Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $1,972 in Panama City.

Calgary $2,297
Panama City $1,972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $2,930 in Panama City.

Calgary $3,378
Panama City $2,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $3,888 in Panama City.

Calgary $4,459
Panama City $3,888

Living in Calgary is roughly 16% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 70% above, Panama City 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.23

$11.37 PAB 11.37

57.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.9

$46.69 PAB 46.69

47.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.38

$7.98 PAB 7.98

37.09%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.21

$4.12 PAB 4.12

-10.19%

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

$2.07 CA$2.91

$2.01 PAB 2.01

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.87

$1.57 PAB 1.57

29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.08

$3.28 PAB 3.28

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$8.02

$3.88 PAB 3.88

46.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.78

$1.82 PAB 1.82

8.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$2.61 PAB 2.61

1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.21

$3.45 PAB 3.45

69.28%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.36

$2.68 PAB 2.68

42.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.20

$12.42 PAB 12.42

-12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.50

$6.73 PAB 6.73

63.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$25.14

$10.44 PAB 10.44

71.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.87

$4.21 PAB 4.21

15.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-25.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.84

$4.07 PAB 4.07

1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.12

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-15.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.25

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-31.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.75

$2.43 PAB 2.43

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.21

$1.72 PAB 1.72

-8.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.84

$6.04 PAB 6.04

133.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.73

$11.68 PAB 11.68

32.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.52

$1.41 PAB 1.41

77.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.47

$2.74 PAB 2.74

16.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$0.33 PAB 0.33

763.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$127

$20.65 PAB 20.65

336.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.45

$2.45 PAB 2.45

28.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.98

$1.76 PAB 1.76

-19.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.62

$21.86 PAB 21.86

25.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-1.67%

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

$27.9K CA$39.2K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

13.48%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

0.80%

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

$182 CA$256

$132 PAB 132

37.97%

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

$36.01 CA$50.7

$27.89 PAB 27.89

29.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$68.6

$49.10 PAB 49.10

-0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.6

$44.53 PAB 44.53

9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.53

$34.01 PAB 34.01

-46.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.42

$8.70 PAB 8.70

66.90%

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

$542 CA$762

$537 PAB 537

0.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.8K

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

3.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.1

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.5

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-12.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$132

$95.4 PAB 95.4

-1.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$153

$114 PAB 114

-4.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,707

$1,405 PAB 1,405

-13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,457

$994 PAB 994

4.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,876

$2,221 PAB 2,221

-7.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,327

$1,714 PAB 1,714

-3.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,137

$3,139 PAB 3,139

16.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,476

$1,724 PAB 1,724

84.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,526

$936 PAB 936

243.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

6.39

-30.67%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 4.1% $42

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 16.5% $64

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 26.9% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 21.7% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 6.3% $8.6

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 70.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 20.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $1,405 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $47 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $326 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

15:53 3:53 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 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 = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calgary Panama City 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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

Calgary vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Calgary is about 3.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,214 in Calgary versus $1,405 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $47 versus $69 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,297 per month in Calgary versus $1,972 in Panama City – Panama City is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Panama City wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.