Panama City
A dollarized skyline with a restored old quarter.
- Lean
- $50
- Comfort
- $246
Slightly cheaper. Tracks Panama as a whole.
Pricier than the national figure of $101 a day.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
As of November 12, 2026, a mid-range day in Panama City costs about $112 per person, excluding flights: about 10% more than the average for Panama. For US-dollar travelers it is 1.9% cheaper than a year ago after inflation, in line with Panama as a whole. A dollarized skyline with a restored old quarter.
What your money buys in Panama
Exchange rates and inflation are national, so the city follows this line. The dashed line is the exchange rate alone; the solid line is after inflation.
Panama City, in five questions
City costs are the national model scaled by a premium of +10% that we set by hand. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does a day in Panama City cost?
- About $50 on a lean budget, $112 mid-range and $246 in comfort, per person per day as of November 12, 2026, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates: the national figure for Panama, updated daily, scaled by a city premium.
- Is Panama City expensive compared with the rest of Panama?
- Panama City costs about 10% more than the national average for Panama, which is $101 a day mid-range. A dollarized skyline with a restored old quarter.
- Is Panama City cheaper to visit than last year?
- The exchange rate moved 0.0% for US-dollar holders over twelve months while prices in Panama rose +1.5%, a real change of +1.9%. City prices broadly follow the country.
- When is the best time to visit Panama City for lower prices?
- For Panama the shoulder months, with workable weather and lower prices, are May, December. Peak season is January, February, March, April.
- Is Panama City safe?
- The US State Department rates Panama at Level 2: Increased caution. Country-wide levels can hide large differences between cities and regions, so read the full advisory.