Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Punta Cana?
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 Punta Cana or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Punta Cana or Panama City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Punta Cana or Panama City?
Punta Cana
Punta Cana, located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, is renowned for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant culture. This Caribbean paradise offers a diverse range of experiences that cater to all types of travelers, whether you're on a tight budget, seeking thrilling activities, exploring local cuisine, or figuring out the best ways to get around.
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 Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Adventure Tours to Dominican Republic, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Punta Cana Prices
Dominican Republic PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPunta Cana $181Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Punta Cana is $181, 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 Punta Cana and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPunta Cana $101Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPunta Cana $202Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Punta Cana and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Punta Cana 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: Punta Cana Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Punta Cana $6.80Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Punta Cana
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Punta Cana:
- Private Transfer From Punta Cana and Bavaro to Las Americas Inter. Airport: $300
- Best Deal Private Transfer Punta Cana to Santo Domingo Round Trip: $267
- Punta Cana Airport (PUJ) to Santo Domingo - Round-Trip Transfer: $252
- Private car transfer from Punta Cana Airport to Santo Domingo: $250
- Luxury Birthday Airport Transfer in Punta Cana: $250
- Punta Cana Airport PUJ to Las Terrenas Arrival Private Transfer: $248
- 1 Hour Beach Photoshoot in Punta Cana with Round Trip Transfer: $240
- Punta Cana Airport (PUJ) to Santo Domingo hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $238
- Private VIP SUV Transfer – PUJ Airport to/from Miches Hotels: $235
- Tesla Transfer from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo: $235
- Punta Cana to La Romana transfer: $202
- Saona Island with Private Transfer and Personal Service: $189
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- Airport To City Hotel transfer: $50
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $84
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Playa Bonita: $75
- Panama 2 days / 1 night : hotel, transfers and city tour: $278
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $210
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $210
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $47
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $66
- Panama City Private Departure Transfer: $42
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $70
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Punta Cana or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Punta Cana 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 dayPunta Cana $68Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Punta Cana
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Punta Cana.
- Half Day Punta Cana Food Tour Including Transportation: $35
- Origen Tasting Adventure Dinner or Lunch of 8 Courses Dom Cuisine: $85
- Punta Cana Buggy Ride and Taino Party with Dinner: $139
- Sunset Buggies Adventure with Dinner from Punta Cana: $145
- Dinner in the Sky Experience in Punta Cana: $149
- Punta Cana Buggy Ride and Taino Party with Dinner: $230
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 Food Tour Local Markets Immersion (Tasting tour + Lunch): $50
- Unique Ravioli Fusion Cooking Class with lunch in Panama City: $55
- 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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Punta Cana $32Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Punta Cana
Here are a few typical costs in Punta Cana for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Dune Buggy Adventure$54
Tours and Activities in Punta Cana
Here are a few actual costs in Punta Cana for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 Hours Half Day Tour Buggy Macao Beach cenote Hotel Pickup: $34
- 3 Hours Panoramic Tour in Punta Cana with Artisan Market: $35
- 3 hrs Glass Boat Tour in Punta Cana: $65
- 3-Day Ultimate Dominican Adventure: Nature, Culture & History: $190
- 4 Hour ATV and Horseback Adventure in Punta Cana: $125
- 4 Hour Speed Experience in Punta Cana: $80
- 4 Hours Tour in Round Mountain and Macao Beach From Uvero Alto: $150
- 4 Wheel Adventure Beach and River Ride with Lunch: $135
- 4-Hour ATV and Horseback Adventure from Bávaro: $100
- 4-Hour ATV and Horseback Adventure in Uvero Alto: $130
- 4-Hour Glass Bottom Boat Experience in Punta Cana: $90
- 4X4 ATV adventure in Punta Cana to the cenote and Macao beach: $36
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- Casco Viejo a Panama's Hidden Treasures Walking Tour: $28
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- Half-Day Tour to Miraflores Locks & Casco Viejo: $32
- POIN Panama City Climb Experience: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPunta Cana $11Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Punta Cana and Panama City, we can see that Punta Cana is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Punta Cana is in Caribbean Islands 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 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 Punta Cana would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Punta Cana 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 Punta Cana Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Punta Cana or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Punta Cana. When comparing the sizes of Punta Cana 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.