Panama is a tropical country that is situated in Central America. It borders the Caribbean and Pacific oceans between Costa Rica and Colombia. As we all know, this country only has two seasons: summer/ dry and rainy/ wet. The dry season, known as summer by the locals, starts in December and ends at the last of April. So from April to December, it is the wet or winter season in the local language.
There is hardly any rainfall in the dry season. It rains almost every day during the wet season, so the best time to visit Panama is between January and mid-April because it is the driest part of the year and if you are not affected by the rain, and then you can see the country during the rest of the year.
From September to November to will experience few visitors in Panama; if you are comfortable in raining, then you can choose to go during this time. The answer to your question is, is October a good time to go to Panama? If yes, you will be able to experience several festivals, pinnacling with three riotous Independence Day celebrations. The only issue you will face is traveling via roads Travel conditions because roads were becoming muddy and sometimes they are closed for repairing during thunderstorms.
Traveling to Panama is not always expensive; it is cheaper than any other country, such as Canada, Europe, or the United States. Still, it is a little costlier than Honduras, Guatemala, or El Salvador. You can visit the country with a limited budget during the wet season as it is the cheapest time to visit Panama due to fewer tourists during this time.
The Panama Canal is an 82 km artificial waterway in Panama that links the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and separates South and North America. The Panama Canal is a channel for the marine trade and cuts through the Isthmus. It is suggested that the best time to arrive is by 8:00 AM to avoid the unavoidable crowds as it is the most popular Panama City tourist attraction. The ticket prices are mentioned below-
Starting from April, the temperatures and humidity begin to rise, which starts the rainy season, and in December, when the year ends, the rains will make way for the dry season and show the route to bright sunlight.
April is known as the hottest month in Panama country. During April, an average temperature of a normal day is 28.5°C (83°F), and the coldest month is October, with a temperature of 26°C (79°F). The sunniest days are in February, which is 9 hours. The wettest month is November, with an average of 401mm of rain, so tourists avoid traveling during this month.
If we will compare both countries in different spectrums, then you will find the below-mentioned differences-
Transport - in both countries the roads are quite developed and public transport is affordable. You will find that in Panama, there is more internal infrastructure in general.
Shopping- if you are a shopaholic and don't miss a chance to go shopping while you are on holiday, then you should pick Panama City. Panama City is a modernized version of Panama country where you will find everything developed and urbanized. The biggest shopping center is the Albrook Mall with an unbelievable number of shops. In the 2015 survey, it was considered the biggest shopping center in the Americas and came 14th around the world. The clothes and food are much cheaper in Panama City. As compared to, Costa Rica doesn’t really have an answer for this. San José is the biggest town in Costa Rica, but it doesn’t come as close as Panama City in terms of development. So In terms of shopping, Panama has a clear win.
Hotels and Resorts- if we will compare the hotels and resorts, then in both countries, you will find similar prices, and you will hardly find resorts that are inclusive in nature. If we talk about prices, Panama is a little cheaper in the hotel industry.
Conclusion- Panama is 10-20% cheaper than Costa Rica.