Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Roatan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Roatan or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Roatan and Panama City. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Roatan or Panama City?
Roatan
Your next great vacation lies just thirty miles off the north coast of Honduras. Right above the world's largest coral reef is the island of Roatan. As a popular tourist attraction and standard cruise destination, it's not uncommon to see tons of Americans during your trip. In fact, the cruising industry has had huge impact on the island's culture. While ships are in port, traffic will be heavier and prices may go up. Because of the growth of tourism, most locals speak both Spanish and English.
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 Honduras, The Best Adventure Tours to Honduras, 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 dayRoatan $38Panama City $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Roatan is $38, 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 Roatan and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRoatan $11Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRoatan $22Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Roatan and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Roatan 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: Roatan Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Roatan $19Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:
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Water Taxi$4.26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Roatan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Roatan:
- Roatan Island Buggy Adventure plus Transfer: $217
- Roatan Buggy Adventure, Monkey & Sloth Park, Beach Pass plus Private Transfer: $207
- Roatan Buggy Adventure, Snorkeling, Beach Pass plus Private Transfer: $207
- North Side Blue Channel & Starfish Snorkeling, 20min JetSki, Transfer Included: $165
- Parasailing, Beach Break, Chocolate Factory with Transfer: $155
- Private Transfer from Honduras Roatan Airport (RTB) to Roatan Hotels: $141
- Horseback Riding, Beach with Palapa and Transfer: $130
- East Sightseeing, Mangrove Tunnel Snorkel, Hole in the Wall, with Transfer: $130
- Parasailing adventure with round trip transfers included: $130
- Scuba Dive in the West End of Roatan with Private Transfer: $125
- South Side Horseback Riding, Beach Break & Roundway Transfer: $120
- Roatan Special Catamaran for Cruise Ship Passengers plus Transfer: $113
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
- Private transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Panama City: $15
- Transfer in private vehicle from Panama City - Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): $15
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Private One-way Airport Transfer (Tocumen Airport To/From Panamá): $23
- Private Airport Transfer: $23
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels.: $25
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport - Old Town(Casco Viejo): $25
- Tocumen Airport Private Transfer. Arrivals / Departures: $27
- Airport TRANSFER 1 way Tocumen Howard BLB Albrook Rio Hato Colon: $28
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Panama city - Arrival Private Transfer: $28
- Panama city to Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY)- Private Transfer: $28
Is it cheaper to fly into Roatan or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Roatan 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 dayRoatan $9.43Panama City $21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Roatan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Roatan.
- Cooking classes from a Local!: $200
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.Roatan $27Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Roatan
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Roatan are as follows:
- Mangrove cruise garífuna Culture sightseeing and Lunch : $89
- Sloths Sanctuary/Monkeys Play + Dune Buggy/ATV Adventure & Private Beach Resort: $139
- 2 Hour Zip Lining Private Tour in Mahogany Bay: $65
- 4-Hour East Side Roatan Private Guided Tour with Canoe Ride: $120
- ATV Safari and Horseback Adventure at Mahogany Bay: $110
- Adventures of Roatan ATV Pineapple beach break: $120
- Animal Sightings and Walking Tour at Gumbalimba Park with Addons: $90
- Atv Island Tour: $85
- Cruise Excursion – 2 Scuba Dives with transport (for certified divers): $175
- Cruise Ship Combo: Sloths, Chocolate Factory, City Tour, Beach, Private Shuttle: $75
- Cruise Ship Family Sloth & Monkeys, West Tour, Beach plus Private Vehicle: $75
- Cruise Ship Multiple Snorkeling, Snacks, Music & Private Vehicle: $110
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Casco Antiguo Virtual Live Tour: $12
- Tour de bares en El Cangrejo con Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- Bar tour in El Cangrejo with Bar Hopping Panama: $20
- POIN Swing Experience: $27
- POIN The Edge Experience: $27
- POIN Glass Viewpoint Experience: $27
- Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $28
- Panama City Bike Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- Bike tour in Panama City and Old City with locals: $31
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRoatan $7.07Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Roatan
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Roatan:
- Half-Day Tour in Roatan With Brewery, Rum and Chocolate Factories visit: $46
- Bar Crawl Tour in West End Village by Pedibike- Let the Good Times Roll: $80
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Roatan and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Roatan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Roatan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Roatan 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 Roatan.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Roatan Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Roatan or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Roatan. When comparing the sizes of Roatan 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.