Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Acapulco de Juarez?
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 Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Acapulco de Juarez 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: Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City?
Acapulco de Juarez
Located on the southwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico is the beautiful beach city of Acapulco de Juarez. Acapulco is one of the original travel and resort destinations in Mexico, and it's still considered a popular spring break destination for Americans. Known as simply "Acapulco" to many travelers, this region is a popular spot for cruise lines to stop and timeshares to grow. Thanks to those cruise lines and timeshares, tourist activities like water parks and jet skis have experienced considerable growth.
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 2-Week Tours in Mexico, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Acapulco de Juarez Prices
Mexico PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAcapulco de Juarez $92Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Acapulco de Juarez is $92, 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 Acapulco de Juarez and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAcapulco de Juarez $35Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAcapulco de Juarez $70Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Acapulco de Juarez and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Acapulco de Juarez 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: Acapulco de Juarez Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $15Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Acapulco de Juarez
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Acapulco de Juarez:
- Acapulco Airport Roundtrip Transfers: $75
- Airport Transfer In Suburban: $45
- Roundtrip Shared Transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA): $27
- Shared Transfer from Acapulco Airport (ACA): $13
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 2 Days 1 Night Tour in Panama : Hotel and Transfers: $278
- Airport To City Hotel transfer: $50
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to City by Luxury SUV: $84
- Arrival Private Transfer Panama PTY Airport to Panama City by SUV: $75
- Arrival Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama by Sprinter: $152
- Luxury SUV Private Transfer Panama City to Panama PTY Airport: $84
- One Way Private transfer Panama City PTY Airport to City: $19
- Panamá Tocumen Airport Hotel or airbnb Transfer: $25
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $34
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Round-Trip Transfer: $67
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $70
Is it cheaper to fly into Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Acapulco de Juarez 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 dayAcapulco de Juarez $45Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Acapulco de Juarez
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Acapulco de Juarez.
- Cliff Divers Exhibition 2 Drinks + Tacos al Pastor Dinner & Beer: $55
- Lucha Libre-Wrestling FiestaExper Taco Dinner Beer ONLY SUNDAYS: $62
- Mexican Cooking Class & Market Tour with a Professional Chef: $100
- Bella Vista PRIVATE Al Fresco 3 Course Dinner Cliff Diver3Drinks: $191
- Super DeLuxe Bella Vista Dinner &1 Drink +2 Drinks at CliffDivers: $253
- Off the Beaten Path Mexican Cooking Class Lagoon Boatride &Lunch: $286
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 Dinner and Folkloric Show Ticket with Pickup: $60
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Panama City FOOD Tour: $65
- E-Tickets Emotions Dinner Theater Live Show Admission: $75
- Afro-Panamanian Cooking Class with Meal: $75
- Street Food Tour with 24 Tastings: $75
- Cooking Class in Panama City with 10 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $95
- 4-Hour Guided Panamanian Cooking Class and Markets Experience: $95
- Panama: 10-Recipe Boozy Panamanian Cooking Class + Dinner: $95
- Folkloric Dance & Typical Dinner at Sabroso Panamá: $110
- The Real Panamanian Private Food Tour through Panama City: $205
- Street Food Tour in Panama with a Local Guide: $263
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Acapulco de Juarez $16Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in Acapulco de Juarez
Here are a few actual costs in Acapulco de Juarez for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4Hrs Small Group Half Day City Tour with Lunch at High Divers: $70
- Museums, Magic City Market & Meals: A Cultural Tour of Acapulco: $129
- 4 Hrs Exclusive to Cruise Ship Passengers Sightseeing Experience : $67
- 4 in 1 Combo tours for visitors in their first time: $192
- 4hr Fun Guide Tour For Cruisers or Hotels Guests with Divers Show: $58
- 6 Hour Fun-Filled Tour Perfect for Cruise Travelers & Hotel Stays: $83
- 6Hr Cruise or Hotels City Tour, Divers, Baby Turtles Peace Chapel: $75
- 6Hr Cruisers or Hotels High Diver Peace Chapel BabyTurtleRelease: $96
- Acapulco City Tour: $68
- Acapulco City Tour: $65
- Acapulco City Tour: $70
- Acapulco Eco-Tour: $93
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
- Spanish Experience in Panama City: $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
- Get to know the city aboard CitySightseeing Panama: $29
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- Causeway and Old Town Night Tour: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- walking tour in Casco Antiguo !: $30
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Guided Walking Tour in Panama City: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAcapulco de Juarez $9.81Panama City $18
When comparing the travel costs between Acapulco de Juarez and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Acapulco de Juarez is in North America and Panama City is in Central America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Acapulco de Juarez Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Acapulco de Juarez or Panama City?
Acapulco de Juarez has a larger population, and is about 60% larger than the population of Panama City. When comparing the sizes of Acapulco de Juarez 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.