Which place is cheaper, San Juan 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 Juan?
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 Juan can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or San Juan?
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 Juan
If you've ever set foot on a Caribbean cruise, you've probably spent a bit of time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, maybe you should consider spending more than just a port day in this beautiful and historically rich city.
As the capital and largest city in all of Puerto Rico, San Juan is home to approximately 400,000 people. Established in 1521, it is also the second oldest European-founded settlement in the Americas.
As this city fuses a historic paradise with modern day energy, it has absolutely everything to offer. Intellectual wanderers, beach bums, rainforest adventurers and radical surfers will all find plenty to do in San Juan.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Panama City Prices
Panama PricesSan Juan Prices
Puerto Rico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $101San Juan $218
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $101, while the average daily cost in San Juan is $218. 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 Juan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35San Juan $124
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70San Juan $248
Compare Hotels in Panama City and San Juan
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or San Juan? 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 Juan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11San Juan $14
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
- Transfer to Panama City, Hotel and City tour - 1 night: $266
- Private Transfer from PTY to Playa Blanca resorts: $224
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca resorts: $224
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $211
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $211
- 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
- Miraflores Visitor Center Ticket & Transfer: $155
- Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $148
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón resorts: $148
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Juan
Also for San Juan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Double ATV Adventure: Private Hacienda Experience with Transfer: $289
- Luxury Puerto Rico Private Transfers: $220
- Transfer from San Juan to Rincon or Rincon to San Juan: $167
- Transfer SJU Airport to Dorado. Hotels and Airbnb. Vice Versa One Way Trip.: $140
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, 16Pax Mercedes Van, Select Zone: $130
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Private Transfers, 14Pax Lux Sprinter Van: $124
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $118
- San Juan Airport (SJU) to San Juan Port - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $118
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Private Transfers, 11Pax Lux Sprinter Van: $103
- San Juan PR Transfer in Luxury SUV (Airports,Ports,Hotel,Airbnb): $103
- HandyCap Airport Transfer to Isla Verde, Condado or Ocean Park: $100
- Puerto Rico Island Wide Transfer, Mercedes ECO Van, Select Zone: $87
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or San Juan?
Prices for flights to both San Juan 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 Juan $62
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 Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission: $75
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Street Food Tour Panama (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $90
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- FlyDining: 4 Course Sunset & City Light Dinner Over Old San Juan: $159
- Morning Old San Juan Food Tour: $169
- Authentic Flavors of San Juan Food Tour: $170
- Savor the Sunset: Old San Juan Walking Food Tour: $179
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66San Juan $49
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- “Bike Tour Casco Viejo and Panama City Discover the Essence: $40
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 1- or 2-Night Experience in San Blas Islands: $260
- 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
- 2 Days Island Hopping Adventure San Blas Islands - Private Cabin: $265
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 2 Nights in San Blas - Shared Cabin + Meals + Boat Tour: $179
- 3 Hour Airport Tour from Tocumen: $125
- 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
Typical Entertainment Prices in San Juan
For San Juan, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Horseback Riding Tour$40
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Full Day Snorkeling Trip$100
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1 Hr Windsurfing Lesson$75
Tours and Activities in San Juan
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Juan.
- 1 Hour Bull Maze Adventure at Toroverde Urban Park San Juan: $45
- 1 Hour Historical UTV Tour in San Juan: $200
- 1)El Yunque Rainforest and Famous Luquillo Beach Experience: $96
- 2 Tours in 1 Day: Rainforest Waterslides & Beach Tour w/Transport: $60
- 3 Tours in 1 Day: Old San Juan, Rainforest, Beach with Transport: $65
- ATV Double Rider Adventure Near San Juan - Hacienda Campo Rico: $221
- ATV Single Rider Adventure Near San Juan - Hacienda Campo Rico: $149
- Adventure Water Bike in Condado Lagoon, San Juan: $60
- Arecibo Cave Cliffside Waterfall Adventure: $139
- Arecibo Indian Cave Coastal Adventure: $65
- Bio Bay Night Kayak Tour with Transport from San Juan: $125
- Bioluminescent Bay Kayak Adventure Tour from San Juan: $110
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18San Juan $12
Sample the Local Flavors in San Juan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Juan:
- Old San Juan Bar Crawl: Experience Local Hotspots: $65
- Puerto Rico Tobacco Farm and Local Brewery Tour: $109
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and San Juan, we can see that San Juan 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 Juan is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Juan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Juan 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 Juan Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or San Juan?
San Juan has a larger population, and is about 2% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and San Juan, 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.