Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Juarez and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Juarez: $1,126 a month against $1,972 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
Panama City, Panama
Ciudad Juarez
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,126
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,972
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,126 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Ciudad Juarez $1,126
  • Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $1,818 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Ciudad Juarez $1,818
  • Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $2,510 per month in Ciudad Juarez vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Ciudad Juarez $2,510
  • Panama City $3,888

Ciudad Juarez is about 43% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ciudad Juarez sits 17% below the global median, while Panama City is 46% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.89 MX$166
$11.37 PAB 11.37
-21.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.11 MX$601
$46.69 PAB 46.69
-31.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.05 MX$188
$7.98 PAB 7.98
25.94%
Cappuccino
$2.82 MX$52.7
$4.12 PAB 4.12
-31.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 MX$20.18
$2.01 PAB 2.01
-46.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 MX$12.77
$1.57 PAB 1.57
-56.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.06 MX$38.49
$3.28 PAB 3.28
-37.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 MX$81.1
$3.88 PAB 3.88
11.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 MX$30.93
$1.82 PAB 1.82
-9.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 MX$40.86
$2.61 PAB 2.61
-16.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.58 MX$29.47
$3.45 PAB 3.45
-54.20%
Eggs
$2.22 MX$41.48
$2.68 PAB 2.68
-17.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.19 MX$228
$12.42 PAB 12.42
-1.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.51 MX$122
$6.73 PAB 6.73
-3.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.89 MX$222
$10.44 PAB 10.44
13.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.67 MX$50.0
$4.21 PAB 4.21
-36.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.45
$1.95 PAB 1.95
5.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.76 MX$32.97
$4.07 PAB 4.07
-56.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 MX$37.15
$4.02 PAB 4.02
-50.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.62 MX$30.28
$3.46 PAB 3.46
-53.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.27 MX$42.55
$4.42 PAB 4.42
-48.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.65
$2.43 PAB 2.43
-39.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 MX$19.62
$1.72 PAB 1.72
-38.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$82.3
$6.04 PAB 6.04
-27.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.94 MX$205
$11.68 PAB 11.68
-6.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 MX$22.96
$1.41 PAB 1.41
-12.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 MX$59.9
$2.74 PAB 2.74
16.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.64 MX$11.88
$0.33 PAB 0.33
93.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.34 MX$511
$20.65 PAB 20.65
32.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.97 MX$74.3
$2.45 PAB 2.45
62.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.10 MX$20.54
$1.76 PAB 1.76
-37.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.97 MX$299
$21.86 PAB 21.86
-26.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 MX$24.07
$1.20 PAB 1.20
7.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.6K
$24.6K PAB 24.6K
-15.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K MX$462.7K
$20.9K PAB 20.9K
18.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.4 MX$1,561
$132 PAB 132
-36.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.37 MX$418
$27.89 PAB 27.89
-19.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.08 MX$525
$49.10 PAB 49.10
-42.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.09 MX$600
$44.53 PAB 44.53
-27.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.08 MX$282
$34.01 PAB 34.01
-55.66%
Cinema Ticket
$4.21 MX$78.8
$8.70 PAB 8.70
-51.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$213 MX$3,983
$537 PAB 537
-60.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,746 MX$51.4K
$20.5K PAB 20.5K
-86.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.7 MX$1,079
$65.8 PAB 65.8
-12.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.46 MX$607
$48.45 PAB 48.45
-33.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.3 MX$1,389
$95.4 PAB 95.4
-22.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.6 MX$1,508
$114 PAB 114
-29.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$591 MX$11.1K
$1,405 PAB 1,405
-57.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$377 MX$7,055
$994 PAB 994
-62.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,001 MX$18.7K
$2,221 PAB 2,221
-54.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$842 MX$15.7K
$1,714 PAB 1,714
-50.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$934 MX$17.5K
$3,139 PAB 3,139
-70.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$678 MX$12.7K
$1,724 PAB 1,724
-60.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ciudad Juarez
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$567 MX$10.6K
$936 PAB 936
-39.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.32
6.39
77.15%

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

Last update for Ciudad Juarez: 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
Ciudad Juarez
$377
Panama City
$994 164% $617
Groceries & Markets
Ciudad Juarez
$263
Panama City
$326 23.7% $62
Eating Out
Ciudad Juarez
$161
Panama City
$203 25.9% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ciudad Juarez
$134
Panama City
$209 55.9% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Ciudad Juarez
$110
Panama City
$145 31.9% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Ciudad Juarez
$41
Panama City
$62 52.9% $21
Getting Around
Ciudad Juarez
$39
Panama City
$33 15.6% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $591 in Ciudad Juarez 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 run about 65% higher in Panama City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Ciudad Juarez versus $47 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $326 – making Ciudad Juarez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Ciudad Juarez
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
11:21 11:21 AM
13:21 1:21 PM
2 h ahead of Ciudad Juarez
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,501,551
1,086,990 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ciudad Juarez Panama City 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ciudad Juarez
  • 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
Ciudad Juarez vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ciudad Juarez and in Panama City compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,126 in Ciudad Juarez, $1,972 in Panama City – Ciudad Juarez comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ciudad Juarez compared to Panama City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,689 per month in Ciudad Juarez and $2,958 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ciudad Juarez and Panama City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ciudad Juarez, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $591 there versus $1,405 in Panama City.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Ciudad Juarez and $47 in Panama City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ciudad Juarez or Panama City?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,126 in Ciudad Juarez and $1,972 in Panama City. That makes Ciudad Juarez about 43% cheaper.
Where should families live: Ciudad Juarez or Panama City?
Families tend to lean toward Ciudad Juarez – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Ciudad Juarez and Panama City?
If budget matters most, go with Ciudad Juarez. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ciudad Juarez vs other spots: cost of living compared

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