Which place is cheaper, Seattle 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 Seattle?
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 Seattle can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Panama City or Seattle?
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.
Seattle
Situated on the Puget Sound in the state of Washington, Seattle is the largest city in the United States Pacific Northwest. It's a beautiful city surrounded by the water and mountains and filled with evergreen trees. It's also the home of some famous American institutions including Starbucks Coffee, Amazon, and Microsoft. The population of almost 700,000 continues to grow. As of 2014, the city was considered the fastest growing major city in the United States. The entire metropolitan area has about 3.6 million residents, making it the 15th largest metro area in the US. The natural beauty, growing economy, and educational base give Seattle a youthful vibe that keep the city young and energetic.
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 Polar Tours & Cruises in United States of America, and The Best Walking Tours in United States of America.
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Panama City Prices
Panama PricesSeattle Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPanama City $101Seattle $242
The average daily cost (per person) in Panama City is $101, while the average daily cost in Seattle is $242. 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 Seattle in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPanama City $35Seattle $120
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPanama City $70Seattle $240
Compare Hotels in Panama City and Seattle
Looking for a hotel in Panama City or Seattle? 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 Seattle Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Panama City $11Seattle $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
- Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
- Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $15
- Private Transfer Airport PTY to/from Panama City: $17
- Private Airport Transfer PTY to Panama City or Playa Blanca: $18
- Private Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá: $19
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- VIP Transfer Panama: Playa Bonita, Panama City & Pacific Riviera: $20
- Private Airport Transfer: $23
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Seattle
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Seattle:
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Lightrail from Airport (for 2)$5.50
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Roundtrip Ferry to Bainbridge Island (for 2)$15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seattle
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seattle:
- Private Transfer from Whistler to SeaTac or Seattle Downtown: $1,746
- From One-Way Seaplane Transfer to Vancouver,BC: $389
- From Seattle Hotels - Hotel Transfer to Airport: $175
- Smith Cove Terminal to Seattle hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $170
- Arrival Private Transfer: Seattle Airport SEA to Seattle in Luxury Car: $151
- Seattle Airport (SEA) & Cruise Transfer – Luxury SUV Service: $150
- Seattle Cruise Port or Airport Private Transfer: $150
- Private Transfer from Seattle (SEA) Airport to Seattle City: $145
- From Snoqualmie Falls and Wineries Tour w/ Transfer: $145
- Seattle Airport Private Transfer One Way SUV: $140
- Private Luxury Transfer: Seattle Airport to Bellevue: $139
- Arrival Transfer: Seattle Airport SEA to Seattle by SUV: $123
Is it cheaper to fly into Panama City or Seattle?
Prices for flights to both Seattle 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 $36Seattle $88
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 Ravioli Masterclass + Dinner in Panama City center: $55
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Street Food Tour Panama City (28+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $245
Typical Food Prices in Seattle
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seattle are as follows:
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Expresso & cookie at Pier 70$7.00
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Cashews at Pike Place Market$6.00
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6 Mini Donuts at Pike Place Market$3.25
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Chinese Lunch in International District (for 2)$21
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Breakfast at Lowel's in Pike Place Market (for 2)$32
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Breakfast at French Cafe (for 2)$37
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seattle
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seattle.
- Plant-Based in Pike Place Food Tour: $50
- Seattle Holiday Food Tour: Delicious Donuts & Holiday Treats: $70
- Pike Place Market Food Tour with 9+ Tastings: $73
- Seattle : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $73
- Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market: $75
- Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour: $75
- Japanese Ramen Cooking Class With Local Chef: $75
- Fun Taco Cooking Class With a Local Chef in Seattle: $75
- Seattle Buffet Dinner Cruise: $95
- Pike Place Market: Original Food Tour - Tips Included!: $112
- Seafood Tour with Market Visit: $119
- Dinner Cruise Experience: $132
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Panama City $66Seattle $16
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Casco Viejo Golden Hour Rooftop Sunset Social Experience: $21
- Sunset Bike Tour/ Cinta Costera Casco Viejo by Paradox Experience: $22
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Casco Viejo Walking Tour: History, Culture & Local Tasting: $25
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Get to know the city on board CitySightseeing Panama (24 Hours): $30
- City Tour guiado en Panamá con Canal y Casco Antiguo: $35
- Bike tour in Old City and Cinta costera with local markets: $35
- Half-Day Casco Viejo The Real City Guided with a Local Touch Tour: $35
- Panama City : Custom Walking Tour with A Guide (Private Tour): $36
- Walking tour through the Hidden treasures and gems of Casco Viejo: $36
Tours and Activities in Seattle
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seattle are as follows:
- 5 Hours Seattle Highlights Private Walking Tour: $110
- Bainbridge Island Discovery Tour: $135
- Bainbridge Island Discovery and Whiskey tasting Tour: $157
- Bainbridge Island Ferry Adventure Troll, History and Waterfront: $199
- Bald Eagles Nesting Area Tour at Skagit River: $135
- Beneath The Streets Underground History Tour: $32
- Bite-Sized Seattle History & Food by Go West Tours: $26
- Boeing Factory Tour & Seattle City Tours Combo: $199
- Boeing Factory Tour with Guided Transport from Seattle: $135
- Boeing Factoy Tour from Downtown Seattle with guide: $135
- Bruce Lee Heritage Tour Seattle’s Martial Arts Legend: $375
- California-Oregon Coast Highlights, 5 day adventure: $2,295
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPanama City $18Seattle $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Seattle
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Seattle:
- Astonishing Bar Crawl in Seattle Belltown Bar Blitz: $15
- Wine Tasting at Samā Cellars a Boutique Washington Winery: $25
- Seattle Terrors Spirits & Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- Personalized Wine Tasting Experience in Seattle: $60
- Small Group Wine Tasting: Explore Diverse Wines and PNW Cuisine: $75
- Fun Pasta Making Class at a Trendy Brewery in Seattle: $75
- Diverse Wine Tasting Experience with Bites: $75
- Pike Place Market Tour with Wine Tasting: $77
- Craft Beer Tasting Tour in Ballard Brewery District with Food: $99
- Northwest Wine Tasting Tour with Cheese and Chocolate: $109
- Woodinville Guided Wine Tour with Optional Tastings: $109
- All-inclusive Wine Tasting and Lunch Experience: $249
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Panama City and Seattle, we can see that Seattle 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 Seattle 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 Seattle would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Seattle 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 Seattle Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Panama City or Seattle?
Seattle has a larger population, and is about 39% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Panama City and Seattle, 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.