A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Panama City vs. San Miguel de Tucuman for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Panama City or San Miguel de Tucuman?

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 Miguel de Tucuman can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Panama City or San Miguel de Tucuman?

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 Miguel de Tucuman

The capital of the Tucuman Province in Argentina, San Miguel de Tucuman is the largest city in the country's northwest. The city is probably most well known as the sight where the Declaration of Independence from Spain took place on July 9, 1816. The location of this event, a colonial-style house called "Casa Historica" or "Casita de Tucuman", remains an important landmark in the city.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, The Best Adventure Tours to Panama, The Best Photography Tours in Argentina, and The Best Luxury Tours to Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, San Miguel de Tucuman or Panama City?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $86, while the average daily cost in San Miguel de Tucuman is $11. 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 Miguel de Tucuman in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Panama City $35
    San Miguel de Tucuman $4.85
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Panama City $70
    San Miguel de Tucuman $9.70
Compare Hotels in Panama City and San Miguel de Tucuman

Looking for a hotel in Panama City or San Miguel de Tucuman? 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.

Hotels in Panama City


Hotels in San Miguel de Tucuman


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 Miguel de Tucuman Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Panama City $11
    San Miguel de Tucuman $3.08

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City

Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Transfers Airport - Hotels Riu Playa Blanca, Decameron, Bijao, Playa Blanca: $70
  • Transfers: $37
  • Transfer to Panama City, Hotel and City tour - 1 night: $266
  • 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 minivan from Playa Bonita to Panama Tocumen Airport: $70
  • 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 Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
  • Transfer from PTY Airport or Panama City to Playa Blanca and Back: $77
  • Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels.: $25
  • Transfer Panama Airport- Colon Cruise Terminal: $90

Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Miguel de Tucuman:


  • Taxi Ride
    $0.01

Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or San Miguel de Tucuman?

Prices for flights to both San Miguel de Tucuman 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Panama City $21
    San Miguel de Tucuman $4.01
Typical Food Prices in Panama City

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:


  • 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:

  • Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
  • 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class : $85
  • 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
  • Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $85
  • The 'Real' Panamanian Private Food Tour: $200

Typical Food Prices in San Miguel de Tucuman

For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Sandwich
    $0.01

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Panama City $66
    San Miguel de Tucuman $3.30

Tours and Activities in Panama City

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.

  • City Tour y Canal de Panamá: $35
  • #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 Hours Private Photo Tour in Casco Antiguo: $90
  • 3-Hour Private Tour in Panama La Vieja: $45
  • 5 Hours Tour to Monkey Island Embera community Gamboa Panama: $165
  • 5-Hour Tour in Agua Clara New Locks: $100

Tours and Activities in San Miguel de Tucuman

For San Miguel de Tucuman, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Discover Tafí del Valle and Quilmes Ruins in a Day Tour: $82
  • Entrance ticket to Aerial Park, Zip Line and Palestra: $27
  • Rio Hondo Hot Springs Full Day Tour from Tucuman: $82
  • Yungas Half-Day Tour from Tucuman: $51

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Panama City $18
    San Miguel de Tucuman $2.07


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and San Miguel de Tucuman, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is San Miguel de Tucuman much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Panama City is in Central America and San Miguel de Tucuman is in South 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 San Miguel de Tucuman would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in San Miguel de Tucuman 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 Panama City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Panama City than you might in San Miguel de Tucuman.

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 Miguel de Tucuman Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Panama City or San Miguel de Tucuman?

San Miguel de Tucuman has a larger population, and is about 91% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and San Miguel de Tucuman, 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.