Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aliso Viejo, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
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Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aliso Viejo, CA 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 Aliso Viejo, CA and in Panama City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Aliso Viejo, CA $3,964
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,003 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Aliso Viejo, CA $6,003
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,043 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Aliso Viejo, CA $8,043
Panama City $3,773

Living in Aliso Viejo, CA is roughly 113% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aliso Viejo, CA 193% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.73 $24.73

$11.68 PAB 11.68

111.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$47.76 PAB 47.76

106.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.32 $14.32

$8.12 PAB 8.12

76.35%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$4.23 PAB 4.23

39.72%

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

$3.51 $3.51

$1.92 PAB 1.92

82.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.58 PAB 1.58

77.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$3.31 PAB 3.31

148.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$3.98 PAB 3.98

149.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-40.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.63 PAB 2.63

81.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.39 PAB 3.39

39.23%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$2.67 PAB 2.67

90.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-7.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$6.91 PAB 6.91

132.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 $17.67

$10.58 PAB 10.58

67.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$4.16 PAB 4.16

32.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.06 PAB 4.06

15.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 $6.62

$4.18 PAB 4.18

58.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.47 PAB 3.47

4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-34.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.69 PAB 1.69

43.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$5.83 PAB 5.83

104.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$11.43 PAB 11.43

33.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.38 PAB 1.38

31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.76 PAB 2.76

12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$0.33 PAB 0.33

830.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.55 PAB 2.55

75.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.78 PAB 1.78

7.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.04 $32.04

$22.17 PAB 22.17

44.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.24 PAB 1.24

28.23%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

43.35%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

26.87%

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

$212 $212

$131 PAB 131

61.35%

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

$71.5 $71.5

$27.83 PAB 27.83

156.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$49.32 PAB 49.32

44.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 $38.84

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-14.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.19 $17.19

$8.47 PAB 8.47

102.95%

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

$1,698 $1,698

$553 PAB 553

206.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

227.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 $72.5

$66.4 PAB 66.4

9.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 $65.1

$47.39 PAB 47.39

37.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$95.7 PAB 95.7

21.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$113 PAB 113

50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$1,322 PAB 1,322

119.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 $2,466

$874 PAB 874

182.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,191 $4,191

$2,153 PAB 2,153

94.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$1,580 PAB 1,580

193.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,007 $7,007

$3,097 PAB 3,097

126.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,500 $6,500

$1,698 PAB 1,698

282.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,985 $7,985

$914 PAB 914

773.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.39

7.36%

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

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.2%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 64.5% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Aliso Viejo, CA

$456 11.5%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 28.3% $129

Eating Out

Aliso Viejo, CA

$398 10%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 48% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 41.2% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Aliso Viejo, CA

$190 4.8%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 23.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Aliso Viejo, CA

$73 1.9%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 14.5% $11

Getting Around

Aliso Viejo, CA

$26 * 0.7%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 27% $7.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 774% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $327 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

15:41 3:41 PM

2 h ahead of Aliso Viejo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,489

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 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 October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aliso Viejo, CA Panama City 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Aliso Viejo, CA
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

Aliso Viejo, CA vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aliso Viejo, CA and Panama City differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($3,964 vs $1,857 including rent). Panama City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 774% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $1,322 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,964 per month in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $1,857 in Panama City – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,857 in Panama City versus $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Aliso Viejo, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Aliso Viejo, CA and Panama City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.