Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Santorini?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santorini or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Santorini or Panama City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Santorini or Panama City?
Santorini
Santorini is a volcanic island that is part of the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands. It has some spectacular views, beautiful sunsets, and excellent beaches. As one of the most popular of the Greek Islands to visit, Santorini sees many tourists every year. However, it's for a good reason, as the famous white-washed buildings that spill down the hill, some with blue domes that match the gorgeous color of the water, are set against the beautiful mountainous backdrop of one of the most scenic areas of the Mediterranean. Home to several of these small and scenic towns such as Oia, Kamari, Perissa, and Fira, visitors can explore the large island, enjoy delicious food, swim at the beaches, hike the hills, and sail the blue waters.
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 Luxury Tours to Greece, The Best Budget Tours to Greece, The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City, and The Best Adventure Tours to Panama.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySantorini €175Panama City €80
The average daily cost (per person) in Santorini is €175, while the average daily cost in Panama City is €80. 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 Santorini and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSantorini €93Panama City €33
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSantorini €186Panama City €66
Compare Hotels in Santorini and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Santorini 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: Santorini Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santorini €28Panama City €9.94
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santorini
Also for Santorini, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Helicopter Transfer between Mykonos & Santorini: $3,767
- Santorini Luxury Catamaran Day Cruise with BBQ,drinks,transfer: $180
- Private Sunset Tour with Picnic & Transfer: $161
- Santorini Small-Group Catamaran Sailing Trip(BBQ,drinks, transfer): $142
- Caldera Cruise with Greek Meal and Transfer: $140
- Skip Cable Car! Santorini Shore Excursion with Boat Transfers: $137
- Luxury Santorini Sailing Cruise: Lunch, BBQ, Open Bar, Transfers: $131
- Santorini to Heraklion Crete: Ferry Ticket & Hotel Transfer: $126
- Santorini to Mykonos: Ferry Ticket & Hotel Transfer: $126
- Santorini Classic Catamaran Cruise with Meal Drinks and Transfers: $126
- Santorini Private transfer up to 8 persons: $120
- Santorini Sunset Luxury Sailing Catamaran Cruise with BBQ, drinks, transfer: $120
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Embera Indian Village Tour w/ Airport Transfer: $290
- Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): Private Transfer to Coronado: $271
- Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY): Transfer to Decameron hotels: $267
- Round trip transfer in private Car from Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca-Farallon: $240
- Half-Day City & Canal Tour w/ Airport Transfer: $215
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Playa Blanca resorts : $206
- Transfer in private minivan from Panama Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca-Farallon: $160
- Skip the Line: Miraflores Visitor Center Ticket with Transfer: $155
- Panama Tocumen Airport(PTY) to Colón Round-Trip Private Transfer: $142
- Round-Trip Transfer in Private Minivan from-to Tocumen Airport in Playa Bonita: $140
- Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $137
- Private Transfer from Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Colón resorts: $137
Is it cheaper to fly into Santorini or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Santorini 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 daySantorini €48Panama City €19
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santorini
For Santorini, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traditional Greek Night live Music & Dinner Show in Santorini: $55
- Santorini Caldera: Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $70
- Romantic Sunset Caldera Cruise with Dinner: $70
- Volcanic Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $81
- Catamaran Tour with BBQ Dinner, Drinks, and Music: $85
- Santorini Caldera Sunset Sailing Cruise with Dinner and Wine: $87
- Volcano and Hot Springs Sunset Dinner Cruise: $97
- Santorini Cooking Class with Wine Tasting: $108
- Santorini Volcano Sunset Cruise Including Dinner on Board: $108
- The Aegean Cooking Class: $109
- Cooking Class in Traditional cave house in Santorini!: $120
- Fira: 4-Hour Walking Food Tour With Tastings: $124
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€7.69
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
- Night Out Experience (360 Panoramic Views + Dinner Show): $80
- 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.Santorini €36Panama City €61
Tours and Activities in Santorini
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Santorini.
- Santorini Panoramic Blue Shade Tour-Firostefani, Imerovigli, Oia: $62
- Santorini Private Half Day Tour : $218
- 2-Day Santorini Bus Tour with Volcanic Cruise: $109
- 3 Hour Sightseeing Tour in the Magical Santorini: $74
- 3 Hour Tour in Oia: $120
- 3 Hours Private Santorini Tour: $137
- 3-Hour Santorini Highlights Tour: $71
- 4 Hour Eat and Drink Private Tour in Santorini: $296
- 4 hours Private Half Day Tour in Santorini Island: $175
- 4 hrs island tour and photoshooting, Oia Blue domes, Red beach : $197
- 4-Hour Private Custom Santorini Tour: $162
- 5 Hour Sightseeing Tour in the Magical Santorini: $111
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- #1 Walking Tour in Casco Viejo, Panama Canal Museum & Lunch : $77
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour " : $100
- 1- or 2-Night Experience in San Blas Islands: $260
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 2 Hours Tour to Panama La Vieja for Groups: $170
- 2 Hr Express Tour for Business Travellers & Airport Layovers: $75
- 2-Day San Blas Adventure from Panama City: $270
- 3 Hour Airport Tour from Tocumen: $125
- 3 Hours Private Photo Tour in Casco Antiguo: $90
- 3-Hour Private Tour in Panama La Vieja: $45
- 4-Hour Gatun Lake Boat Tour and Jungle Wildlife: $99
- 5-Hour Tour to Miraflores Locks and Sloth Sanctuary: $140
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySantorini €26Panama City €17
Sample the Local Flavors in Santorini
Also in Santorini, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Top Sights Day Trip, Wine Tasting, & Oia Sunset: $63
- Fira Town Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $75
- Visit to a Wine Museum and Wine Tasting in Santorini : $76
- 2 Hours Private Wine Tasting Tour in Santorini With Pick Up: $87
- Notos Day Tour through History & Wine Tasting: $98
- Wine Tour with Sunset in Oia: $107
- Santorini Highlights Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting from Fira: $109
- 5 towns in 5 hours: Santorini Most Popular Tour with Wine tasting: $117
- 3-Hour Wine Tasting in Santorini : $126
- Santorini Wine Adventure with 12 Wine Tastings, Tapas and Sunset: $131
- Santorini wine tasting and Traditional Cave Settlement Tour: $142
- Intimate Santorini - Small Group Shore Excursion and Wine Tasting: $142
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santorini and Panama City, we can see that Santorini is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Santorini is in Europe 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 Santorini would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santorini 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 Santorini Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santorini or Panama City?
Santorini has a larger population, and is about 47% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Santorini 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.