Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Wellington?
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 Wellington or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Wellington 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: Wellington or Panama City?
Wellington
Wellington is the capital and second largest city in New Zealand. It sits on the southwestern edge of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It's a beautiful setting that is encircled by mountains giving it a beautiful backdrop. There are also many cultural sights and attractions around town. Wellington really is the perfect mix of New Zealand's natural beauty and a vibrant urban core. The film industry is also prevelant in the city. The city's production centers have helped create Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit trilogies, Avatar, Tin Tin, and District 9.
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 Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand, The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.
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Wellington Prices
New Zealand PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayWellington $125Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Wellington is $125, 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 Wellington and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personWellington $61Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomWellington $122Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Wellington and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Wellington 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: Wellington Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Wellington $12Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Wellington
Also for Wellington, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Wellington Airport(WLG) to Wellington-Round-Trip Private Transfer: $154
- Private Large SUV Airport Transfers Wellington - Executive Travel: $108
- Private Transfer from Wellington Cruise Port to Wellington Hotels: $104
- WLG Airport to City Private RoundTrip Transfer: $93
- Wellington Airport (WLG) to Wellington - Arrival Private Transfer: $77
- Wellington to Wellington Airport(WLG)-Departure Private Transfer: $77
- Private Airport Transfer Service Vice Versa in Wellington by SUV: $75
- Private Airport Transfer Service Vice Versa in Wellington by SUV: $69
- Wētā Workshop Guided Transfers & Tour: $63
- Wētā Workshop Guided Tour Ticket + Transfer: $57
- Private Transfer from Wellington Port to Wellington Airport (WLG): $26
- Private Transfer from Wellington Airport (WLG) to Wellington Port: $26
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: $37
- Transfer to Panama City, Hotel and City tour - 1 night: $266
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels: $25
- 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
- Transfer Panama City to Amador Cruise Port: $35
Is it cheaper to fly into Wellington or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Wellington 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 dayWellington $51Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Wellington
For Wellington, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner$8.97
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Wellington
For Wellington, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 3 Hour Walking Food Tour: $125
- Capital Bites, A food tour of Wellington: $135
- Wine and Food Tour to Martinbough: $174
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$8.24
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
- 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Live Show Admission: $75
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- Street Food Tour Panama City (28+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $95
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Wellington $16Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Wellington
For Wellington, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1/2 Day Guided Wellington Tour incl. Cable Car (Vans not buses): $77
- 10 Mins McLaren 570S MSO Supercar Experience in Wellington: $96
- 3+ Hour Guided Wellington Tour by Electric Bike: $117
- 30 Mins Supercar Passenger Experience: $89
- Animals of Aotearoa Wellington Zoo Tour: $53
- Auckland: Wētā Workshop Unleashed Creative Classes Ticket: $38
- Axe Throwing Lesson and Tournament in Wellington: $39
- Discover Wellington 3 hour City Tour: $53
- From Half-Day Foodie Tour of the Wairarapa: $108
- From Kapiti Island Classic Guided Day Tour: $289
- From Martinborough Winery Tour: $111
- From Remutaka Rail Trail eBike Tour: $127
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour ": $100
- 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
- 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
- 2-Day San Blas Adventure from Panama City with WiFi: $260
- 3 1/2 Hour Experience of Lake Gatun in Panama: $95
- 3 Hours Private Walking Tour in Casco Antiguo Panama City: $45
- 4 Hours Private Tour in Panama City Highlights: $70
- 4-hour tour in Panama: $105
- 5 Hours Private Panama City Tour: $200
- 5 hour tour in Panama City: $35
- 5-Hour Tour of Panama City, Panama from Tocumen Airport: $130
- 5-hour tour in Panama by a Local Guide: $39
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayWellington $12Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Wellington
Also in Wellington, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wellington Craft Brewery Half-Day Guided Tour with Tastings: $99
- Wellington Craft Beer & Brewery Half-Day Tour: $107
- From Martinborough Wine Tasting Tour: $168
- Chefs Private Martinborough wine tour with Gourmet Lunch: $391
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Wellington and Panama City, we can see that Wellington is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Wellington is in Pacific 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 Wellington would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Wellington 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 Wellington Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Wellington or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 7% larger than the population of Wellington. When comparing the sizes of Wellington 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.