Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albuquerque, NM and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,253 in Albuquerque, NM, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Albuquerque, NM
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Albuquerque, NM Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,253

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albuquerque, NM and in Panama City

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

A single person spends $2,253 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $2,253
Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $3,296 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $3,296
Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $4,339 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $4,339
Panama City $3,888

Albuquerque, NM costs about 14% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Albuquerque, NM and Panama City sit above the global median – Albuquerque, NM by 67%, Panama City by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.94 $16.94

$11.37 PAB 11.37

48.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$46.69 PAB 46.69

28.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$7.98 PAB 7.98

26.32%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$4.12 PAB 4.12

20.63%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$2.01 PAB 2.01

47.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.57 PAB 1.57

54.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.28 PAB 3.28

81.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.88 PAB 3.88

110.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-45.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.61 PAB 2.61

26.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.45 PAB 3.45

28.41%

Eggs

$4.92 $4.92

$2.68 PAB 2.68

83.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 $11.71

$12.42 PAB 12.42

-5.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 $9.31

$6.73 PAB 6.73

38.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.04 $20.04

$10.44 PAB 10.44

91.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.21 PAB 4.21

12.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-23.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.07 PAB 4.07

3.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.02 PAB 4.02

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-10.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-27.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.72 PAB 1.72

61.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$6.04 PAB 6.04

79.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 $13.80

$11.68 PAB 11.68

18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.41 PAB 1.41

78.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.74 PAB 2.74

28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.45 PAB 2.45

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.76 PAB 1.76

20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.55 $34.55

$21.86 PAB 21.86

58.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-10.83%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

22.41%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

21.10%

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

$155 $155

$132 PAB 132

17.57%

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

$64.0 $64.0

$27.89 PAB 27.89

129.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$49.10 PAB 49.10

44.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.87 $39.87

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-10.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 $13.96

$34.01 PAB 34.01

-58.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 $13.19

$8.70 PAB 8.70

51.61%

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

$1,330 $1,330

$537 PAB 537

147.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K $22.9K

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

11.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-18.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.42 $44.42

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-8.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$95.4 PAB 95.4

10.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$114 PAB 114

5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 $1,472

$1,405 PAB 1,405

4.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 $1,041

$994 PAB 994

4.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,582 $2,582

$2,221 PAB 2,221

16.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 $1,677

$1,714 PAB 1,714

-2.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,712 $2,712

$3,139 PAB 3,139

-13.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 $2,095

$1,724 PAB 1,724

21.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,829 $3,829

$936 PAB 936

309.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.39

5.79%

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

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albuquerque, NM

$1K 46.2%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 4.5% $47

Groceries & Markets

Albuquerque, NM

$402 17.9%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 19% $77

Eating Out

Albuquerque, NM

$293 13%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 30.7% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albuquerque, NM

$290 12.9%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 28% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Albuquerque, NM

$145 6.5%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Albuquerque, NM

$66 2.9%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 6.5% $4.3

Getting Around

Albuquerque, NM

$14 * 0.6%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 130% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,472 in Albuquerque, NM versus $1,405 in Panama City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Albuquerque, NM are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Albuquerque, NM versus $47 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $326 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

2 h ahead of Albuquerque, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

564,559

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.895 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Albuquerque, NM Panama City 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Albuquerque, NM
Panama City

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

Albuquerque, NM vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albuquerque, NM costs about 14% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,379 per month in Albuquerque, NM and $2,958 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,472 in Albuquerque, NM and $1,405 in Panama City. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Albuquerque, NM and $47 in Panama City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Albuquerque, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,253 in Albuquerque, NM and $1,972 in Panama City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Panama City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Albuquerque, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.