A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Roseau vs. Panama City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Roseau 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 Roseau 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: Roseau or Panama City?

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.


Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Roseau?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Roseau is $242, 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 Roseau and Panama City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Roseau $135
    Panama City $35
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Roseau $270
    Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Roseau and Panama City

Looking for a hotel in Roseau 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.

Hotels in Roseau


Hotels in Panama City


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: Panama City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Roseau $14
    Panama City $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City

Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • 2 Days 1 Night Tour in Panama : Hotel and Transfers: $278
  • Transfer Airport or Hotel To Playa Venao Panama or vice versa: $260
  • Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
  • Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
  • Private Transfer from Panama City Hotels to Colón Cruise Port: $158
  • Miraflores Visitor Center Ticket & Transfer: $155
  • Arrival Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama by Sprinter: $152
  • Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $150
  • Roundtrip Private Transfer Panama Airport (PTY) - Playa Blanca : $142
  • Private Transfer Hotel or Airport to Resorts in Playa Blanca. One way: $125
  • Transfer from Panama Airport to Colon Cruise Terminal: $110
  • Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Coronado/Gorgona - Arrival Transfer: $107

Is it cheaper to fly into Roseau or Panama City?

Prices for flights to both Panama City and Roseau 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Roseau $90
    Panama City $36

Typical Food Prices in Panama City

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:


  • Sandwich
    $8.24

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
  • Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
  • E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Theater Live Show Admission: $75
  • Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
  • Cooking Class in Panama City with 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
  • 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
  • Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
  • Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
  • The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $205
  • Street Food Tour in Panama with a Local Guide: $263

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Roseau $42
    Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Roseau

For Roseau, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Half Day Taxi Tour of Island
    $100
  • 1/2 Day Kayak Rental
    $35

Tours and Activities in Panama City

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.

  • Gatun Lake Panamá Wildlife Adventure Guided Experience: $159
  • Horseback riding and Agri-Tour in Colon Private tour: $75
  • Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
  • Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo Tour: $115
  • Panama a quick and memorable tour: $68
  • San Blas Islands, 4-Island Tour All-Inclusive Welcome Cocktail: $149
  • #1 Walking Tour of Casco Viejo Panama with Lunch included : $70
  • “Bike Tour Casco Viejo and Panama City Discover the Essence: $40
  • “Panama at Your Rhythm: Private Tour with Canal, Old Town and More”: $67
  • "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour " : $100
  • 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
  • 2 Days 1 Night San Blas Adventure in Pamana: $260

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Roseau $17
    Panama City $18


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Roseau and Panama City, we can see that Roseau is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Roseau 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 Roseau would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Roseau 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 Roseau Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Roseau or Panama City?

Panama City has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Roseau. When comparing the sizes of Roseau 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.