Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Puerto Princesa?
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 Puerto Princesa or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Puerto Princesa and Panama City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Puerto Princesa or Panama City?
Puerto Princesa
The island of Palawan is known the Philippines' last frontier and its capital, Puerto Princesa, is considered the greenest city in the Philippines. With plenty of land that has yet to be explored and inundated with tourists, Puerto Princesa, also known as "The City of the Living God," is a nature buff's dream. Whether you want to swim with starfish, walk among the mangrove treetops, or visit the world's largest saltwater crocodile at the Palawan Nature Conservation Center, Puerto Princesa and its surrounding area offers plenty of opportunities to get into the great wide open.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $80Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $80, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $101. 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 Puerto Princesa and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $22Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $44Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Panama City? 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: Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $47Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
- Private Transfer to El Nido: $169
- Palawan: Private San Vicente Airport Transfers: $160
- Van Transfers to/from Sabang or Astoria: $116
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
- Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
- Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Travel in Comfort Airport Transfer Pty: $30
- Transfer to or from the airport / Min 2 pax: $20
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca Hotels: $85
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels: $25
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Transfer from PTY/Panama City to Cruise Terminal or Back: $32
- Transfer from Downtown Panama City to PTY Airport: $24
- Transfer Tocumen International Airport - Playa Blanca, Rio Hato, Buena Ventura: $75
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Hotel Westin or Dreams Playa Bonita: $55
- Transfer Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita (Westin and Dreams): $38
- Transfer Panama City to Amador Cruise Port: $35
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Puerto Princesa 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 dayPuerto Princesa $31Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner: $27
- Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner: $32
- Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $34
- Firefly Watching with Dinner: $39
- Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $53
- Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $59
- Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $80
- Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $87
- Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $116
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:
- Panama Food Tour Local Markets Immersion (Tasting tour + Lunch): $50
- Italian-Panamanian Ravioli Cooking Class + meal in Panama City: $55
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Street Food Tour Panama (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $90
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.28Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
- 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
- 3d2n ELNIDO Package tour: $280
- 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
- El Nido Day Tour: $80
- From Honda Bay Island Hopping Full-Day Tour: $40
- Full Day Excursion: UNESCO Underground River Tour: $48
- Full-Day UNESCO Underground River Tour: $60
- Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34
- Half-Day City Tour | Puerto Princesa: $53
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 2 Days Island Hopping Adventure San Blas Islands - Private Cabin: $265
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 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
- 5-Star Embera Village Tour | Waterfall, Lunch & River: $75
- 5hour tour of Panama City and Panama Canal - Shared or Private: $65
- 5hrs Panama City and Canal Tour + Amenities: $65
- 7 hour Miraflores Locks + Sloth Sancturay in Gamboa Tour: $150
- ALL INCLUSIVE San Blas Islands Day Tour on Sailboat: $240
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $13Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Princesa is in Asia and Panama City is in Central 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 Puerto Princesa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Princesa Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Panama City, 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.