Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Campbell River and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,373 in Campbell River, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Campbell River
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,373
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,855
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,373 in Campbell River versus $1,855 in Panama City.

  • Campbell River $2,373
  • Panama City $1,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,457 in Campbell River versus $2,804 in Panama City.

  • Campbell River $3,457
  • Panama City $2,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,540 in Campbell River versus $3,753 in Panama City.

  • Campbell River $4,540
  • Panama City $3,753

Living in Campbell River is roughly 28% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Campbell River 76% above, Panama City 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.99 CA$26.85
$11.63 PAB 11.63
63.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.8 CA$98.6
$47.92 PAB 47.92
45.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.58 CA$14.95
$7.96 PAB 7.96
32.91%
Cappuccino
$4.12 CA$5.83
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-2.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$2.01 PAB 2.01
10.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 CA$1.37
$1.56 PAB 1.56
-37.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.59 CA$7.90
$3.39 PAB 3.39
64.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.32 CA$8.93
$3.94 PAB 3.94
60.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.67 CA$3.78
$1.85 PAB 1.85
44.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 CA$4.27
$2.56 PAB 2.56
17.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.93 CA$5.56
$3.48 PAB 3.48
12.93%
Eggs
$4.01 CA$5.67
$2.69 PAB 2.69
49.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.13 CA$11.49
$12.57 PAB 12.57
-35.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.34 CA$13.20
$6.83 PAB 6.83
36.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.42 CA$20.39
$10.58 PAB 10.58
36.29%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 CA$4.52
$4.18 PAB 4.18
-23.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 CA$1.96
$1.83 PAB 1.83
-24.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$4.20 PAB 4.20
-17.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.43 CA$4.85
$4.03 PAB 4.03
-14.89%
Potato (1kg)
$3.39 CA$4.80
$3.48 PAB 3.48
-2.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.86 CA$4.04
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-32.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.15 CA$4.45
$2.41 PAB 2.41
30.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.54
$1.69 PAB 1.69
47.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.43 CA$20.40
$6.14 PAB 6.14
135.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.38 CA$24.57
$11.30 PAB 11.30
53.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.92 CA$5.54
$1.42 PAB 1.42
176.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 CA$4.98
$2.73 PAB 2.73
28.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.43 CA$2.01
$0.33 PAB 0.33
333.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$21.23 PAB 21.23
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 CA$3.87
$2.52 PAB 2.52
8.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.61 CA$2.28
$1.86 PAB 1.86
-13.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.41 CA$48.64
$21.78 PAB 21.78
57.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 CA$1.79
$1.25 PAB 1.25
0.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K CA$38.5K
$21.2K PAB 21.2K
28.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.4K CA$26.0K
$21.0K PAB 21.0K
-12.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.3 CA$73.9
$130 PAB 130
-59.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.43 CA$62.8
$28.13 PAB 28.13
57.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.3 CA$88.0
$48.21 PAB 48.21
29.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.21 CA$63.9
$45.78 PAB 45.78
-1.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.92 PAB 34.92
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.40 CA$14.70
$8.67 PAB 8.67
19.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$894 CA$1,264
$544 PAB 544
64.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.0K CA$32.5K
$9,697 PAB 9,697
137.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.33 CA$61.3
$66.8 PAB 66.8
-35.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.94 CA$63.5
$49.14 PAB 49.14
-8.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.1 CA$97.7
$93.9 PAB 93.9
-26.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.3 CA$125
$112 PAB 112
-20.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,456 CA$2,058
$1,257 PAB 1,257
15.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,357 CA$1,918
$875 PAB 875
55.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,204 CA$3,115
$2,155 PAB 2,155
2.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,148 CA$3,036
$1,564 PAB 1,564
37.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,122 PAB 3,122
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,709 PAB 1,709
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Campbell River
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,283 CA$3,228
$916 PAB 916
149.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.31
6.39
-32.55%

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

Last update for Campbell River: October 11, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Campbell River
$1.4K
Panama City
$875 35.5% $482
Groceries & Markets
Campbell River
$378
Panama City
$325 14.1% $53
Eating Out
Campbell River
$286
Panama City
$207 27.8% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Campbell River
$159
Panama City
$206 29.7% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Campbell River
$111
Panama City
$145 30.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Campbell River
$66
Panama City
$63 4.4% $2.9
Getting Around
Campbell River
$16 *
Panama City
$34 109% $18

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 $1,456 in Campbell River and $1,257 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Campbell River pays 149% 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: $70.0 in Campbell River vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $325 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Campbell River
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
10:32 10:32 AM
12:32 12:32 PM
2 h ahead of Campbell River
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
36,455
1,086,990 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Campbell River Panama City 6,200 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Campbell River
  • 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
Campbell River vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Campbell River or Panama City?
Panama City wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Campbell River. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Panama City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Campbell River or in Panama City?
Average pay runs 149% higher in Campbell River, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Campbell River compared to Panama City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,456 in Campbell River versus $1,257 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Campbell River or in Panama City?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Campbell River. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Campbell River compared to Panama City?
All in, you'll spend $2,373 per month in Campbell River versus $1,855 in Panama City – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Campbell River or in Panama City?
At $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,373 in Campbell River, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Campbell River. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Campbell River or Panama City?
Both work as nomad bases, but Panama City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Panama City hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Campbell River. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Campbell River vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?