Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bocas del Toro and Boquete

For one person, living costs are similar in Bocas del Toro and in Boquete: $1,493 and $1,462 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Boquete
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Boquete Living Index

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Bocas del Toro

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,493

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,493 in Bocas del Toro versus $1,462 in Boquete.

Bocas del Toro $1,493
Boquete $1,462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Bocas del Toro versus $2,237 in Boquete.

Bocas del Toro $2,083
Boquete $2,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,673 in Bocas del Toro versus $3,011 in Boquete.

Bocas del Toro $2,673
Boquete $3,011

Living in Bocas del Toro is roughly 2% more expensive than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bocas del Toro 11% above, Boquete 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.32 PAB 9.32

$6.48 PAB 6.48

43.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 PAB 50.0

$39.69 PAB 39.69

26.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 PAB 9.98

$7.65 PAB 7.65

30.46%

Cappuccino

$4.11 PAB 4.11

$3.88 PAB 3.88

5.93%

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

$1.71 PAB 1.71

$1.36 PAB 1.36

25.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 PAB 1.66

$1.15 PAB 1.15

44.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$2.27 PAB 2.27

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$5.08 PAB 5.08

-20.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 PAB 2.05

$1.81 PAB 1.81

13.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 PAB 3.76

$2.15 PAB 2.15

74.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 PAB 2.25

Eggs

$2.68 PAB 2.68

$2.60 PAB 2.60

3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.23 PAB 17.23

$9.62 PAB 9.62

79.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 PAB 8.84

$7.53 PAB 7.53

17.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.44 PAB 8.44

$15.28 PAB 15.28

-44.76%

Apples (1kg)

$9.93 PAB 9.93

$4.33 PAB 4.33

129.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 PAB 1.53

$1.01 PAB 1.01

51.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 PAB 4.40

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 PAB 4.98

$2.23 PAB 2.23

123.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$2.21 PAB 2.21

50.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 PAB 2.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 PAB 2.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$1.65 PAB 1.65

-4.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 PAB 5.02

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 PAB 7.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 PAB 2.90

$1.20 PAB 1.20

141.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$2.59 PAB 2.59

-1.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 PAB 1.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.55 PAB 24.55

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 PAB 1.02

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 PAB 2.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 PAB 30.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 PAB 1.13

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

$25.5K PAB 25.5K

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

$22.1K PAB 22.1K

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

$58.0 PAB 58.0

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

$40.68 PAB 40.68

$25.95 PAB 25.95

56.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.96 PAB 34.96

$42.16 PAB 42.16

-17.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 PAB 82.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.48 PAB 17.48

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 PAB 6.33

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,075 PAB 6,075

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.42 PAB 25.42

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.48 PAB 25.48

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.14 PAB 44.14

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 PAB 742

$825 PAB 825

-10.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 PAB 910

$710 PAB 710

28.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 PAB 1,185

$1,551 PAB 1,551

-23.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 PAB 1,178

$1,284 PAB 1,284

-8.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,181 PAB 1,181

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,150 PAB 1,150

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$695 PAB 695

$784 PAB 784

-11.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

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

Last update for Bocas del Toro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Boquete: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bocas del Toro

–

Boquete

$710 48.5%

Groceries & Markets

Bocas del Toro

–

Boquete

$295 20.2%

Eating Out

Bocas del Toro

–

Boquete

$153 10.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bocas del Toro

–

Boquete

$126 8.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Bocas del Toro

–

Boquete

$95 6.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Bocas del Toro

–

Boquete

$43 * 2.9%

Getting Around

Bocas del Toro

–

Boquete

$41 2.8%

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 $742 in Bocas del Toro and $825 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boquete pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Bocas del Toro vs $40.00 in Boquete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $295 per month, with Boquete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Bocas del Toro

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

Same time as Bocas del Toro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,228

7,000

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bocas del Toro Boquete 70 km

From you

Bocas del Toro
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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

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

Bocas del Toro and Boquete differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,493 vs $1,462 including rent). Boquete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Boquete. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Bocas del Toro versus $825 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Boquete – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $50.0 in Bocas del Toro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,493 per month in Bocas del Toro versus $1,462 in Boquete – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,462 in Boquete versus $1,493 in Bocas del Toro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Boquete but tight or insufficient in Bocas del Toro. The gap between the two cities makes Boquete 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, Bocas del Toro and Boquete 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 Boquete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bocas del Toro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.