food Tour: $89
- Lower Garden District Food Tour: $89
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66New Orleans $55
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- #1 Walking Tour in Casco Viejo, Panama Canal Museum & Lunch : $77
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour " : $100
- 1- or 2-Night Experience in San Blas Islands: $260
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 2 Hours Tour to Panama La Vieja for Groups: $170
- 2 Hr Express Tour for Business Travellers & Airport Layovers: $75
- 2-Day San Blas Adventure from Panama City: $270
- 3 Hour Airport Tour from Tocumen: $125
- 3 Hours Private Photo Tour in Casco Antiguo: $90
- 3-Hour Private Tour in Panama La Vieja: $45
- 4-Hour Gatun Lake Boat Tour and Jungle Wildlife: $99
- 5-Hour Tour to Miraflores Locks and Sloth Sanctuary: $140
Typical Entertainment Prices in New Orleans
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for New Orleans's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Zoo & Aquarium Tickets (2)$75
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Riverboat Cruise$70
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French Quarter City Tour$100
Tours and Activities in New Orleans
For New Orleans, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Bom Creole Dining Experience w/ Pool and Louisiana Native Chef : $135
- Creole French Quarter Walking Tour: $30
- Walking Instagram Photo Tour in the French Quarter New Orleans: $27
- 2-Hour Guided French Quarter Vampire Walking Tour: $25
- 45 Minute Highlights Tour of the French Quarter: $23
- 90-Minute Jean Lafitte Swamp and Bayou Tour with Transportation: $57
- A Local's Private French Quarter Walking or Biking Tour : $175
- Adults-Only History, Ghost, Vampire, and Voodoo Walking Tour: $30
- Adults-Only New Orleans Ghost, Crime, Voodoo, and Vampire Tour: $37
- Airboat Tour of Louisiana Swamps: $130
- Audio-Guided Whitney Plantation Tour with Transportation: $90
- Automated Historical Ghost Bus Tour of New Orleans: $55
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18New Orleans $60
Sample the Local Flavors in New Orleans
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in New Orleans:
- Haunted Pub Crawl In-App Audio Tour (ENG): $13
- Guided Rum Distillery Tour and Tasting: $15
- Guided Distillery Tour & Rum Tasting: $15
- New Orleans Distillery Tour and Rum Tasting with Guide: $15
- Private New Orleans Seafood Bar Crawl: $15
- Spooky Ghost and Haunted Pub Crawl Tour: $17
- New Orleans Small-Group History Tour Pub Crawl of The Irish Channel: $25
- Haunted Pub Crawl in New Orleans: $26
- Adults Only True Crime Pub Crawl: $27
- New Orleans Bar Crawl: $28
- True Crime Pub Crawl in New Orleans: $30
- Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and New Orleans, we can see that New Orleans 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 New Orleans 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 New Orleans would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in New Orleans 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 New Orleans Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or New Orleans?
New Orleans has a larger population, and is about 19% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and New Orleans, 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.