Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cathedral City, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,593

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Cathedral City, CA $2,593
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,761 in Cathedral City, CA versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Cathedral City, CA $3,761
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,929 in Cathedral City, CA versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Cathedral City, CA $4,929
Panama City $3,773

Living in Cathedral City, CA is roughly 40% 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: Cathedral City, CA 91% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.94 $18.94

$11.68 PAB 11.68

62.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 $74.2

$47.76 PAB 47.76

55.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 $11.12

$8.12 PAB 8.12

36.95%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$4.23 PAB 4.23

16.78%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.92 PAB 1.92

36.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.58 PAB 1.58

23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.31 PAB 3.31

81.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.98 PAB 3.98

78.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-47.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.63 PAB 2.63

30.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.39 PAB 3.39

30.09%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$2.67 PAB 2.67

54.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$6.91 PAB 6.91

68.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$10.58 PAB 10.58

48.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.16 PAB 4.16

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-17.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.06 PAB 4.06

1.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.18 PAB 4.18

9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-19.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-35.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-16.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.69 PAB 1.69

28.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 $9.33

$5.83 PAB 5.83

60.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 $13.89

$11.43 PAB 11.43

21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.38 PAB 1.38

32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.76 PAB 2.76

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.33 PAB 0.33

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.55 PAB 2.55

34.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.37 $29.37

$22.17 PAB 22.17

32.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.24 PAB 1.24

-28.23%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

20.21%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

17.98%

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

$186 $186

$131 PAB 131

41.85%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$27.83 PAB 27.83

90.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$49.32 PAB 49.32

38.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.44 $42.44

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$13.60 $13.60

$8.47 PAB 8.47

60.57%

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

$1,315 $1,315

$553 PAB 553

137.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

139.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-24.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 $39.39

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-16.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$113 PAB 113

0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$1,322 PAB 1,322

20.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 $1,374

$874 PAB 874

57.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 $2,622

$2,153 PAB 2,153

21.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 $2,223

$1,580 PAB 1,580

40.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 $2,814

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-9.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,417 $2,417

$1,698 PAB 1,698

42.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.39

1.88%

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

Last update for Cathedral City, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cathedral City, CA

$1.4K 53%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 36.4% $500

Groceries & Markets

Cathedral City, CA

$386 14.9%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 15.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.9%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 32.2% $99

Eating Out

Cathedral City, CA

$307 11.8%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 32.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 11.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 10.1% $7

Getting Around

Cathedral City, CA

$19 * 0.7%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 73.8% $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 $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $327 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

12:38 12:38 PM

14:38 2:38 PM

2 h ahead of Cathedral City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,493

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 October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Cathedral City, CA Panama City 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cathedral City, CA
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

Cathedral City, CA vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cathedral City, CA and Panama City differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,593 vs $1,857 including rent). Panama City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,889 in Cathedral City, CA and $2,786 in Panama City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA versus $1,322 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,315 in Cathedral City, CA versus $553 in Panama City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,857 in Panama City versus $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Cathedral City, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Cathedral City, CA and Panama City 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 Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cathedral City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.