Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethel, AK and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $2,380 in Bethel, AK, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Bethel, AK
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Bethel, AK Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Bethel, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,380

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,380 in Bethel, AK versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Bethel, AK $2,380
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,720 in Bethel, AK versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Bethel, AK $3,720
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,060 in Bethel, AK versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Bethel, AK $5,060
Panama City $3,773

Living in Bethel, AK is roughly 28% 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: Bethel, AK 76% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 $19.36

$11.68 PAB 11.68

65.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 $70.7

$47.76 PAB 47.76

47.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$8.12 PAB 8.12

45.07%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$4.23 PAB 4.23

16.08%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.92 PAB 1.92

29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.58 PAB 1.58

36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 $6.60

$3.31 PAB 3.31

99.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.98 PAB 3.98

58.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-49.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.63 PAB 2.63

49.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.39 PAB 3.39

39.82%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$2.67 PAB 2.67

62.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$6.91 PAB 6.91

91.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 $18.29

$10.58 PAB 10.58

72.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$4.16 PAB 4.16

35.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-27.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.06 PAB 4.06

0.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.18 PAB 4.18

22.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-9.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-38.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.44 PAB 2.44

0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.69 PAB 1.69

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$5.83 PAB 5.83

48.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 $13.68

$11.43 PAB 11.43

19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.38 PAB 1.38

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.76 PAB 2.76

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.33 PAB 0.33

454.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.55 PAB 2.55

10.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.78 PAB 1.78

11.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.49 $28.49

$22.17 PAB 22.17

28.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.24 PAB 1.24

-19.35%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

6.47%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

27.85%

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

$175 $175

$131 PAB 131

33.22%

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

$53.8 $53.8

$27.83 PAB 27.83

93.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$49.32 PAB 49.32

47.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.66 $43.66

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$15.58 $15.58

$8.47 PAB 8.47

83.94%

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

$1,600 $1,600

$553 PAB 553

189.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K $21.0K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

116.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-18.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.07 $41.07

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 $95.3

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$113 PAB 113

9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 $1,742

$1,322 PAB 1,322

31.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 $1,117

$874 PAB 874

27.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,259 $2,259

$2,153 PAB 2,153

4.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 $2,265

$1,580 PAB 1,580

43.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,049 $3,049

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-1.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$1,698 PAB 1,698

37.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.39

2.82%

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

Last update for Bethel, AK: October 17, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethel, AK

$1.1K 46.9%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 21.7% $243

Groceries & Markets

Bethel, AK

$412 17.3%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 20.8% $86

Eating Out

Bethel, AK

$313 13.2%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 33.9% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethel, AK

$301 12.7%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 30.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Bethel, AK

$141 5.9%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 2.8% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bethel, AK

$75 3.1%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 16.3% $12

Getting Around

Bethel, AK

$20 * 0.8%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 66.3% $13

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 $1,742 in Bethel, AK and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Bethel, AK vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $327 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethel, AK

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

10:29 10:29 AM

3 h ahead of Bethel, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,300

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

Bethel, AK Panama City 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethel, AK
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

Bethel, AK vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bethel, AK and Panama City differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,380 vs $1,857 including rent). Panama City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,570 in Bethel, AK and $2,786 in Panama City 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,742 in Bethel, AK 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 26% higher in Bethel, AK. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,380 per month in Bethel, AK versus $1,857 in Panama City – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,857 in Panama City versus $2,380 in Bethel, AK, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Bethel, AK. 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.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Bethel, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.