Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Quepos?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Quepos or Panama City?
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 Quepos and Panama City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Quepos or Panama City?
Quepos
Quepos is both a district and the capital of Aguirre canton in the Puntareanas Province of Costa Rica. The town is quite small, and the district has a population of about 22,000 people. Quepos is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica due to its close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. The town's economy is centered around tourism and there is no shortage of bars and restaurants in the area. The town also has a lively nightlife for such a small community.
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 Wildlife Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Costa Rica, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQuepos $117Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Quepos is $117, while the average daily cost in Panama City is $86. 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 Quepos and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQuepos $77Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQuepos $154Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Quepos and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Quepos 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: Quepos Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Quepos $9.56Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos
Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer - San Jose Airport & Manuel Antonio/Quepos : $300
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $276
- Manuel Antonio & Quepos one way transfer to SJO hotels - Airport up to 5 people.: $274
- Private transfer from SJ Airport to Manuel Antonio and vice versa: $230
- Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca: $220
- Transfer from Manuel Antonio to SJO Airport and surroundings : $209
- Private Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Nauyaca Waterfalls (Round Trip): $199
- One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
- Private Transfer From San Jose Airport To Manuel Antonio Beach: $125
- Transfer TO or FROM Manuel Antonio, Quepos to SJO Airport - Private (ONE WAY): $105
- Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $90
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $33
- 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 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 from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $67
- Transfer from PTY Airport or Panama City to Playa Blanca and Back: $77
- Transfer from PTY Airport or Panama City to Cruise Terminal: $30
- Transfer Tocumen International Airport - Playa Blanca, Rio Hato, Buena Ventura: $75
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels.: $25
Is it cheaper to fly into Quepos or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Quepos 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 dayQuepos $30Panama City $21
Typical Food Prices in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch$15
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Seafood Dinner (for 1)$20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Night Jungle Tour with Dinner (Rainmaker Park): $59
- 3 Hour Cooking Class and Medical Plants Garden: $77
- Cooking Class & Medicinal Plants Garden Manuel Antonio: $77
- Night Mangrove Safari Boat Tour with Dinner | Manuel Antonio: $79
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$8.27
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:
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $60
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $85
- 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class : $85
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $85
- The 'Real' Panamanian Private Food Tour: $200
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Quepos $17Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Quepos
For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 10 in 1 Tour! Zip Lines, Rappels, Tarzan Swing, Waterfalls & More: $130
- 2-3-Hour Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour: $30
- 2-Hour Boat Tour in Quepos: $55
- 3-Hour Damas Mangrove Kayak Tour: $90
- ATV Tour Half Day Trip From Manuel Antonio: $90
- All Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure from Manuel Antonio: $83
- All-Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure with Lunch: $93
- All-Inclusive Full-Day Nauyaca Waterfall and Beach Town Tour: $142
- All-Inclusive Jungle Night Tour: $59
- Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio: $20
- Birding at El Rey. (Marshes,rice fields,canals) Private Birding Tour : $120
- Canopy Tour From Manuel Antonio: $116
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Canopy-ziplining Adventures in Anton Valley: $195
- City Tour y Canal de Panamá: $35
- Panama Canal locks (Miraflores ) and Casco Viejo walking tour: $67
- #1 Walking Tour in Casco Viejo, Panama Canal Museum & Lunch : $77
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour " : $100
- 2 Hours Tour to Panama La Vieja for Groups: $170
- 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
- 4-Hour Gatun Lake Boat Tour and Jungle Wildlife: $99
- 5-Hour Tour of Panama City, Panama from Tocumen Airport: $130
- 5-Hour Tour to Miraflores Locks and Sloth Sanctuary: $140
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQuepos $15Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Quepos and Panama City, we can see that Quepos is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Quepos would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Quepos 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 Quepos Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Quepos or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Quepos. When comparing the sizes of Quepos 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.