Which place is cheaper, San Diego 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 San Diego?
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 San Diego can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or San Diego?
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.
San Diego
For many visitors and locals alike, San Diego is a paradise. Located in southern California, not far from Los Angeles, it has the perfect climate, wonderful beaches, and a culturally rich environment. It's surrounded by beautiful landscape and has a strong focus on wildlife conservation and eco-friendly living. Home to about 1.3 million residents, it is California's second largest city. It also has many universities, a large tech industry, and a thriving economy. Despite its size, many people perceive San Diego as a slower, more relaxed city with a pleasant vibe away from the chaos of a large city.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, The Best G Adventures Tours to United States of America, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Las Vegas.
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Panama City Prices
Panama PricesSan Diego Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $101San Diego $233
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $101, while the average daily cost in San Diego is $233. 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 San Diego in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35San Diego $115
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70San Diego $230
Compare Hotels in Panama City and San Diego
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or San Diego? 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 San Diego Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11San Diego $23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 2 Days 1 Night Tour in Panama : Hotel and Transfers: $278
- Transfer Airport or Hotel To Playa Venao Panama or vice versa: $260
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Private Transfer from Panama City Hotels to Colón Cruise Port: $158
- Miraflores Visitor Center Ticket & Transfer: $155
- Arrival Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama by Sprinter: $152
- Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $150
- Roundtrip Private Transfer Panama Airport (PTY) - Playa Blanca : $142
- Private Transfer Hotel or Airport to Resorts in Playa Blanca. One way: $125
- Transfer from Panama Airport to Colon Cruise Terminal: $110
- Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Coronado/Gorgona - Arrival Transfer: $107
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Diego
Also for San Diego, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Tijuana Intl Airport (TIJ) to Playas de Rosarito - Arrival Private Transfer: $276
- Private Transfer Airport Tijuana/Valle de Guadalupe (Ensenada) or back.: $165
- Tijuana to Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $141
- Private Transfer from Tijuana to Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe: $140
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Marcos, CA - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $131
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to Hot Springs/Ocotillo, CA - Roundtrip Private Transfer: $131
- San Diego Airport (SAN) to San Diego hotel/address - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $129
- Sedan Arrival Private Transfer San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego: $125
- Departure Private Transfer: San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN in Business Car: $112
- Arrival Private Transfer: San Diego Airport SAN to San Diego in Business Car: $112
- Sedan Departure Transfer San Diego to San Diego Airport SAN: $104
- San Diego Airport: One-Way Transfer to San Diego downtown: $90
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or San Diego?
Prices for flights to both San Diego 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 $36San Diego $77
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 Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $60
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Theater Live Show Admission: $75
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Cooking Class in Panama City with 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $205
- Street Food Tour in Panama with a Local Guide: $263
Typical Food Prices in San Diego
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to San Diego:
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Mexican Lunch for Two$27
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Breakfast at Starbucks$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Sushi Making Cooking Class at a Local Brewery in San Diego: $75
- 2-Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef: $75
- 2-Hour Pasta Cooking Class at a Local Brewery: $75
- 2 Hour Ravioli Cooking Class With Local Chef in San Diego : $75
- Tijuana Street Food Tour for Foodies: $79
- Pizza and Ice Cream Walking Tour: $80
- Pizza and Gelato Tour in San Diego: $80
- Old Town Tequila and Tacos Walking Food Tour: $84
- San Diego Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour with Tastings: $85
- North Park San Diego Walking Food Tour: $85
- Gaslamp Quarter Food Tour: $89
- San Diego Vegan Food Tour: $89
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66San Diego $48
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Gatun Lake Panamá Wildlife Adventure Guided Experience: $159
- Horseback riding and Agri-Tour in Colon Private tour: $75
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo Tour: $115
- Panama a quick and memorable tour: $68
- San Blas Islands, 4-Island Tour All-Inclusive Welcome Cocktail: $149
- #1 Walking Tour of Casco Viejo Panama with Lunch included : $70
- “Bike Tour Casco Viejo and Panama City Discover the Essence: $40
- “Panama at Your Rhythm: Private Tour with Canal, Old Town and More”: $67
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour " : $100
- 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
- 2 Days 1 Night San Blas Adventure in Pamana: $260
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Diego
For San Diego, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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San Diego Zoo$15
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Sea World Parking$12
Tours and Activities in San Diego
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Diego.
- Gaslamp Quarter to Little Italy Tour: $39
- Guided Meditation and Mountain Hike Tour in San Diego: $62
- Maritime Museum of San Diego Admission Ticket: $28
- Old Town Walking Tour: $129
- San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Self-Guided Walking Tour: $7.75
- The Gaslamp Quarter Walking Tour: $99
- The La Jolla Walking Tour: $119
- The Little Italy Walking Tour: $99
- 1 Hour GPS Guided Scooter Tour: Harbor/Gaslamp Quarter: $92
- 1-Hour Private Scenic Tandem Sidecar Tour in San Diego: $99
- 1.5 Hour Walking Tour from La Jolla in San Diego: $59
- 2-Hour Downtown and Balboa Tour in GPS Guided Vanderhall GoCar: $288
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18San Diego $21
Sample the Local Flavors in San Diego
Also in San Diego, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Slammin' San Diego Bar Crawl: $13
- Downtown Bar Crawl Party Pass: $25
- History Tour Pub Crawl of Famous Gaslamp Quarter: $30
- Hillcrest: LGBTQ+ Pub Crawl with Local Drag Queen: $35
- Hillcrest Drag Queen 5 Bar Crawl with Shots: $45
- Brewery Tour with Tastings and Food Pairings: $85
- $99 Valle de Guadalupe Wine Tours - DayTrip to baja from San Diego: $123
- Vino! Vino! Little Italy Wine Tasting Walking Tour: $125
- Little Italy Wine Tasting Walking Tour: $125
- Cruise & Booze Brewery tours : $149
- Brewery and Beer Tasting Tour in San Diego: $165
- Baja Tour Guide wine tour: $169
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and San Diego, we can see that San Diego 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 San Diego 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 San Diego would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Diego 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 San Diego Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or San Diego?
San Diego has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and San Diego, 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.