Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Huaraz?
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 Huaraz or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Huaraz and Panama City can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Huaraz or Panama City?
Huaraz
Huaraz is a large town in the Cordillera Blanca region of Peru's Central Sierra. Huaraz stands tall at 3100m; travellers from Lima might need a day or two to acclimatize to the change in atmosphere. Nearly wiped out by the earthquake of 1970, the town of 100,000 blends a mix of modern and native culture. Huarez is first and foremost a trekking metropolis. During high season the streets buzz with hundreds of backpackers and adventurers freshly returned from arduous hikes or planning their next expedition. The town has many markets, shops, quality restaurants and hopping bars catering to tourist and local needs. Mountain adventures in the off-season can be equally rewarding, but the vibe is calmer and some places go into hibernation once the rains set in.
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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in Peru, The Best 10-Day Tours in Peru, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Huaraz Prices
Peru PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHuaraz $66Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Huaraz is $66, 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 Huaraz and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHuaraz $21Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHuaraz $42Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Huaraz and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Huaraz 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: Huaraz Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Huaraz $11Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Huaraz
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Huaraz are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$2.29
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 Huaraz or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Huaraz 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 dayHuaraz $32Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Huaraz
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Huaraz:
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Lunch$6.31
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Chips$1.58
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.Huaraz $21Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Huaraz
Here are a few typical costs in Huaraz for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Climbing Gear$18
Tours and Activities in Huaraz
Here are a few actual costs in Huaraz for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2-Day Hatun Machay Tour: $439
- 3-day tour to Parón, Llanganuco and Laguna 69 from Huaraz: $150
- From Ancash: Tour Huaraz with Puya Raymondi 4D/3N: $197
- From Ancash: Tour fantastic in Huaraz 2D/1N: $92
- From Ancash: Tour in Huaraz with Hotel |5D-4N|: $250
- From Huaraz || Full day tour Laguna 69 in -Cordillera Blanca: $40
- From Chavín de Huántar Full-Day Tour with Lunch: $55
- From Chavín de Huantar fullday tour: $56
- From Cordillera Huayhuash 8-Day Trekking Tour: $1,650
- From Lake 69 Trek Day Tour - White Mountain Range: $35
- From Llanganuco Lagoon fullday tour: $65
- From Nevado Pastoruri Tour fullday tour: $65
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 dayHuaraz $16Panama City $18
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Huaraz and Panama City, we can see that Panama City is more expensive. And not only is Huaraz much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Huaraz is in South America 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 Huaraz would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Huaraz 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 Huaraz.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Huaraz Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Huaraz or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Huaraz. When comparing the sizes of Huaraz 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.