Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlsbad, NM and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,199 in Carlsbad, NM, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Carlsbad, NM
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Carlsbad, NM Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Carlsbad, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,199

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,199 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $2,199
Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $3,149 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $3,149
Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $4,099 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $4,099
Panama City $3,888

Carlsbad, NM costs about 11% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Carlsbad, NM and Panama City sit above the global median – Carlsbad, NM by 63%, Panama City by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.79 $17.79

$11.37 PAB 11.37

56.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.14 $45.14

$46.69 PAB 46.69

-3.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$7.98 PAB 7.98

47.37%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$4.12 PAB 4.12

42.23%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$2.01 PAB 2.01

-23.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.57 PAB 1.57

-19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.28 PAB 3.28

47.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.88 PAB 3.88

77.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-56.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.61 PAB 2.61

34.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.45 PAB 3.45

4.64%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$2.68 PAB 2.68

73.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$12.42 PAB 12.42

7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 $12.12

$6.73 PAB 6.73

80.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.69 $17.69

$10.44 PAB 10.44

69.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.21 PAB 4.21

1.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.95 PAB 1.95

4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.07 PAB 4.07

-13.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-32.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-45.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-26.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.72 PAB 1.72

9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.95 $10.95

$6.04 PAB 6.04

81.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.68 PAB 11.68

28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.41 PAB 1.41

74.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.74 PAB 2.74

33.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.45 PAB 2.45

-4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.76 PAB 1.76

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.86 PAB 21.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-24.17%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

13.49%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

16.74%

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

$172 $172

$132 PAB 132

30.24%

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

$57.7 $57.7

$27.89 PAB 27.89

106.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$49.10 PAB 49.10

53.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.58 $41.58

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-6.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 $10.12

$8.70 PAB 8.70

16.32%

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

$663 $663

$537 PAB 537

23.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,636 $6,636

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

-67.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.94 $31.94

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-34.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 $83.9

$95.4 PAB 95.4

-12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$114 PAB 114

-10.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 $1,225

$1,405 PAB 1,405

-12.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 $1,009

$994 PAB 994

1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 $1,975

$2,221 PAB 2,221

-11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$1,714 PAB 1,714

-7.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,002 $2,002

$3,139 PAB 3,139

-36.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,003 $2,003

$1,724 PAB 1,724

16.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,106 $4,106

$936 PAB 936

338.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

6.39

-12.21%

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

Last update for Carlsbad, NM: October 31, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlsbad, NM

$1K 45.9%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 1.5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Carlsbad, NM

$388 17.7%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 16.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlsbad, NM

$305 13.9%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 31.4% $96

Eating Out

Carlsbad, NM

$297 13.5%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 31.7% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Carlsbad, NM

$124 5.6%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 17.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Carlsbad, NM

$62 2.8%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Carlsbad, NM

$14 * 0.7%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 132% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,225 in Carlsbad, NM 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 Carlsbad, NM are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Carlsbad, NM versus $47 in Panama City. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Carlsbad, NM vs $326 in Panama City – so Panama City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carlsbad, NM

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

06:56 6:56 AM

2 h ahead of Carlsbad, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,746

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 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 = 0.89 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 = 0.89 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carlsbad, NM Panama City 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlsbad, NM
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

Carlsbad, NM vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,199 in Carlsbad, NM, $1,972 in Panama City – Panama City comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,298 per month in Carlsbad, NM 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 Carlsbad, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,225 there versus $1,405 in Panama City.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Carlsbad, NM and $47 in Panama City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Carlsbad, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,199 in Carlsbad, NM and $1,972 in Panama City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,972 in Panama City to $2,199 in Carlsbad, NM. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carlsbad, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.