Which place is cheaper, Panama City or Phuket?
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 Phuket or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Phuket or Panama City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Phuket or Panama City?
Phuket
Phuket Island is the holiday gem of southern Thailand. Known for its beaches and resorts, the island brings in a massive amount of travelers from all over the world, year round. Although the beaches are beautiful, Phuket has also become more westernized and tourist-oriented in recent decades, leaving many travelers to venture elsewhere to find that amazing beach with a more authentic Thai vibe. However, Phuket Island is quite large, and hidden gems can still be found.
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 Thailand, The Best 2-Week Tours in Thailand, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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Phuket Prices
Thailand PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhuket $139Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Phuket is $139, 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 Phuket and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhuket $64Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhuket $128Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in Phuket and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in Phuket 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: Phuket Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phuket $12Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Phuket:
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Longtail Taxi (for Two)$9.42
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Taxi from Airport to Phuket Town$7.85
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phuket
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phuket:
- Phuket Jet Ski Tour to 5-8 Islands with Pickup and Transfer: $219
- Jet Ski Island Hopping Adventure from Phuket Lunch and Transfers: $207
- Phuket any hotel to Koh lanta Private transfer: $183
- Phuket Airport to Koh Lanta any hotel Private transfer: $174
- Freedom Party Boat Cruise By HYPE Boat Club Phuket - Include Pickup Transfer: $152
- From Krabi : One Way Private Transfer Phuket,Khaolak and More: $149
- ATV Bike 1 hr+ Skyline Adventure 28 platforms with free Transfer: $133
- Arrival Private Transfers from Phuket Airport HKT to Phuket City: $130
- Best Ziplines Adventure 30 platforms with free transfer : $127
- Private Transfer from Phuket to Krabi with 2h of Sightseeing: $124
- Phuket Airport to Krabi Private Transfer by Minivan: $124
- Flying Hanuman Ziplines 42 platforms With Lunch & Transfer RoundTrips: $123
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Panama City
Also for Panama City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 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
- PTY Airport Transfer Service To Panama City: $25
- Panamá Tocumen Airport Hotel or airbnb Transfer: $25
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Coronado/Gorgona - Round-Trip Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Decameron - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $213
- Panama Airport (PTY) to Playa Bonita/Gamboa - Private Transfer: $33
- Guided Panama Canal & City Tour with Transfers: $70
- Historic District and Canal Tour with Transfer: $65
Is it cheaper to fly into Phuket or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and Phuket 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 dayPhuket $43Panama City $36
Typical Food Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phuket:
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Casual Dinner (for Two)$9.08
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$5.34
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Sit Down Dinner (for Two)$13
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Thai Noodles$2.83
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Bananas$0.79
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Pizza (for Two)$9.42
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phuket
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phuket.
- One Day Experience Cooking at Phuket Patong Thailand: $28
- Express Thai Cooking Class in Phuket: $52
- Vegetarian Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $53
- Phuket Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $55
- Authentic Thai Cooking Class by Suuko Wellness Spa: $57
- Phuket Thai Cooking Class with Market Tour and Hotel Pickup: $57
- Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $57
- Carnival Entertainment and Dinner Experience in Phuket: $58
- Southern Flavors Phuket Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $59
- Phuket City Tour with Phothong Ride and Cooking Class: $59
- Phuket Easy Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour: $61
- Choose Your Own Dishes: Half-Day Thai Cooking Class in Phuket: $63
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:
- Panama Evening Food Tour: $60
- Street Food Tour in Panama City with 24 samples and secret drinks: $69
- 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
- Embera Village Cooking Class Experience in Chagres National Park: $125
- 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.Phuket $49Panama City $66
Typical Entertainment Prices in Phuket
Here are a few typical costs in Phuket for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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One Day Boat Tour$28
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Scuba Diving (Two Dives)$79
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Thai Oil Massage$20
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Surfboard Rental$9.42
Tours and Activities in Phuket
Here are a few actual costs in Phuket for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 Khai Islands Snorkeling Tour by Speed Boat: $43
- Experience Patong Boxing Stadium Tickets: $68
- James Bond Island Adventure Full Day Speedboat/Big Boat Phuket : $63
- Phuket Scenic Horseback Riding Adventure : $69
- Aeolos Catamaran Tour to Coral & Racha Islands + Lunch: $79
- Water Rafting 5 km Tour & ATV 1 hour - Real Adventure: $114
- Zipline & ATV Adventure with Big Buddha Visit: $95
- 1 Hour Phuket ATV on Tour + Big Buddha: $45
- 1-Hour Quad Bike ATV Ride – Ultimate Adventure: $60
- 2 Days 1 Night Surin Islands Snorkeling Tour from Phuket: $237
- 2-Hour ATV Tour from Phuket: $103
- 3 Fun Dives King Cruiser Wreck and Koh DokMai for Certified diver: $172
Tours and Activities in Panama City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Panama City.
- The Hull Experience Colonial Tour: $14
- Archaeological Site. Admission ticket to Panama La Vieja: $15
- Experience of Salsa in Panama: $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 Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
- Sunset Walking Tour at Casco Viejo El Chorrillo and the fish market: $30
- City Sightseeing Panama City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhuket $7.32Panama City $18
Typical Alcohol Prices in Phuket
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Phuket from other travelers:
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Cocktails (for Two)$6.28
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Beer$2.67
Sample the Local Flavors in Phuket
Also in Phuket, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Chalong Bay Rum Distillery Experience: $41
- Phuket Sightseeing Tour with Rum Distillery : $111
- Big Buddha & The Distillery Phuket: $136
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phuket and Panama City, we can see that Phuket is more expensive. And not only is Panama City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Phuket 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 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 Phuket would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Phuket 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 Phuket Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phuket or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Phuket. When comparing the sizes of Phuket 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.