Which place is cheaper, Panama City or San Jose?
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 San Jose or Panama City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Jose 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: San Jose or Panama City?
San Jose
San Jose is the capital city of Costa Rica and is likely to be your first and last stop in a visit to the country. The city is situated in the Central Valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys, making for a beautiful flight in. The city has an elevation of 1200 meters and sits on a plateau with a beautiful backdrop of lush green forest. Half of the people in Costa Rica reside in the country's capital city. You are likely to stay only a day or two, but there are a handful of things to do and see including museums and markets. You will also find many embassies, as well as the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.
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 Budget Tours to Costa Rica, The Best Tours for Seniors to Costa Rica, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Panama City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Panama City.
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San Jose Prices
Costa Rica PricesPanama City Prices
Panama Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySan Jose $103Panama City $101
The average daily cost (per person) in San Jose is $103, 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 San Jose and Panama City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSan Jose $49Panama City $35
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSan Jose $98Panama City $70
Compare Hotels in San Jose and Panama City
Looking for a hotel in San Jose 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: San Jose Hotel Prices and Panama City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.San Jose $19Panama City $11
Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Jose
Some typical examples of transportation costs in San Jose are as follows:
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Taxi from SJO$25
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Local Bus$2.72
Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Jose
Also for San Jose, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private transfer from San Jose or Airport with welcome service to Montezuma: $300
- San Jose to Puerto Viejo de Limon: Private Transfer : $299
- San Jose to Guanacaste: Private Transfer : $299
- Private Transfer From San Jose to Cahuita With 2 Stops: $298
- Private transfer from San Jose Airport welcome service to Liberia: $297
- Transfer one way from San Jose or Airport to Hotel RIU Guanacaste : $295
- Private Transfer San Jose SJO Airport to Puerto Viejo by Minivan: $283
- Private Transfer: San José Apto to Puerto Viejo / Cahuita (Limón): $280
- Private One Way Transfer from Manuel Antonio to Monteverde: $280
- Transfer from San Jose Airport CR (SJO) to Arenal La Fortuna Hotels: $279
- Private Transfer: San José Airport to Puerto Viejo / Cahuita : $275
- Private transfer from San Jose Airport welcome service to Cahuita: $272
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
- Transfers from PTY Airport to Playa Bonita or Gamboa and Back: $20
- Transfers from Airport to Panama City: $40
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to hotels in Gamboa or Viceversa: $30
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Panama City Hotels : $25
- Transfer from Tocumen Airport to Colon Cruise Port: $160
- Transfer from Playa Bonita or Gamboa to PTY Airport: $35
- Transfer from Panama City Hotel to Tocumen Airport: $23
- Transfer from Panama Airport to Colon Cruise Terminal: $110
- Transfer from PTY/Panama City to Cruise Terminal or to the Marina: $32
- Transfer Tocumen International Airport - Playa Blanca, Rio Hato, Buena Ventura: $75
- Transfer Panama City to Amador Cruise Port : $30
Is it cheaper to fly into San Jose or Panama City?
Prices for flights to both Panama City and San Jose 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 daySan Jose $31Panama City $36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in San Jose
For San Jose, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Bites and Sights Walking Food Tour including Markets: $29
- San Jose Cooking Classes visit Central Market: $52
- San Jose By Night: Farm to Table Dinner, Cooking & Cocktail Class: $59
- Half-Day San Jose Evening Bus Tour with Dinner and Pickup: $78
- San Jose By Night: Sights & Culture Tour with Local Dinner : $80
- Dinner + Typical dance show at the best viewpoint in San José: $92
- Street Food Tour in San Jose with a Local Guide: $113
- Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner: $185
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.San Jose $21Panama City $66
Tours and Activities in San Jose
For San Jose, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2 in 1 Volcano Irazu + San Jose City Tour: $187
- 2-Hour Orosi Nocturnal Tour: $33
- 3-Hour Downtown San Jose Walking Tour: $40
- A taste of Aquiares - 2 hours Coffee Tour: $42
- ATV Off Road Poas Volcano Adventure and Hiking for two persons.: $130
- Action Packed Class 4 Rafting Adventure : $95
- Adventure Park: $190
- Adventure Zip Lining at the Cloud Forest from San José: $138
- Airtime Zipline Adventure in Arenal: $60
- Arenal Combo Experience: Canopy & Rapell + Thermals: $65
- Arenal Hanging Bridges and Hot Springs Private Tour from San Jose: $295
- Arenal Volcano & Baldi Hot Springs one day tour from San Jose: $199
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 daySan Jose $16Panama City $18
Sample the Local Flavors in San Jose
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in San Jose:
- Exclusive Pub Crawl in San Jose : $30
- Bar Crawl in Downtown San Jose: $39
- Wine Tour and Tasting: $85
- Bar Crawl in San Jose in a Deluxe Party Bus: $100
When comparing the travel costs between San Jose and Panama City, we can see that San Jose 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. Since both cities are in Central America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is San Jose Expensive? and Is Panama City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, San Jose or Panama City?
Panama City has a larger population, and is about 22% larger than the population of San Jose. When comparing the sizes of San Jose 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.