Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boquete and Izmir

For one person, living is cheaper in Izmir: $1,207 a month against $1,462 in Boquete, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Boquete outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Boquete
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,462
/mo nomad
Izmir
🇹🇷 Turkey
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boquete and in Izmir

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,462 in Boquete versus $1,207 in Izmir.

  • Boquete $1,462
  • Izmir $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Boquete versus $1,906 in Izmir.

  • Boquete $2,237
  • Izmir $1,906

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Boquete versus $2,606 in Izmir.

  • Boquete $3,011
  • Izmir $2,606

Living in Boquete is roughly 21% more expensive than in Izmir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boquete is 8% above, Izmir is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.48 PAB 6.48
$10.20 ₺505
-36.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.69 PAB 39.69
$36.97 ₺1,831
7.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.65 PAB 7.65
$8.43 ₺417
-9.25%
Cappuccino
$3.88 PAB 3.88
$3.54 ₺175
9.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 PAB 1.36
$1.50 ₺74.3
-9.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 PAB 1.15
$0.63 ₺31.18
82.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.27 PAB 2.27
$3.39 ₺168
-33.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.08 PAB 5.08
$5.19 ₺257
-2.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 PAB 1.81
$1.10 ₺54.4
64.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.15 PAB 2.15
$1.06 ₺52.5
102.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 PAB 2.25
$2.32 ₺115
-3.02%
Eggs
$2.60 PAB 2.60
$2.55 ₺126
1.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.62 PAB 9.62
$9.29 ₺460
3.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.53 PAB 7.53
$5.14 ₺255
46.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.28 PAB 15.28
$21.02 ₺1,041
-27.31%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 PAB 4.33
$1.98 ₺97.9
118.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 PAB 1.01
$2.08 ₺103
-51.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.40 PAB 4.40
$1.02 ₺50.6
331.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 PAB 2.23
$1.43 ₺71.0
55.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 PAB 2.21
$0.56 ₺27.60
294.64%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 PAB 2.14
$0.41 ₺20.50
421.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 PAB 2.30
$1.10 ₺54.7
109.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 PAB 1.65
$0.76 ₺37.49
117.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 PAB 5.02
$2.20 ₺109
128.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.85 PAB 7.85
$11.53 ₺571
-31.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 PAB 1.20
$2.03 ₺100
-40.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 PAB 2.59
$3.09 ₺153
-16.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 PAB 1.35
$0.68 ₺33.71
98.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.55 PAB 24.55
$43.37 ₺2,147
-43.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.02 PAB 1.02
$3.61 ₺179
-71.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.06 PAB 2.06
$1.04 ₺51.3
98.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.39 PAB 30.39
$5.36 ₺266
466.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 PAB 1.13
$1.36 ₺67.1
-16.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.5K PAB 25.5K
$40.6K ₺2.0M
-37.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.1K PAB 22.1K
$46.7K ₺2.3M
-52.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.0 PAB 58.0
$82.5 ₺4,086
-29.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.95 PAB 25.95
$10.63 ₺526
144.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.16 PAB 42.16
$16.18 ₺801
160.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$82.5 PAB 82.5
$64.0 ₺3,171
28.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.48 PAB 17.48
$35.09 ₺1,737
-50.19%
Cinema Ticket
$6.33 PAB 6.33
$7.99 ₺396
-20.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$685 ₺33.9K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,075 PAB 6,075
$14.1K ₺700.2K
-57.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$25.42 PAB 25.42
$46.16 ₺2,286
-44.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.48 PAB 25.48
$36.59 ₺1,812
-30.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$44.14 PAB 44.14
$91.4 ₺4,527
-51.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$80.2 ₺3,971
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$825 PAB 825
$606 ₺30.0K
36.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 PAB 710
$416 ₺20.6K
70.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,551 PAB 1,551
$1,126 ₺55.7K
37.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 PAB 1,284
$800 ₺39.6K
60.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,181 PAB 1,181
$1,455 ₺72.0K
-18.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,150 PAB 1,150
$1,006 ₺49.8K
14.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Boquete
Izmir
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$784 PAB 784
$1,158 ₺57.3K
-32.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
42.33
-84.64%

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

Last update for Boquete: October 11, 2026

Last update for Izmir: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Boquete
$710
Izmir
$416 41.4% $294
Groceries & Markets
Boquete
$295
Izmir
$247 16.3% $48
Eating Out
Boquete
$153
Izmir
$185 21.2% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boquete
$126
Izmir
$109 13.3% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Boquete
$95
Izmir
$80 15.9% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Boquete
$43 *
Izmir
$114 168% $72
Getting Around
Boquete
$41
Izmir
$55 32.9% $14

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 $825 in Boquete and $606 in Izmir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Izmir pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Boquete vs $37.00 in Izmir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $247 per month, with Izmir cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇦 Boquete
🇹🇷 Izmir
🕒 Local time
11:59 11:59 AM
19:59 7:59 PM
8 h ahead of Boquete
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,000
4,493,242
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Boquete Izmir 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Boquete
  • Izmir

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
Boquete vs Izmir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Izmir cheaper than Boquete?
Izmir is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Boquete or Izmir?
On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Izmir. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Boquete and Izmir?
Rent for a central apartment: $825 in Boquete versus $606 in Izmir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Boquete and in Izmir?
Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Boquete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Boquete and in Izmir?
All in, you'll spend $1,462 per month in Boquete versus $1,207 in Izmir – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Boquete or in Izmir?
At $1,207 in Izmir versus $1,462 in Boquete, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Izmir but tight or insufficient in Boquete. The gap between the two cities makes Izmir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Boquete or Izmir more family-friendly?
For families, Izmir is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Boquete, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Boquete or Izmir?
Safety-wise, Boquete and Izmir are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Izmir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Boquete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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