Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Quepos?
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 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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Quepos Prices
Costa Rica PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayQuepos $153Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Quepos is $153, 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 Quepos and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personQuepos $84Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomQuepos $168Panama 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 $11Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Quepos
Also for Quepos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- One-Way Private Transfer from Quepos - Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $295
- Private transfer from Manuel Antonio Quepos to Hotels in San Jose or the Airport: $269
- Private Transfer from Quepos Port to Liberia Int Airport (LIR): $256
- Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to Liberia City Hotels: $256
- Private Airport Transfer to Manuel Antonio: $250
- Private Transfer: SJO Airport to or from Manuel Antonio Quepos: $235
- Private Transfer FROM or TO Manuel Antonio - Sierpe: $209
- Private Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to San Jose City Hotels: $205
- Private One Way Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Arenal La Fortuna: $195
- Transfer from Quepos Cruise Port to Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO): $164
- One-Way Private Transfer from Uvita to Quepos - Manuel Antonio: $140
- Private One Way Transfer from Manuel Antonio to San José (Airport SJO): $110
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
- Transfers to Riu Playa Blanca, The Buenaventura Golf, Rio hato: $8.00
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $27
- Transfers: $37
- Transfer to or from the airport / Min 2 pax: $20
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca Hotels: $85
- 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 Panama City to Amador Cruise Port: $35
- San Blas Day Trip (Transfers & Lunch included): $175
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 $56Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch$16
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Seafood Dinner (for 1)$22
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Quepos
For Quepos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 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
- Local Flavor Cooking Experience: $96
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.Quepos $19Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Quepos
For Quepos, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2-Hour Damas Mangrove Kayak Tour from Quepos – Wildlife: $65
- 2-Hour Kayak Tour in Quepos: $85
- 2-Hour Kayak Tour in Quepos Mangroves – See Monkeys & Lunch: $77
- Adventure to Natural Wonders on the Pacific Coast: $130
- All Inclusive Catamaran Eco Adventure from Manuel Antonio: $86
- All Inclusive Zip line & Catamaran Eco Adventure: $170
- All-Inclusive Jungle Night Tour: $59
- Barista Experience Workshop: $120
- Barista Experience Workshop: $120
- Barista Experience Workshop: $120
- Birding at El Rey. (Marshes,rice fields,canals) Private Birding Tour: $120
- Birdwatching Manuel Antonio/ El Rey. (Marshes,rice fields,canals) Group Tour: $129
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- “Bike Tour Casco Viejo and Panama City Discover the Essence: $40
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 1- or 2-Night Experience in San Blas Islands: $260
- 2 Days Island Hopping Adventure San Blas Islands - Private Cabin: $265
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 2 Nights in San Blas - Shared Cabin + Meals + Boat Tour: $179
- 2-Day San Blas Adventure from Panama City with WiFi: $260
- 3 Hour Airport Tour from Tocumen: $125
- 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
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayQuepos $16Panama 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.