A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Yogyakarta vs. Panama City for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Yogyakarta or Panama City?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Yogyakarta 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: Yogyakarta or Panama City?

Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta, also called Yogya, Jogja, and Jogjakarta, is Java's hub of culture and art, and is the top-visited destination on the island. While Jakarta is the most populated and industrially-developed city in Indonesia, Yogya has managed to progress without losing its cultural charm, as illustrated in its well-kept traditional Indonesian architecture.

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 Adventure Tours to Indonesia, The Best Eco Tours in Indonesia, The Best Budget Tours to Panama, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City.


Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Yogyakarta?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Yogyakarta is $59, 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 Yogyakarta and Panama City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Yogyakarta $33
    Panama City $35
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Yogyakarta $66
    Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Yogyakarta and Panama City

Looking for a hotel in Yogyakarta 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.

Hotels in Yogyakarta


Hotels in Panama City


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: Yogyakarta Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Yogyakarta $1.19
    Panama City $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Yogyakarta

Also for Yogyakarta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Jepara & One Way Private Transfer: $110
  • Private Layover Tour with Airport Transfers: $94
  • Semarang & Transfer To The Hotel or Airport: $93
  • Private Transfer from Kembanglimus to Yogyakarta Airport (JOG): $85
  • Yogyakarta Hidden Gems Tour with Private Guided Transfer: $84
  • Private Transfer from Wanurejo to Yogyakarta Airport (JOG): $84
  • Private Transfer from Yogyakarta Airport (JOG) to Kembanglimus: $81
  • Private Transfer from Borobudur Temple to Yogyakarta Airport (JOG): $78
  • Private Transfer from Borobudur to Yogyakarta Airport (JOG): $78
  • Private Transfer from Banguntapan to Yogyakarta Airport (JOG): $72
  • Private Transfer from Donoharjo to Yogyakarta Airport (JOG): $70
  • Private Transfer from Condong Catur to Yogyakarta Airport (JOG): $70

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City

Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Travel in Comfort Airport Transfer Pty: $30
  • Transfer to or from the airport / Min 2 pax: $20
  • Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Playa Blanca Hotels: $85
  • Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels: $25
  • 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: $32
  • Transfer from Downtown Panama City to PTY Airport: $24
  • 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 Yogyakarta or Panama City?

Prices for flights to both Panama City and Yogyakarta 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Yogyakarta $18
    Panama City $36

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Yogyakarta

For Yogyakarta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Ramayana Show with Transfer, Entry Fee & Dinner: $13
  • Night Walking & Street Food Tour: $21
  • Guided City Walk and Food Tour: $23
  • Morning Walk and Food Tour: $23
  • Kotagede Night Food Tour: $27
  • Ramayana Ballet Performance with Optional Dinner: $28
  • Yogyakarta Historical and Food Tour: $28
  • Yogyakarta Evening Walking and Food Tour: $30
  • Yogyakarta Cooking Class and Market Tour: $32
  • Nighttime Walk and Food Tour: $32
  • Small-Group Walking and Food Tour by Night in Yogyakarta: $33
  • Cooking Class with Market Visit and Hotel Pickup: $33

Typical Food Prices in Panama City

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Panama City:


  • 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:

  • Panama Food Tour Local Markets Immersion (Tasting tour + Lunch): $50
  • Italian-Panamanian Ravioli Cooking Class + meal in Panama City: $55
  • Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
  • Panamanian Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $65
  • 3.5 -hour Afropanamanian Cooking Experience in Panama: $70
  • Street Food Tour Panama (25+ tastings) By Paradox Experience: $90

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Yogyakarta $14
    Panama City $66

Tours and Activities in Yogyakarta

For Yogyakarta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • "Java's Cultural Heritage: Borobudur and Prambanan Tour": $16
  • 1 day Yogyakarta Tour Jomblang cave and Pindul Cave tubing: $69
  • 1 day tour Borobudur and Prambanan Temples: $40
  • 1 day tour borobudur temple,prambanan temple,plaosan temple: $40
  • 1-Day Yogyakarta Merapi Borobudur - PRIVATE Tour with GUIDE: $183
  • 1-Day Yogyakarta Prambanan Breksi Ijo Temple - PRIVATE Tour with Guide: $184
  • 1-Day Yogyakarta Timang Pengger - PRIVATE Tour with GUIDE: $184
  • 2 Days Borobudur Prambanan Merapi Volcano And Rice Terrace Tour: $140
  • 2 Days Tour to Mount Merbabu from Yogyakarta: $280
  • 2 days Mount Merbabu Hiking and Camping Tour: $79
  • 2-Day Borobudur Tour with Merbabu Camping and Hiking: $332
  • 2-Hour City Introduction on Walking Tour: $18

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
  • 2 Days Island Hopping Adventure San Blas Islands - Private Cabin: $265
  • 2 Hours Private Luxury Tour in a Convertible Car in Panama City: $255
  • 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
  • 5-Star Embera Village Tour | Waterfall, Lunch & River: $75
  • 5hour tour of Panama City and Panama Canal - Shared or Private: $65
  • 5hrs Panama City and Canal Tour + Amenities: $65
  • 7 hour Miraflores Locks + Sloth Sancturay in Gamboa Tour: $150
  • ALL INCLUSIVE San Blas Islands Day Tour on Sailboat: $240

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Yogyakarta $4.43
    Panama City $18


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Yogyakarta and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Yogyakarta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Yogyakarta 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 Yogyakarta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Yogyakarta 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 Yogyakarta.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Yogyakarta Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Yogyakarta or Panama City?

Yogyakarta has a larger population, and is about 56% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Yogyakarta 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.