Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Vientiane?
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 Vientiane or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Vientiane 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: Vientiane or Panama City?
Vientiane
You wouldn't expect the capital city to have such a relaxing environment, but in Vientiane, Laos you can sit back and take in the beautiful scenery without feeling pressure to see every little thing. With Vientiane, what you see is what you get.
While picturesque temples and markets line the streets, the city is still experiencing a successful building boom. Even the Presidential Palace has undergone some hefty renovations.
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 Bicycle Tours in Laos, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Laos, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Vientiane Prices
Laos PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVientiane $23Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Vientiane is $23, 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 Vientiane and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVientiane $8.34Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVientiane $17Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Vientiane and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Vientiane 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: Vientiane Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Vientiane $1.98Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vientiane
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vientiane are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$4.10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vientiane
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vientiane:
- Wattay Airport (VTE): Private Transfer to/from Vientiane: $20
- Vientian Private Airport Transfer - Wattay Airport: $15
- Vientiane Private Transfer: Wattay Airport -Hotel-Railway Station: $9.90
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers to Riu Playa Blanca, The Buenaventura Golf, Rio hato: $8.00
- Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
- Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
- Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $15
- Private Transfer Airport PTY to/from Panama City: $17
- Private Airport Transfer PTY to Panama City or Playa Blanca: $18
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport: $19
- Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá: $19
- Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
- Private Transfer Tocumen Airport to Panama City or Beach: $20
- Transfer to or from the airport / Min 2 pax: $20
- Private Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama City: $21
Is it cheaper to fly into Vientiane or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Vientiane 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 dayVientiane $12Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vientiane
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Vientiane.
- Vientiane Private Lao Cooking Class with Market Tour and Lunch: $70
- Vientiane classic Food tour ( Included Food ): $78
- Night Market, Dinner, and Nightclub: $90
- Vientiane Private Lao Cooking Class with Market Tour: $122
- Cooking Class Garden House: $335
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.Vientiane $3.76Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Vientiane
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Vientiane are as follows:
- 1-Day Tour to Vang Vieng with Private Guide: $200
- 1-Day Vientiane City Adventure: Top Sights & Hidden Gems: $110
- Exclusive Vientiane Day Tour Featuring Buddha Park: $199
- Explore Vientiane with Lao Art Museum Tour: $61
- From Plain of Jars Tour & Homestay: $1,650
- From Vang Vieng 2-Day Tour with Blue Lagoon: $443
- From Vang Vieng Tour with Cave Kayak & Zipline: $113
- Guided Vientiane City and Buddha Park Full-Day Tour: $99
- Half Day Private Tour in City Highlights: $120
- Half-Day Vientiane City Bike Tour | Laos: $90
- Lao Arts Museum & City Highlights Tour with Lunch: $122
- Laos Railway Tickets Easily: Avoid Long Queues & Wasted Time: $8.50
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Private Historic Tour of the Old Town: $25
- Panama Casco Viejo: Walking Tour Must See Treasures!!!: $25
- Panama: Highlights Bike Tour in Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera: $26
- Panama : Must-See Sites Walking Tour With A Guide: $27
- Panama City Must-see Attractions Walking Tour with a Guide: $27
- Panama City Bike Tour By Paradox Experience: $29
- Monkey and Sloth Jungle Habitat Panama Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Half-Day Tour to Miraflores Locks & Casco Viejo: $32
- POIN Swing Experience: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVientiane $2.09Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Vientiane and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Vientiane much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Vientiane is in Asia 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 Vientiane would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Vientiane 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 Vientiane.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Vientiane Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Vientiane or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Vientiane. When comparing the sizes of Vientiane 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.