Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coquitlam and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,784 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Coquitlam
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,784
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,855
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,784 in Coquitlam versus $1,855 in Panama City.

  • Coquitlam $2,784
  • Panama City $1,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,921 in Coquitlam versus $2,804 in Panama City.

  • Coquitlam $3,921
  • Panama City $2,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,058 in Coquitlam versus $3,753 in Panama City.

  • Coquitlam $5,058
  • Panama City $3,753

Living in Coquitlam is roughly 50% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Coquitlam 106% above, Panama City 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.08 CA$22.74
$11.63 PAB 11.63
38.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.3 CA$97.9
$47.92 PAB 47.92
44.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.46 CA$14.78
$7.96 PAB 7.96
31.41%
Cappuccino
$3.77 CA$5.34
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-10.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 CA$3.01
$2.01 PAB 2.01
5.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 CA$2.27
$1.56 PAB 1.56
3.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 CA$8.02
$3.39 PAB 3.39
67.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.11 CA$8.64
$3.94 PAB 3.94
55.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 CA$2.04
$1.85 PAB 1.85
-22.16%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 CA$3.56
$2.56 PAB 2.56
-1.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.80
$3.48 PAB 3.48
-22.70%
Eggs
$3.88 CA$5.48
$2.69 PAB 2.69
44.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.59 CA$13.56
$12.57 PAB 12.57
-23.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.46 CA$19.02
$6.83 PAB 6.83
97.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.57 CA$27.66
$10.58 PAB 10.58
84.97%
Apples (1kg)
$3.94 CA$5.57
$4.18 PAB 4.18
-5.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.95
$1.83 PAB 1.83
-24.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.95 CA$5.59
$4.20 PAB 4.20
-5.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.07 CA$5.76
$4.03 PAB 4.03
0.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$3.48 PAB 3.48
-54.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.75 CA$3.89
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-34.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 CA$3.54
$2.41 PAB 2.41
4.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 CA$1.47
$1.69 PAB 1.69
-38.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.62 CA$22.09
$6.14 PAB 6.14
154.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.70 CA$16.54
$11.30 PAB 11.30
3.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 CA$3.72
$1.42 PAB 1.42
85.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 CA$4.07
$2.73 PAB 2.73
5.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 CA$3.14
$0.33 PAB 0.33
572.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.4 CA$105
$21.23 PAB 21.23
250.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 CA$3.78
$2.52 PAB 2.52
6.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 CA$1.94
$1.86 PAB 1.86
-26.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.47 CA$34.59
$21.78 PAB 21.78
12.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.25 PAB 1.25
7.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.6K CA$36.3K
$21.2K PAB 21.2K
20.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K CA$26.3K
$21.0K PAB 21.0K
-11.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.0 CA$114
$130 PAB 130
-37.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.50 CA$50.2
$28.13 PAB 28.13
26.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.5 CA$74.2
$48.21 PAB 48.21
8.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.62 CA$29.14
$45.78 PAB 45.78
-54.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.61 CA$15.00
$34.92 PAB 34.92
-69.62%
Cinema Ticket
$10.31 CA$14.57
$8.67 PAB 8.67
18.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,091 CA$1,542
$544 PAB 544
100.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K CA$16.1K
$9,697 PAB 9,697
17.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.2 CA$80.9
$66.8 PAB 66.8
-14.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.93 CA$46.55
$49.14 PAB 49.14
-32.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.8 CA$134
$93.9 PAB 93.9
1.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 CA$135
$112 PAB 112
-14.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,941 CA$2,745
$1,257 PAB 1,257
54.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,734 CA$2,452
$875 PAB 875
98.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,462 CA$4,894
$2,155 PAB 2,155
60.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,582 CA$3,651
$1,564 PAB 1,564
65.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,099 CA$8,623
$3,122 PAB 3,122
95.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,977 CA$7,036
$1,709 PAB 1,709
191.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Coquitlam
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,953 CA$4,175
$916 PAB 916
222.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.28
6.39
-33.02%

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

Last update for Coquitlam: October 12, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Coquitlam
$1.7K
Panama City
$875 49.5% $859
Groceries & Markets
Coquitlam
$360
Panama City
$325 9.6% $35
Eating Out
Coquitlam
$261
Panama City
$207 20.8% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Coquitlam
$169
Panama City
$206 22% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Coquitlam
$126
Panama City
$145 14.4% $18
Getting Around
Coquitlam
$93
Panama City
$34 62.9% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Coquitlam
$41
Panama City
$63 53.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,941 in Coquitlam and $1,257 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam pays 222% 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: $69.0 in Coquitlam vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $325 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Coquitlam
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
13:23 1:23 PM
15:23 3:23 PM
2 h ahead of Coquitlam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
148,625
1,086,990 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Coquitlam Panama City 6,010 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Coquitlam
  • 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
Coquitlam vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Panama City cheaper than Coquitlam?
Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Coquitlam or Panama City?
Average pay runs 222% higher in Coquitlam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Coquitlam and Panama City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,941 in Coquitlam versus $1,257 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Coquitlam and in Panama City?
All in, you'll spend $2,784 per month in Coquitlam versus $1,855 in Panama City – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 250% less than in Coquitlam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Coquitlam or in Panama City?
At $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,784 in Coquitlam, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Coquitlam. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Coquitlam or Panama City more family-friendly?
For families, Panama City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Coquitlam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Coquitlam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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