Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguadulce and Bocas del Toro

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguadulce: $958 a month against $1,475 in Bocas del Toro, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bocas del Toro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Aguadulce
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Aguadulce Living Index

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Aguadulce

🇵🇦 Panama

$958

/mo nomad

Bocas del Toro

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aguadulce and in Bocas del Toro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aguadulce and in Bocas del Toro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Aguadulce versus $1,475 in Bocas del Toro.

Aguadulce $958
Bocas del Toro $1,475

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Aguadulce versus $2,088 in Bocas del Toro.

Aguadulce $1,533
Bocas del Toro $2,088

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,109 in Aguadulce versus $2,701 in Bocas del Toro.

Aguadulce $2,109
Bocas del Toro $2,701

Living in Aguadulce costs roughly 35% less than in Bocas del Toro.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aguadulce is 30% below, Bocas del Toro is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 PAB 11.61

$9.24 PAB 9.24

25.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.62 PAB 47.62

$50.3 PAB 50.3

-5.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 PAB 7.79

$9.89 PAB 9.89

-21.23%

Cappuccino

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$4.12 PAB 4.12

-2.18%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 PAB 1.99

$1.74 PAB 1.74

14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 PAB 1.64

$1.58 PAB 1.58

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$1.96 PAB 1.96

66.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 PAB 4.05

$4.03 PAB 4.03

0.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$2.03 PAB 2.03

-5.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$3.84 PAB 3.84

-33.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

Eggs

$2.72 PAB 2.72

$2.57 PAB 2.57

5.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 PAB 12.60

$17.18 PAB 17.18

-26.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$8.89 PAB 8.89

-24.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 PAB 10.57

$8.18 PAB 8.18

29.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$9.78 PAB 9.78

-58.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.52 PAB 1.52

27.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 PAB 4.23

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$4.82 PAB 4.82

-15.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 PAB 3.51

$3.22 PAB 3.22

9.01%

Onion (1kg)

$4.27 PAB 4.27

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 PAB 2.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 PAB 1.70

$1.59 PAB 1.59

6.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 PAB 6.10

Wine (Bottle)

$11.70 PAB 11.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 PAB 1.35

$2.80 PAB 2.80

-51.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 PAB 2.71

$2.44 PAB 2.44

11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 PAB 0.26

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.59 PAB 21.59

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$131 PAB 131

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.94 PAB 27.94

$40.57 PAB 40.57

-31.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.23 PAB 48.23

$35.60 PAB 35.60

35.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 PAB 45.56

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 PAB 8.74

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$548 PAB 548

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,480 PAB 9,480

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 PAB 66.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.83 PAB 48.83

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 PAB 94.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 PAB 758

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 PAB 896

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 PAB 1,193

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 PAB 1,214

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 PAB 712

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aguadulce: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bocas del Toro: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Aguadulce

$326 34.1%

Bocas del Toro

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aguadulce

$207 21.6%

Bocas del Toro

–

Eating Out

Aguadulce

$203 21.2%

Bocas del Toro

–

Clothing & Footwear

Aguadulce

$145 15.2%

Bocas del Toro

–

Sport & Entertainment

Aguadulce

$63 6.6%

Bocas del Toro

–

Getting Around

Aguadulce

$13 * 1.3%

Bocas del Toro

–

Accommodation & Living

Aguadulce

- * 0%

Bocas del Toro

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48 in Aguadulce vs $50 in Bocas del Toro. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $319, with Bocas del Toro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Aguadulce

🇵🇦 Bocas del Toro

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

Same time as Aguadulce

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,501

159,228

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Aguadulce Bocas del Toro 220 km

From you

Aguadulce
Bocas del Toro

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aguadulce vs Bocas del Toro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguadulce and Bocas del Toro differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($958 vs $1,475 including rent). Aguadulce is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,437 in Aguadulce and $2,213 in Bocas del Toro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Aguadulce – a meal for two runs $48 versus $50 in Bocas del Toro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $958 per month in Aguadulce versus $1,475 in Bocas del Toro – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Aguadulce is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.