Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Sao Paulo?
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 Sao Paulo or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sao Paulo 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: Sao Paulo or Panama City?
Sao Paulo
With a population of around 11 million, and 20 million in the metropolitan area, Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It's also one of the wealthiest cities in the southern hemisphere, although you don't have to look far to see the income disparities and inequalities that exist. The city is diverse and culturally rich, with excellent food, music, and entertainment.
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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Sao Paulo Prices
Brazil PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySao Paulo $64Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Sao Paulo is $64, 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 Sao Paulo and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSao Paulo $30Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSao Paulo $60Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Sao Paulo and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Sao Paulo 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: Sao Paulo Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sao Paulo $6.09Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sao Paulo
Also for Sao Paulo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Arrival Transfer | Viracopos Airport (VCP) x São Paulo City: $300
- Private Transfer from Ilhabela Port to Sao Paulo City Hotels: $292
- Private Transfer from Sao Paulo City Hotels to Ilhabela Port: $292
- Private Transfer from Sao Paulo Airport (GRU) to Ilhabela Port: $292
- Guarulhos Airport to Poços de Caldas Thermal Round-Trip Transfer: $283
- Private Transfer from Congonhas Airport (CGH) to Santos Port: $254
- Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport (GRU) to São Pedro-RoundTrip Transfer: $250
- Sao Paulo Airport to Beach Resorts - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $249
- Sao Paulo Airport (GRU) to Santos hotels - Round-Trip Transfer: $242
- Private Transfer from Ubatuba Port to Sao Paulo Int Airport (GRU): $227
- Private Transfer from Sao Paulo Int Airport (GRU) to Ubatuba Port: $227
- Private Transfer from Ubatuba Port to Sao Paulo City Hotels: $227
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer to Panama City, Hotel and City tour - 1 night: $266
- Private Transfer from PTY to Playa Blanca resorts: $224
- Private Transfer from Panama City or PTY Airport to Beach Resort: $220
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $211
- San Blas Day Trip (Transfers & Lunch included): $175
- Private Transfer from Panama City Airport to Beach Resorts: $175
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Private Transfer from Panama City Hotels to Colón Cruise Port: $157
- Private Transfer from Colón Cruise Port to Panama City Hotels: $157
- 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 Sao Paulo or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Sao Paulo 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 daySao Paulo $26Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sao Paulo
For Sao Paulo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Street Food Tour in São Paulo with a Local Guide: $74
- 4h Cooking Class in São Paulo with 9 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $89
- São Suppers Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $95
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:
- Unique Ravioli Fusion Cooking Class with lunch in Panama City: $55
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- 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 in Panama (20+ flavors) 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.Sao Paulo $4.11Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Sao Paulo
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sao Paulo.
- 2 Hours Private São Paulo Museum of Modern Art Tour: $240
- 3 Beaches Hiking Santo Amaro Island - Paradise Route Tour from São Paulo: $123
- 4 Hour Private City Tour in Sao Paulo: $164
- 4 Hour Private Tour - São Paulo: $128
- 4-Hour Private Tour in Sao Paulo: $300
- 4-hour Sum-up Private Tour Of São Paulo Including Its Major Attractions: $119
- 5-hour Pelé Private Tour: The King of Football: $175
- 5-hour Private Tour Of São Paulo With Its Main Sights – Optional Airport Pickup: $139
- 6 Hour Buddhist Temple and Embu das Artes Tour – Art Galleries, Artisan Shops: $203
- 6-Hour Classic Half-Day Private Tour of São Paulo – Optional Airport Pickup: $175
- 6-Hour Private Layover Tour in São Paulo from GRU & CGH Airports: $179
- 7-hour Private Tour Overview Of São Paulo – Optional For GRU Airport Pickup: $207
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 Nights in San Blas - Shared Cabin + Meals + Boat Tour: $179
- 2-Day San Blas Adventure from Panama City with WiFi: $260
- 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 daySao Paulo $3.58Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Sao Paulo
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sao Paulo:
- Pub Crawl in Pinheiros: Explore the Nightlife of São Paulo: $36
- 4 Hours Pub Crawl in Vila Madalena: $150
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sao Paulo and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Sao Paulo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sao Paulo 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 Sao Paulo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sao Paulo 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 Sao Paulo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sao Paulo Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sao Paulo or Panama City?
Sao Paulo has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Sao Paulo 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.