What the two varieties are
Geisha is the Ethiopian-lineage variety whose 2004 Best of Panama debut reset the specialty market — low-yielding, fragile, and the source of Panama's record auction prices. Catuai is a Brazilian-bred cross of Caturra and Mundo Novo: compact, high-yielding, and the workhorse of Panamanian farms — Café Suárez grows it in Alto Quiel, Eleta Estate's first coffee lot (1995) was Catuai, and La Huella's naturals and honeys are Catuai.
The price math
Per 100 g, verified offers show the gap. Geisha roasted: Klatch's Don Julian Natural at $23.50 per 100 g; Carmen Estate Geisha at $29.78 per 100 g (Boquete Coffee Traders); Savage's Geisha lines from about $16.50 per 100 g (variants). Catuai roasted: Café Suárez Catuai Tradicional at $6 (producer-direct); Klatch's Altieri Rola Catuai Natural at $9.60 per 100 g; Savage's Catuai Washed was $15 for its base variant (archived, sold out). Everyday Catuai costs a quarter to a third of entry-level Geisha per gram — while the blend category sits between: Café Suárez's Geisha + Catuai at $6.00 per 100 g.
Practical differences, as a judgment
Editorially: buy Catuai when you want Panama's terroir and daily drinking volume without the variety premium — the La Huella naturals and honeys are the character play in the category. Buy Geisha when the variety's florals are the point, and prefer a farm-specific listing over a bare 'Panama Geisha' label. If you want both, the blend lots are a legitimate route rather than a compromise — they're how several Panamanian brands introduce the variety at all.