Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,599 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
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Boise, ID Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,599

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,599 per month in Boise, ID vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

Boise, ID $2,599
Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $3,659 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

Boise, ID $3,659
Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $4,718 per month in Boise, ID vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

Boise, ID $4,718
Panama City $3,888

Boise, ID costs about 32% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Boise, ID and Panama City sit above the global median – Boise, ID by 92%, Panama City by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.93 $18.93

$11.37 PAB 11.37

66.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 $71.0

$46.69 PAB 46.69

52.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.98 PAB 7.98

64.54%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$4.12 PAB 4.12

49.76%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$2.01 PAB 2.01

41.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.57 PAB 1.57

29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.71 $6.71

$3.28 PAB 3.28

104.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.88 PAB 3.88

62.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.61 PAB 2.61

51.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.45 PAB 3.45

74.49%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.68 PAB 2.68

57.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$12.42 PAB 12.42

28.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$6.73 PAB 6.73

64.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.65 $17.65

$10.44 PAB 10.44

69.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.21 PAB 4.21

15.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.07 PAB 4.07

-0.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.02 PAB 4.02

21.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-38.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.72 PAB 1.72

41.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$6.04 PAB 6.04

43.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.33 $15.33

$11.68 PAB 11.68

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.41 PAB 1.41

43.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.74 PAB 2.74

21.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.33 PAB 0.33

348.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.34 $42.34

$20.65 PAB 20.65

105.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.45 PAB 2.45

6.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.76 PAB 1.76

-17.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.34 $24.34

$21.86 PAB 21.86

11.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-0.83%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

38.02%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

25.93%

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

$170 $170

$132 PAB 132

29.27%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$27.89 PAB 27.89

105.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.9 $75.9

$49.10 PAB 49.10

54.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.23 $39.23

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-11.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.85 $37.85

$34.01 PAB 34.01

11.29%

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 $12.36

$8.70 PAB 8.70

42.07%

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

$1,096 $1,096

$537 PAB 537

104.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K $19.5K

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

-5.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-17.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.37 $41.37

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-14.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 $89.0

$95.4 PAB 95.4

-6.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$114 PAB 114

-4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 $1,688

$1,405 PAB 1,405

20.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$994 PAB 994

29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 $2,588

$2,221 PAB 2,221

16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$1,714 PAB 1,714

5.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,828 $6,828

$3,139 PAB 3,139

117.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,041 $3,041

$1,724 PAB 1,724

76.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,416 $4,416

$936 PAB 936

371.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.39

4.07%

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

Last update for Boise, ID: November 1, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.6%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 22.9% $295

Groceries & Markets

Boise, ID

$422 16.2%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 22.9% $97

Eating Out

Boise, ID

$331 12.7%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 38.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boise, ID

$303 11.7%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 31.2% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Boise, ID

$132 5.1%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 10% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Boise, ID

$64 2.5%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 3.2% $2

Getting Around

Boise, ID

$58 2.2%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 42.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,688 in Boise, ID 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 Boise, ID are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Boise, ID versus $47 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $326 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

22:53 10:53 PM

2 h ahead of Boise, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

235,684

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.891 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 = 0.891 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 = 0.891 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Boise, ID Panama City 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Boise, ID
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

Boise, ID vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boise, ID costs about 32% 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 $3,899 per month in Boise, ID and $2,958 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panama City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,405 there versus $1,688 in Boise, ID.

Kindergarten costs $1,096 per month in Boise, ID and $537 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Boise, ID, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,972, than in Boise, ID at $2,599. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boise, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Boise, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.