Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Thessaloniki?
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 Thessaloniki or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Thessaloniki or Panama City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Thessaloniki or Panama City?
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and serves as the capital city of the Central Macedonia region. It also has a rich history dating back more than 3,000 years. As a visitor, you'll find that the city has been touched by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, all of which left their mark. In particular, the many Byzantine churches are quite impressive, with some of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
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 Tours for Seniors to Greece, The Best Contiki Tours to Greece, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Thessaloniki Prices
Greece PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayThessaloniki €165Panama City €88
The average daily cost (per person) in Thessaloniki is €165, while the average daily cost in Panama City is €88. 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 Thessaloniki and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personThessaloniki €79Panama City €30
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomThessaloniki €158Panama City €60
Compare Hotels in Thessaloniki and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Thessaloniki 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: Thessaloniki Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Thessaloniki €13Panama City €9.23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki
Also for Thessaloniki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- From Private Day Trip to Meteora with Transfer: $519
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki to Sofia (SOF) Airport: $277
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki to Volos with 2h Stop: $226
- Transfer from Thessaloniki to Ikos Olivia: $214
- Private Airport Transfer Thessaloniki (SKG) to Halkidiki Hotels: $190
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki to Larissa with 2h Stop: $173
- Private transfer from Thessaloniki airport to Sarti: $167
- Thessaloniki Airport to Anthemus Sea Beach Hotel and Spa Private Transfer: $155
- Private Transfer to Thessaloniki Airport from Thessaloniki City: $131
- Private Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport to Thessaloniki Hotel: $131
- Thessaloniki Airport to Sani Hotels Private Transfer: $119
- Thessaloniki Airport to Afitis Boutique Hotel Private Transfer: $119
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- VIP Transfer Panama: Playa Bonita, Panama City & Pacific Riviera: $20
- Travel in Comfort Airport Transfer Pty: $30
- Transfers to Riu Playa Blanca, The Buenaventura Golf, Rio hato: $45
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $27
- Transfers: $37
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca Hotels: $85
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Transfer from PTY/Panama City to Cruise Terminal or Back: $35
- Transfer Tocumen International Airport - Playa Blanca, Rio Hato, Buena Ventura: $75
- Transfer Tocumen Airport to Hotel Westin or Dreams Playa Bonita: $55
- Transfer Tocumen Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita (Westin and Dreams): $38
Is it cheaper to fly into Thessaloniki or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Thessaloniki 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 dayThessaloniki €72Panama City €31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Open Market Food Tour with Tasting: $52
- Walking Open Market Food Tour and Tasting: $54
- Thessaloniki Food Tour : Eat Like a Local (Small Group): $60
- Cooking Experience with Local Greek Family: $68
- Sweet Taste Of Thessaloniki - Food Tour With A Local: $74
- Food Tour with Rooftop Views: $75
- Guided Food Tour: $81
- Thessaloniki Food Tour: A Feast of Local Delicacies: $88
- Get a Taste of Thessaloniki - Food tour to local tastes: $89
- Thessaloniki Food Tour: A Feast of Local Delicacies: $90
- Thessaloniki:Cook Like a Greek Mama – Authentic Home Cooking: $91
- Cook Like a Greek Mama – Authentic Home Cooking: $94
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€7.13
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 Ravioli Masterclass + Dinner in Panama City center: $55
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- Street Food Tour Panama City (28+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $95
- 4h Cooking Class in 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $245
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Thessaloniki €26Panama City €57
Tours and Activities in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Day Chortiatis mt Thessaloniki Hiking Tour with Hotel Pickup: $83
- 4 Hours Private Thessaloniki City Tour: $238
- 4-Hour Thessaloniki Jewish Heritage Private Guided Tour: $250
- Alexander the Great Experience: Private Tour Vergina and Pella: $190
- Alexander the Great Private Tour at Pella and Vergina: $143
- Ancient Macedonia Private Tour Pella Vergina and Dion: $101
- Ano Poli: A walking tour in Thessaloniki's colorful Old Town: $86
- Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Guided Tour: $89
- Archery Odyssey Traditional Archery Experience: $71
- Best of Thessaloníki: Private Walking Tour with a Local: $35
- Best of Private Guided Tour: $69
- Best of Tour by Local: $71
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- #1 Walking Tour of Casco Viejo Panama with Lunch included: $70
- "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 1 Night San Blas Adventure in Pamana: $260
- 3 1/2 Hour Experience of Lake Gatun in Panama: $95
- 3 Hours Private Walking Tour in Casco Antiguo Panama City: $45
- 4-hour tour in Panama: $105
- 5 Hours Private Panama City Tour: $200
- 5-Hour Tour of Panama City, Panama from Tocumen Airport: $130
- 5-hour tour in Panama by a Local Guide: $39
- 5hour tour of Panama City and Panama Canal - Shared or Private: $65
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayThessaloniki €15Panama City €16
Sample the Local Flavors in Thessaloniki
Also in Thessaloniki, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Saturday Night Pub Crawl in Thessaloniki, Greece: $25
- Cellar Wine Tasting of Greek Varieties: $55
- From Pozar Baths & Wine Tasting: $63
- Wine Tasting & Farm tour in Thessaloniki: $95
- Small-Group Wine Tasting Tour with Appetizers: $97
- Ktima Gerovassiliou Wine Tour & Museum – Thessaloniki”: $106
- Greek Wine Tasting & Tour at Ktima Gerovasiliou: $110
- Winery Tour and Wine Tasting: $110
- Kavala: Winery tour & Wine Tasting with food pairings in Kavala: $113
- Private Day Trip to Petralona Cave and Afytos with Wine Tasting: $143
- Alexander the Great and Northern Greece Wine Tour: $256
- Halkidiki Wine Tour with Aristotle's Park: $577
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Thessaloniki and Panama City, we can see that Thessaloniki is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Thessaloniki 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 Thessaloniki Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Thessaloniki or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 15% larger than the population of Thessaloniki. When comparing the sizes of Thessaloniki 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.