Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dartmouth and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dartmouth
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,993
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,855
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,993 per month in Dartmouth vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Dartmouth $1,993
  • Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $2,990 per month in Dartmouth vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Dartmouth $2,990
  • Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $3,987 per month in Dartmouth vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Dartmouth $3,987
  • Panama City $3,753

Dartmouth costs about 7% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Dartmouth and Panama City sit above the global median – Dartmouth by 48%, Panama City by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.55 CA$15.00
$11.63 PAB 11.63
-9.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.5 CA$83.2
$47.92 PAB 47.92
22.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.96 CA$9.89
$7.96 PAB 7.96
-12.56%
Cappuccino
$3.56 CA$5.07
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-15.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 CA$2.84
$2.01 PAB 2.01
-0.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.68
$1.56 PAB 1.56
20.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.45 CA$6.33
$3.39 PAB 3.39
31.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 CA$8.10
$3.94 PAB 3.94
44.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.38 CA$3.38
$1.85 PAB 1.85
28.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 CA$2.91
$2.56 PAB 2.56
-20.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.71
$3.48 PAB 3.48
-4.89%
Eggs
$3.49 CA$4.96
$2.69 PAB 2.69
29.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.64 CA$10.86
$12.57 PAB 12.57
-39.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.18 CA$13.05
$6.83 PAB 6.83
34.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.37 CA$14.74
$10.58 PAB 10.58
-1.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 CA$4.80
$4.18 PAB 4.18
-19.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 CA$2.16
$1.83 PAB 1.83
-16.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.47 CA$6.36
$4.20 PAB 4.20
6.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.75 CA$8.17
$4.03 PAB 4.03
42.68%
Potato (1kg)
$2.03 CA$2.88
$3.48 PAB 3.48
-41.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.11 CA$3.00
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-50.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 CA$3.53
$2.41 PAB 2.41
2.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 CA$3.02
$1.69 PAB 1.69
26.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.95 CA$19.83
$6.14 PAB 6.14
127.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.17 CA$20.15
$11.30 PAB 11.30
25.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.35 CA$4.77
$1.42 PAB 1.42
135.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.87 CA$5.50
$2.73 PAB 2.73
41.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 CA$2.80
$0.33 PAB 0.33
496.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.6 CA$84.7
$21.23 PAB 21.23
180.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.76 CA$3.92
$2.52 PAB 2.52
9.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 CA$1.87
$1.86 PAB 1.86
-29.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.34 CA$30.34
$21.78 PAB 21.78
-2.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 CA$1.59
$1.25 PAB 1.25
-10.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.8K
$21.2K PAB 21.2K
31.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.9K CA$26.8K
$21.0K PAB 21.0K
-10.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 CA$110
$130 PAB 130
-40.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.92 CA$59.6
$28.13 PAB 28.13
49.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.3 CA$90.0
$48.21 PAB 48.21
31.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.19 CA$50.0
$45.78 PAB 45.78
-23.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.92 PAB 34.92
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.41 CA$17.64
$8.67 PAB 8.67
43.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$373 CA$530
$544 PAB 544
-31.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K CA$18.8K
$9,697 PAB 9,697
36.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.41 CA$56.0
$66.8 PAB 66.8
-40.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.13 CA$47.11
$49.14 PAB 49.14
-32.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.7 CA$94.8
$93.9 PAB 93.9
-28.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.6 CA$106
$112 PAB 112
-33.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,215 CA$1,727
$1,257 PAB 1,257
-3.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,037 CA$1,475
$875 PAB 875
18.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,956 CA$2,781
$2,155 PAB 2,155
-9.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,818 CA$2,585
$1,564 PAB 1,564
16.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,122 PAB 3,122
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,709 PAB 1,709
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dartmouth
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,539 CA$3,610
$916 PAB 916
177.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.6
6.39
-28.01%

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

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dartmouth
$1K
Panama City
$875 15.6% $162
Groceries & Markets
Dartmouth
$343
Panama City
$325 5.1% $17
Eating Out
Dartmouth
$197
Panama City
$207 4.8% $9.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dartmouth
$183
Panama City
$206 12.9% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Dartmouth
$96
Panama City
$145 50.3% $48
Getting Around
Dartmouth
$77
Panama City
$34 55.2% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Dartmouth
$60
Panama City
$63 5.2% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,215 in Dartmouth 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 177% higher in Dartmouth, 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 $58.0 in Dartmouth versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $325 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Dartmouth
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
20:28 8:28 PM
18:28 6:28 PM
2 h behind Dartmouth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,000
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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dartmouth Panama City 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dartmouth
  • 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
Dartmouth vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Dartmouth and in Panama City compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,993 in Dartmouth, $1,855 in Panama City – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Dartmouth compared to Panama City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,989 per month in Dartmouth and $2,783 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Dartmouth and Panama City?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Dartmouth or Panama City?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,993 in Dartmouth and $1,855 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 7%.
How do commuting costs compare in Dartmouth and in Panama City?
Public transport costs about 181% less in Panama City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,855, than in Dartmouth at $1,993. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dartmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Dartmouth and Panama City?
It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,855 in Panama City to $1,993 in Dartmouth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Dartmouth and Panama City?
If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dartmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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