Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Rio de Janeiro?
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 Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro 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: Rio de Janeiro or Panama City?
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. A portion of the city has been designated a World Heritage Site. It's also famous for Carnival, it's gorgeous beaches, and world-famous landmarks. Rio's appeal as a travel destination is apparent year round due to the great weather and plenty of fun activities. The city has a wonderful natural harbor that is surrounded by Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca, creating an absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring setting.
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 G Adventures Tours to Brazil, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Rio de Janeiro, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Rio de Janeiro Prices
Brazil PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRio de Janeiro $120Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Rio de Janeiro is $120, 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 Rio de Janeiro and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRio de Janeiro $66Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRio de Janeiro $132Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Rio de Janeiro and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Rio de Janeiro 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: Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rio de Janeiro $7.96Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
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Taxi Ride$2.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- TRANSFER ISLAND GRANDE Ground Transportation + Fast Boat: $292
- Rio Art Museum | Round Trip Transfer + 2 Tickets: $250
- Museum of Tomorrow - | Round Trip Transfer + 2 Tickets: $250
- Private Transfer | Round Trip: $250
- Transfer service from / to Rio de Janeiro / Paraty: $241
- Transfer Airports RJ x Hotel Fasano Angra up to 03 pax: $239
- Buzios Private Transfer to and from Rio de Janeiro: $200
- Private Transfer Bilingual Rio X Armor of Búzios: $199
- Transfers Rio X Buzios: $189
- Transfer Rio de Janeiro to Buzios 04 people: $189
- Corcovado Train and Sugarloaf Mountain Guided Tour with Transfer: $185
- Transfer service from / to Buzios / Arraial do Cabo / Cabo Frio: $183
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 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 Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $23
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca Round-Trip Private Transfer: $157
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $33
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $66
- Panama City Private Departure Transfer: $42
- Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $28
- Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón - Arrival Private Transfer: $76
- Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca - Private Transfer: $78
Is it cheaper to fly into Rio de Janeiro or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Rio de Janeiro 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 dayRio de Janeiro $35Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
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Popcorn$0.59
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Corn on the Cob$0.78
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Hamburger$0.98
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rio de Janeiro
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rio de Janeiro.
- Brazilian Breakfast Cooking Class in Rio: Bake and Blend: $75
- Roxy Dinner Show: That Embrace Show: $79
- Rio de Janeiro Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $81
- Hands-On Cooking Class in Rio: Iconic Street Foods & Caipirinhas: $85
- Rio Roots Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $89
- Brazilian Churrascaria Guided Dinner in Rio with Wine Pairing: $89
- Family Cooking Class in Rio Make 9 Brazilian Dishes Together: $95
- Cooking Class in Rio with 9 Recipes & Unlimited Caipirinhas: $95
- Roxy Show - Brazilian Rhythms with optional Barbecue Dinner: $102
- Brazilian Dinner Show: Cultural Experience in Rio de Janeiro: $115
- Samba Show Admission & Transfer with Dinner Option: $130
- Roxy Dinner Show - Dinner & Show: $137
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$8.26
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
- Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Panama City by Night: Rooftop Skyline, Dinner & Folklore Show: $85
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rio de Janeiro $22Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 1 Day Discovery Tour NO Rio DE Janeiro: $64
- 10-hour Private Tour Rio In One Day: Christ, Sugarloaf, Selarón, Downtown: $229
- 2 Day Tour from Rio de Janeiro, Corcovado and Arraial do Cabo: $211
- 2 Days Tour in City Tour Express and Arraial do Cabo: $199
- 3 Hour Rocinha Favela Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $47
- 4 horas - Tour private: Corcovado e praias: $220
- 4x4 Jeep Jungle Tour Rio de Janeiro: $52
- 6-Hour Private Guided Tour in Rio de Janeiro: $125
- 8-Hour Private Guided Tour in Rio de Janeiro: $134
- A Day in Arraial do Cabo Guided Tour: $100
- A Day in City Tour Complete: $70
- A Self-Guided Black History Audio Tour of Rio de Janeiro’s Little Africa: $12
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
- Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $16
- Panama Chocolate Factory Experience and Tasting: $19
- Sunset Bike Tour/ Cinta Costera Casco Viejo by Paradox Experience: $22
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $25
- Casco Viejo Golden Hour Rooftop Sunset Social Experience: $26
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- Private Walking Tour of Casco Antiguo: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Half-Day Casco Viejo The Real City Guided with a Local Touch Tour: $35
- 5 hour tour in Panama City: $35
- Craft Your Own Rum: The Casa Barú Experience Casco Viejo: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRio de Janeiro $12Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rio de Janeiro:
- Lapa by Night: Samba, Cachaça & The Ultimate Rio Pub Crawl: $30
- More than a Pub Crawl: An Authentic Night Experience in Rio: $40
- Rio Pub Crawl with Caipirinhas & Bar Bites: $95
- Brazilian Wine Tasting Evening: $123
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $177
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rio de Janeiro and Panama City, we can see that Rio de Janeiro is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Rio de Janeiro is in South America 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 Rio de Janeiro would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rio de Janeiro or Panama City?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Rio de Janeiro 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.