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

Should you visit Pamplona or Panama City?

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

Should I visit Pamplona 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: Pamplona or Panama City?

Pamplona

Pamplona is a city in northern Spain located on the snow-capped foothills of the Pyrenees Range. With the backdrop of mountains, the city is surrounded by a setting ideal for skiing, mountaineering, hiking, wildlife and breathtaking scenery. Yet Pamplona itself is a place full of lively culture and stunning architecture. With a long history, the place is embedded in tradition and perhaps most famous for its annual "running of the bulls" celebrated in July, also known as the San Fermin festival.

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 G Adventures Tours to Spain, The Best 3-Day Tours from Madrid, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.


Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Pamplona?

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

  • Pamplona Prices
    Spain Prices
    Panama City Prices
    Panama Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Pamplona 161
    Panama City 86

The average daily cost (per person) in Pamplona is €161, while the average daily cost in Panama City is €86. 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 Pamplona and Panama City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pamplona 67
    Panama City 30
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pamplona 134
    Panama City 60
Compare Hotels in Pamplona and Panama City

Looking for a hotel in Pamplona 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 Pamplona


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: Pamplona Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pamplona 24
    Panama City 9.09

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pamplona

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pamplona:

  • Private Transfer from Logroño city to Pamplona: $280
  • Private Transfer from Pamplona Airport to Logroño city: $280
  • Private Transfer from Pamplona city to Logroño: $280
  • Private Transfer from Pamplona city to San Sebastian: $280

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 : $12
  • Private Departure Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $13
  • Private transfer from airport to hotels in Panama City: $15
  • Private Transfer from Panama City Airport (PTY): $16
  • Private Transfer to Panama City Airport (PTY): $16
  • One Way Private transfer Panama City PTY Airport to City: $19
  • Private One-way Airport Transfer from Panamá to Tocumen Airport : $19
  • Private One-way Airport Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panamá: $19
  • Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $20
  • Transfer Airport - City / Min 2 pax: $20
  • Private transfer Panama City - Fort Amador Cruise Terminal: $20
  • Panama Private Airport/Port/Hotel Transfer Service: $20

Is it cheaper to fly into Pamplona or Panama City?

Prices for flights to both Panama City and Pamplona 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
    Pamplona 72
    Panama City 31
Typical Food Prices in Pamplona

Some typical examples of dining costs in Pamplona are as follows:


  • Lunch for 2
    10
  • Ice Cream
    4.50
  • Coffee
    1.30

Typical Food Prices in Panama City

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


  • Sandwich
    7.03

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
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pamplona 34
    Panama City 56

Tours and Activities in Pamplona

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Pamplona are as follows:

  • From San Sebastian: Pamplona City Tour: $105
  • Hemingway's Pamplona Smartphone Guided Walking Tour : $9.75
  • Night Tour Dark Secrets and Legends of Pamplona : $24
  • Pamplona - Private Historic Walking Tour: $471
  • Pamplona Cathedral Guided Tour History Curiosities and Art: $11
  • Pamplona Highlights Walking Tour with Coffee and Churros Break: $46
  • Pamplona Pintxos Tasting Tour in the Old Town: $131
  • Pamplona Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self Guided Tour: $5.13
  • Pamplona de Bocado en Bocado: Join Our Pintxo Tour!: $187
  • Interactive Tour El Sadar, CA Osasuna's Stadium: $20
  • Pintxos Tasting Tour with Local Guide: $130
  • Private Guided Walking Tour: $154

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
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pamplona 31
    Panama City 15

Sample the Local Flavors in Pamplona

Also in Pamplona, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Half Day Rioja Wine Tour: $262
  • Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Logroño: $286
  • Rioja Wine Tour: 2 Wineries From Pamplona: $286
  • Wine Tour: Winery & Traditional Lunch From Logroño: $298
  • Rioja Wine Tour: Winery & Traditional Lunch From Pamplona: $298


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pamplona and Panama City, we can see that Pamplona is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pamplona 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 Pamplona would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Pamplona 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 Pamplona Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Pamplona or Panama City?

Panama City has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Pamplona. When comparing the sizes of Pamplona 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.