Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Artesia, NM and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,398 in Artesia, NM, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

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

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Artesia, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in Artesia, NM versus $1,972 in Panama City.

Artesia, NM $2,398
Panama City $1,972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,235 in Artesia, NM versus $2,930 in Panama City.

Artesia, NM $3,235
Panama City $2,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,071 in Artesia, NM versus $3,888 in Panama City.

Artesia, NM $4,071
Panama City $3,888

Living in Artesia, NM is roughly 22% 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: Artesia, NM 77% above, Panama City 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.23 $16.23

$11.37 PAB 11.37

42.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.57 $47.57

$46.69 PAB 46.69

1.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$7.98 PAB 7.98

48.37%

Cappuccino

$6.24 $6.24

$4.12 PAB 4.12

51.46%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$2.01 PAB 2.01

15.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.57 PAB 1.57

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.28 PAB 3.28

84.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.88 PAB 3.88

80.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-54.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.61 PAB 2.61

10.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.45 PAB 3.45

-28.41%

Eggs

$3.40 $3.40

$2.68 PAB 2.68

26.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$12.42 PAB 12.42

-4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$6.73 PAB 6.73

71.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$10.44 PAB 10.44

23.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$4.21 PAB 4.21

-16.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-27.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.07 PAB 4.07

-38.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-10.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-37.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-38.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.72 PAB 1.72

-4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$6.04 PAB 6.04

64.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 $9.34

$11.68 PAB 11.68

-20.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.41 PAB 1.41

48.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.74 PAB 2.74

77.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.33 PAB 0.33

460.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 $58.9

$20.65 PAB 20.65

185.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.45 PAB 2.45

-30.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.76 PAB 1.76

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.83 $26.83

$21.86 PAB 21.86

22.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-20.00%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

9.89%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

23.03%

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

$147 $147

$132 PAB 132

11.75%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$27.89 PAB 27.89

158.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$49.10 PAB 49.10

36.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.20 $40.20

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-9.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 $7.79

$8.70 PAB 8.70

-10.46%

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

$696 $696

$537 PAB 537

29.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

-41.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.18 $37.18

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-43.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.45 $36.45

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-24.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 $85.4

$95.4 PAB 95.4

-10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 $81.4

$114 PAB 114

-28.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$1,405 PAB 1,405

8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 $1,249

$994 PAB 994

25.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$2,221 PAB 2,221

-5.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 $1,623

$1,714 PAB 1,714

-5.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,838 $2,838

$3,139 PAB 3,139

-9.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,361 $2,361

$1,724 PAB 1,724

36.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,513 $3,513

$936 PAB 936

275.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.39

1.88%

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

Last update for Artesia, 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

Artesia, NM

$1.2K 52.1%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 20.4% $255

Groceries & Markets

Artesia, NM

$324 13.5%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 0.4% $1.3

Eating Out

Artesia, NM

$300 12.5%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 32.4% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Artesia, NM

$286 11.9%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 27.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Artesia, NM

$108 4.5%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 34.4% $37

Getting Around

Artesia, NM

$75 3.1%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 55.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Artesia, NM

$56 2.3%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 11% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,518 in Artesia, NM and $1,405 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Artesia, NM pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Artesia, NM vs $47 in Panama City. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $326, with Artesia, NM cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Artesia, NM

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

09:39 9:39 AM

2 h ahead of Artesia, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,522

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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Artesia, NM Panama City 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Artesia, 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

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

Panama City wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Artesia, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Panama City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Artesia, NM is about 3.8 times higher, 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: $1,518 in Artesia, NM versus $1,405 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,398 per month in Artesia, NM versus $1,972 in Panama City – Panama City is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 65% less than in Artesia, NM. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

It comes down to priorities – Panama City wins on affordability, Artesia, NM on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.