Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coquimbo and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Coquimbo: $555 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Coquimbo
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Coquimbo Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Coquimbo

🇨🇱 Chile

$555

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $555 in Coquimbo versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Coquimbo $555
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $927 in Coquimbo versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Coquimbo $927
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,300 in Coquimbo versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Coquimbo $1,300
Panama City $3,773

Living in Coquimbo costs roughly 70% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Coquimbo is 59% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 CLP 6,737

$11.68 PAB 11.68

-41.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 CLP 45.9K

$47.76 PAB 47.76

-2.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 CLP 6,039

$8.12 PAB 8.12

-24.51%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CLP 3,430

$4.23 PAB 4.23

-17.73%

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

$1.14 CLP 1,125

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-40.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 CLP 984

$1.58 PAB 1.58

-36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 CLP 4,081

$3.31 PAB 3.31

25.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 CLP 4,447

$3.98 PAB 3.98

13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 CLP 992

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-47.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 CLP 3,060

$2.63 PAB 2.63

18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 CLP 1,193

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-64.31%

Eggs

$2.62 CLP 2,583

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 CLP 8,010

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 CLP 1,331

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-67.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 CLP 1,796

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-7.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 CLP 977

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-75.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 CLP 975

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-76.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 CLP 1,245

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-70.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 CLP 587

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-75.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 CLP 1,292

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-22.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 CLP 4,971

$5.83 PAB 5.83

-13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 CLP 8,079

$11.43 PAB 11.43

-28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 CLP 4,562

$2.76 PAB 2.76

67.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 830

$0.33 PAB 0.33

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 CLP 1,327

$1.24 PAB 1.24

8.87%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

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

$102 CLP 100.3K

$131 PAB 131

-22.42%

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

$12.45 CLP 12.3K

$27.83 PAB 27.83

-55.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 CLP 24.7K

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-45.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.01 CLP 4,929

$34.10 PAB 34.10

-85.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 CLP 3,965

$8.47 PAB 8.47

-52.42%

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

$259 CLP 255.0K

$553 PAB 553

-53.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.0K CLP 28.5M

$9,719 PAB 9,719

198.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.90 CLP 46.2K

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-29.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.18 CLP 24.8K

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-46.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 CLP 60.2K

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-36.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 CLP 79.9K

$113 PAB 113

-27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 CLP 592.4K

$914 PAB 914

-34.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-21.75%

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

Last update for Coquimbo: October 17, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Coquimbo

$154 * 27.8%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 112% $173

Eating Out

Coquimbo

$153 27.7%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 35.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Coquimbo

$114 * 20.6%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 82.3% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Coquimbo

$96 17.4%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 50.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Coquimbo

$33 6%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 89% $29

Getting Around

Coquimbo

$3.4 * 0.6%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 892% $30

Accommodation & Living

Coquimbo

- * 0%

Panama City

$874 47.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Panama City pays 52% 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: $47.00 in Coquimbo vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $327 per month, with Coquimbo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Coquimbo

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

13:51 1:51 PM

2 h behind Coquimbo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

204,068

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 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).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Coquimbo Panama City 4,420 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Coquimbo
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

Coquimbo vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Coquimbo and Panama City differ by about 235% in total monthly costs ($555 vs $1,857 including rent). Coquimbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Panama City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $259 in Coquimbo 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 Coquimbo – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $48.00 in Panama City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $555 in Coquimbo versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Coquimbo but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Coquimbo 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.

Expats usually find Coquimbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 235% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.