Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Santa Elena?
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 Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena 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: Santa Elena or Panama City?
Santa Elena
Santa Elena is a cute town, and the closest to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. It's one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica, and is a great place to experience the cloud forest and see some of country's unique wildlife.
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest you have a good chance of seeing rare quetzals which are the national bird of Costa Rica. Other common animals include white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-kneed tarantulas, any of 8-9 species of hummingbirds, and sloth.
Santa Elena is about 1,400 meters above sea level and has a humid and damp environment. The average yearly temperature is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the average rainfall is 3,000 millimetres. Humidity can be anywhere between 74% and 97%.
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 Costa Rica, The Best One Week (7-Day) 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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Santa Elena Prices
Costa Rica PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySanta Elena $121Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Elena is $121, 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 Santa Elena and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSanta Elena $60Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSanta Elena $120Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Santa Elena and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Santa Elena 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: Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santa Elena $12Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Elena
Also for Santa Elena, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- One Way Private Transfer from Monteverde - Liberia: $276
- One-Way Private Transfer: Monteverde to Quepos and Manuel Antonio: $276
- Private Transfer From Monteverde to your Destination: $260
- Private Transfer From Monteverde to San Jose With 2 Stops: $231
- Monteverde to Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) - Departure Transfer: $219
- Direct transfer from Monteverde to San Jose, English Speaking Driver: $195
- Shuttle Transfer from Monteverde to Tamarindo area: $65
- Shuttle Transfer Lake crossing from Monteverde To Arenal: $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Panama 2 days / 1 night : hotel, transfers and city tour: $278
- Transfer to Panama City, Hotel and City tour - 1 night: $266
- Private Transfer from PTY to Playa Blanca resorts: $224
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca resorts: $224
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $211
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $211
- Private Transfer from Panama City Airport to Beach Resorts: $175
- San Blas Day Trip (Transfers & Lunch included): $175
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Miraflores Visitor Center Ticket & Transfer: $155
- Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $148
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón resorts: $148
Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Elena or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Santa Elena 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 daySanta Elena $45Panama City $36
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 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
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santa Elena $33Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Santa Elena
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santa Elena.
- 3 hours of the Longest and Highest Extreme Zip line Experience in Monteverde: $105
- 5-Hour Birdwatching and Photography Tour in Monteverde: $120
- Adventure Day - Outdoor Fun for Family & Friends Package: $39
- Adventure Park High Ropes Course: $69
- Adventure dans la forêt nuageuse de Monteverde: $30
- Authentic Coffee Farm Tour in Monteverde with Local Family: $40
- Authentic experience of Coffee, Cane and Caco inside the forest: $44
- Birding tour Curi cancha: $75
- Birdwatching Tour in Monteverde: $85
- Birdwatching Tour in the Cloud Forest hanging Selvatura: $75
- Birdwatching Tour in the Wildlife of Monteverde: $65
- Birdwatching Tour: unlock the wonder, whether beginner or advanced: $175
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
- 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
- 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
- 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 daySanta Elena $6.85Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santa Elena and Panama City, we can see that Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santa Elena 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 Santa Elena Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
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.