Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cupertino, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $3,358 in Cupertino, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Cupertino, CA
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Cupertino, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Cupertino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,358

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,358 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $3,358
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $5,303 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $5,303
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $7,248 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $7,248
Panama City $3,753

Cupertino, CA costs about 81% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cupertino, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – Cupertino, CA by 149%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 $25.18

$11.63 PAB 11.63

116.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$47.92 PAB 47.92

4.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.96 PAB 7.96

24.12%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$4.22 PAB 4.22

44.79%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$2.01 PAB 2.01

21.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.56 PAB 1.56

41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 $6.80

$3.39 PAB 3.39

100.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.94 PAB 3.94

97.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-29.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.56 PAB 2.56

30.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.48 PAB 3.48

23.56%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$2.69 PAB 2.69

89.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-47.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.46 $13.46

$6.83 PAB 6.83

97.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 $13.14

$10.58 PAB 10.58

24.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-7.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.83 PAB 1.83

16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-46.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-30.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-25.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.41 PAB 2.41

2.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-39.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$6.14 PAB 6.14

90.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 $12.88

$11.30 PAB 11.30

13.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.42 PAB 1.42

34.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.73 PAB 2.73

-26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.33 PAB 0.33

796.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$21.23 PAB 21.23

554.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.52 PAB 2.52

67.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.86 PAB 1.86

11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.90 $29.90

$21.78 PAB 21.78

37.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.25 PAB 1.25

18.40%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

73.25%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

28.84%

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

$257 $257

$130 PAB 130

97.97%

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

$61.6 $61.6

$28.13 PAB 28.13

118.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$48.21 PAB 48.21

35.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.40 $35.40

$45.78 PAB 45.78

-22.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 $15.70

$8.67 PAB 8.67

81.08%

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

$2,117 $2,117

$544 PAB 544

288.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

153.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 $57.3

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-14.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.32 $35.32

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-28.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$93.9 PAB 93.9

-6.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 $58.8

$112 PAB 112

-47.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,591 $2,591

$1,257 PAB 1,257

106.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 $1,920

$875 PAB 875

119.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,925 $4,925

$2,155 PAB 2,155

128.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,292 $4,292

$1,564 PAB 1,564

174.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,633 $7,633

$916 PAB 916

733.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.39

2.19%

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

Last update for Cupertino, CA: 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

Cupertino, CA

$1.9K 57.2%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 54.4% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cupertino, CA

$384 11.4%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 46.3% $178

Eating Out

Cupertino, CA

$373 11.1%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 44.5% $166

Groceries & Markets

Cupertino, CA

$341 10.2%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 4.7% $16

Getting Around

Cupertino, CA

$165 4.9%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 79.2% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Cupertino, CA

$108 3.2%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 34.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Cupertino, CA

$67 2%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 5.5% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,591 in Cupertino, CA versus $1,257 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 733% higher in Cupertino, CA, 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 $50.0 in Cupertino, CA versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $325 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cupertino, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

2 h ahead of Cupertino, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,302

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cupertino, CA Panama City 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cupertino, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,358 in Cupertino, CA, $1,855 in Panama City – roughly 81% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,036 per month in Cupertino, CA and $2,783 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panama City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Cupertino, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Cupertino, CA and $48.00 in Panama City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,855, than in Cupertino, CA at $3,358. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cupertino, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,855 in Panama City to $3,358 in Cupertino, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cupertino, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.