Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chandler, AZ and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,813 in Chandler, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Chandler, AZ
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Chandler, AZ Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Chandler, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,813

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,813 in Chandler, AZ versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Chandler, AZ $2,813
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,006 in Chandler, AZ versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Chandler, AZ $4,006
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,200 in Chandler, AZ versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Chandler, AZ $5,200
Panama City $3,812

Living in Chandler, AZ is roughly 53% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chandler, AZ 110% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 $15.06

$11.34 PAB 11.34

32.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 $62.2

$47.85 PAB 47.85

30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 $10.88

$8.07 PAB 8.07

34.82%

Cappuccino

$4.46 $4.46

$4.02 PAB 4.02

10.95%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.94 PAB 1.94

35.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.62 PAB 1.62

8.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.26 PAB 3.26

80.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$3.99 PAB 3.99

83.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-54.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.57 PAB 2.57

27.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-3.90%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$2.69 PAB 2.69

72.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$12.33 PAB 12.33

8.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$6.69 PAB 6.69

68.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$10.40 PAB 10.40

66.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-13.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-24.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-8.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-28.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-49.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-43.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.75 PAB 1.75

-18.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 $10.04

$6.06 PAB 6.06

65.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 $13.33

$11.72 PAB 11.72

13.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.37 PAB 1.37

37.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.84 PAB 2.84

-28.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 $4.08

$0.36 PAB 0.36

1033.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$20.96 PAB 20.96

398.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.52 PAB 2.52

9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-24.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.43 $28.43

$22.01 PAB 22.01

29.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-9.60%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

47.35%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

12.14%

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

$199 $199

$131 PAB 131

51.42%

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

$43.64 $43.64

$27.68 PAB 27.68

57.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$48.59 PAB 48.59

48.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.96 $30.96

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-32.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.18 $15.18

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-56.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 $10.78

$8.73 PAB 8.73

23.48%

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

$1,118 $1,118

$551 PAB 551

103.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

61.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 $50.3

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-25.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 $42.94

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-10.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$94.9 PAB 94.9

-7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$113 PAB 113

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 $1,540

$1,238 PAB 1,238

24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 $1,482

$873 PAB 873

69.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,386 $2,386

$2,197 PAB 2,197

8.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 $2,496

$1,538 PAB 1,538

62.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 $3,636

$3,116 PAB 3,116

16.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 $3,447

$1,725 PAB 1,725

99.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,019 $5,019

$934 PAB 934

437.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

6.39

-1.41%

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

Last update for Chandler, AZ: October 5, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chandler, AZ

$1.5K 54.2%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 41.1% $609

Groceries & Markets

Chandler, AZ

$354 13%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 8.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chandler, AZ

$315 11.5%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 34.1% $107

Eating Out

Chandler, AZ

$268 9.8%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 24.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Chandler, AZ

$133 4.9%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 9.5% $13

Getting Around

Chandler, AZ

$130 4.8%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 74% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Chandler, AZ

$53 1.9%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 21% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,540 in Chandler, AZ and $1,238 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chandler, AZ pays 437% 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: $62.0 in Chandler, AZ vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $324 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chandler, AZ

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

13:18 1:18 PM

2 h ahead of Chandler, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,631

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

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).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chandler, AZ Panama City 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chandler, AZ
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

Chandler, AZ vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 437% higher in Chandler, AZ, 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: $1,540 in Chandler, AZ versus $1,238 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Chandler, AZ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $62.0 in Chandler, AZ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,837 in Panama City versus $2,813 in Chandler, AZ, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Chandler, AZ. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Chandler, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.