Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Lucerne?
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 Lucerne or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Lucerne and Panama City. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Lucerne or Panama City?
Lucerne
Lucerne is a relatively small city in the center of Switzerland. It is located across the lake from Altdorf and it has a thriving tourism industry. It's close proximity to many of the major sights in the country make it a great base for exploration. Many people use it as a jumping off point for exploring Mount Rigi and the Rutli Meadow.
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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in Switzerland, The Best 2-Week Tours in Switzerland, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Lucerne Prices
Switzerland PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLucerne $302Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Lucerne is $302, 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 Lucerne and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLucerne $159Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLucerne $318Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Lucerne and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Lucerne 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: Lucerne Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lucerne $15Panama City $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lucerne
Also for Lucerne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- St Moritz: Private transfer from Zurich airport to St Moritz: $597
- From Basel, Basel Port, Airport: Private Transfer to Lucerne: $428
- Private Transfer from Lucerne to Basel, Basel Port, Airport: $428
- Private Transfer from Lucerne to Zurich Airport: $327
- From Canyoning in Interlaken w/ Return Transfer: $308
- Private direct transfer from Lucerne to Basel, local driver: $247
- Private Transfer between Lucerne & Engelberg / Mount Titlis: $201
- Bad Ragaz Resorts to Zurich Airport ZRH - Departure Transfer: $126
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
- Transfer Airport or Hotel To Playa Venao Panama or vice versa: $260
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Private Transfer from Panama City Hotels to Colón Cruise Port: $158
- Miraflores Visitor Center Ticket & Transfer: $155
- Arrival Transfer Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Panama by Sprinter: $152
- Private Transfer from Panama Airport (PTY) to Colón Resorts: $150
- Roundtrip Private Transfer Panama Airport (PTY) - Playa Blanca : $142
- Private Transfer Hotel or Airport to Resorts in Playa Blanca. One way: $125
- Transfer from Panama Airport to Colon Cruise Terminal: $110
- Panama Tocumen Airport PTY to Coronado/Gorgona - Arrival Transfer: $107
Is it cheaper to fly into Lucerne or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Lucerne 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 dayLucerne $125Panama City $36
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.Lucerne $39Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lucerne
For Lucerne, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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1 Day Bicycle Rental$39
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The Swiss Transport Museum Entrance Fee$41
Tours and Activities in Lucerne
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Lucerne.
- 3 Hour Lucerne City Walking Tour with Local Guide: $83
- A Wonderful Private Christmas Tour in Lucerne: $1,191
- Attraction Ticket: Mt. Titlis by Train from Lucerne: $275
- Beer Tasting Tour in Lucerne: $160
- Best of Private Walking Tour with a Local: $108
- Beverly Hills of Lucerne Tour: $224
- CLOY Crash Landing On You Hanging Bridge Sigriswil Quick Tour: $133
- CabriO World's first Open Top Cable Car Ticket to Mt Stanserhorn: $105
- City Tour Plus Lucerne by Etuktuk: $109
- Early morning tour: $213
- Explore 3 Countries : Liechtenstein,Austria & Swiss(Private Tour): $282
- Fish and Grill - Private Fishing Adventure with BBQ Experience: $84
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- Gatun Lake Panamá Wildlife Adventure Guided Experience: $159
- Horseback riding and Agri-Tour in Colon Private tour: $75
- Panama City Tour and Panama Canal – Miraflores Locks Experience: $30
- Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo Tour: $115
- Panama a quick and memorable tour: $68
- San Blas Islands, 4-Island Tour All-Inclusive Welcome Cocktail: $149
- #1 Walking Tour of Casco Viejo Panama with Lunch included : $70
- “Bike Tour Casco Viejo and Panama City Discover the Essence: $40
- “Panama at Your Rhythm: Private Tour with Canal, Old Town and More”: $67
- "Bridge of the Americas Stand-Up Paddle Private 2 hours Tour " : $100
- 1st Mysteries and FreeMasons Tour: $38
- 2 Days 1 Night San Blas Adventure in Pamana: $260
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLucerne $25Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Lucerne
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Lucerne:
- Walking and Boat Tour with Cheese & Wine Tasting: $112
- Lake Lucerne Region Wine Tasting: $314
- Private Walking Tour with Wine Tasting: $326
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lucerne and Panama City, we can see that Lucerne is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Lucerne is in Europe 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 Lucerne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lucerne 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 Lucerne Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Lucerne or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Lucerne. When comparing the sizes of Lucerne 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.