Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boquete and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Boquete: $1,473 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
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Boquete Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,473

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boquete and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,473 in Boquete versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA.

Boquete $1,473
Seattle, WA $3,744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,266 in Boquete versus $5,703 in Seattle, WA.

Boquete $2,266
Seattle, WA $5,703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Boquete versus $7,661 in Seattle, WA.

Boquete $3,059
Seattle, WA $7,661

Living in Boquete costs roughly 61% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boquete 10% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 PAB 6.46

$24.56 $24.56

-73.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.90 PAB 39.90

$99.5 $99.5

-59.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 PAB 7.58

$15.30 $15.30

-50.46%

Cappuccino

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$6.62 $6.62

-41.39%

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

$1.34 PAB 1.34

$3.25 $3.25

-58.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 PAB 1.21

$3.11 $3.11

-61.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 PAB 2.26

$7.77 $7.77

-70.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 PAB 5.08

$7.93 $7.93

-35.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.21 $1.21

47.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 PAB 2.08

$4.94 $4.94

-57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 PAB 2.14

$6.17 $6.17

-65.32%

Eggs

$2.54 PAB 2.54

$4.96 $4.96

-48.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 PAB 9.20

$19.00 $19.00

-51.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 PAB 7.77

$18.69 $18.69

-58.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 PAB 15.16

$23.14 $23.14

-34.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 PAB 4.39

$5.93 $5.93

-25.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 PAB 0.97

$1.94 $1.94

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 PAB 4.49

$5.19 $5.19

-13.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 PAB 2.27

$6.55 $6.55

-65.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 PAB 2.17

$3.62 $3.62

-40.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 PAB 2.16

$3.16 $3.16

-31.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 PAB 2.22

$2.91 $2.91

-23.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 PAB 1.63

$2.38 $2.38

-31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 PAB 5.09

$12.36 $12.36

-58.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$15.02 $15.02

-47.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 PAB 1.15

$4.30 $4.30

-73.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 PAB 2.64

$5.69 $5.69

-53.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 PAB 1.39

$3.05 $3.05

-54.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.47 PAB 25.47

$109 $109

-76.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 PAB 1.01

$2.64 $2.64

-61.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.74 $1.74

12.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.64 PAB 29.64

$30.02 $30.02

-1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PAB 1.18

$1.46 $1.46

-19.18%

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

$25.1K PAB 25.1K

$36.7K $36.7K

-31.81%

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

$22.2K PAB 22.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

-13.61%

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

$58.7 PAB 58.7

$299 $299

-80.40%

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

$26.10 PAB 26.10

$69.7 $69.7

-62.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.09 PAB 43.09

$90.1 $90.1

-52.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 PAB 81.3

$80.0 $80.0

1.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.41 PAB 17.41

$35.62 $35.62

-51.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 PAB 6.53

$17.33 $17.33

-62.32%

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

$2,986 $2,986

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,039 PAB 6,039

$31.3K $31.3K

-80.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.55 PAB 24.55

$77.7 $77.7

-68.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.25 PAB 25.25

$54.9 $54.9

-53.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.67 PAB 44.67

$126 $126

-64.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 PAB 841

$2,407 $2,407

-65.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 PAB 701

$1,963 $1,963

-64.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 PAB 1,562

$4,788 $4,788

-67.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 PAB 1,309

$3,561 $3,561

-63.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,163 PAB 1,163

$7,430 $7,430

-84.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,151 PAB 1,151

$5,010 $5,010

-77.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$799 PAB 799

$6,280 $6,280

-87.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.85

-5.11%

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

Last update for Boquete: October 5, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boquete

$701 48.2%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 180% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Boquete

$293 20.2%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 84.9% $248

Eating Out

Boquete

$153 10.5%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 163% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boquete

$128 8.8%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 259% $331

Sport & Entertainment

Boquete

$94 6.5%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 21.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Boquete

$43 * 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 348% $148

Getting Around

Boquete

$42 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 216% $90

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 $841 in Boquete and $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 686% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Boquete vs $99.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $541 per month, with Boquete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Boquete

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

01:45 1:45 AM

2 h behind Boquete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

737,015

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Boquete Seattle, WA 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Boquete
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boquete is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 686% lower in Seattle, WA. 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: $841 in Boquete versus $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,473 per month in Boquete versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA – a 154% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,473 in Boquete versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Boquete but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Boquete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Boquete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Boquete and Seattle, WA 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 154% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.