Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between David and Boquete

For one person, living is cheaper in David: $882 a month against $1,462 in Boquete, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
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Boquete Living Index

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David

🇵🇦 Panama

$882

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in David and in Boquete

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in David and in Boquete actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $882 in David versus $1,462 in Boquete.

David $882
Boquete $1,462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $946 in David versus $2,237 in Boquete.

David $946
Boquete $2,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,011 in David versus $3,011 in Boquete.

David $1,011
Boquete $3,011

Living in David costs roughly 40% less than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: David is 35% below, Boquete is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 PAB 5.52

$6.48 PAB 6.48

-14.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.03 PAB 37.03

$39.69 PAB 39.69

-6.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 PAB 7.27

$7.65 PAB 7.65

-4.97%

Cappuccino

$3.13 PAB 3.13

$3.88 PAB 3.88

-19.33%

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

$1.47 PAB 1.47

$1.36 PAB 1.36

8.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 PAB 1.52

$1.15 PAB 1.15

32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 PAB 1.99

$2.27 PAB 2.27

-12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 PAB 2.72

$5.08 PAB 5.08

-46.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 PAB 1.73

$1.81 PAB 1.81

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 PAB 2.26

$2.15 PAB 2.15

5.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 PAB 2.46

$2.25 PAB 2.25

9.33%

Eggs

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.60 PAB 2.60

-7.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 PAB 9.62

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 PAB 7.53

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 PAB 15.28

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 PAB 4.33

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 PAB 1.01

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 PAB 4.40

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 PAB 2.23

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 PAB 2.21

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 PAB 2.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 PAB 1.99

$2.30 PAB 2.30

-13.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 PAB 1.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 PAB 5.02

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 PAB 10.18

$7.85 PAB 7.85

29.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 PAB 2.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 PAB 0.76

$1.35 PAB 1.35

-43.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.55 PAB 24.55

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 PAB 2.96

$1.02 PAB 1.02

190.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PAB 2.04

$2.06 PAB 2.06

-0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 PAB 30.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 PAB 1.07

$1.13 PAB 1.13

-5.31%

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

$25.0K PAB 25.0K

$25.5K PAB 25.5K

-2.26%

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

$30.6K PAB 30.6K

$22.1K PAB 22.1K

38.55%

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

$184 PAB 184

$58.0 PAB 58.0

216.56%

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

$28.48 PAB 28.48

$25.95 PAB 25.95

9.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.40 PAB 49.40

$42.16 PAB 42.16

17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 PAB 31.21

$82.5 PAB 82.5

-62.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.48 PAB 17.48

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 PAB 6.33

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,091 PAB 6,091

$6,075 PAB 6,075

0.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.42 PAB 25.42

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.48 PAB 25.48

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.14 PAB 44.14

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 PAB 343

$825 PAB 825

-58.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 PAB 354

$710 PAB 710

-50.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 PAB 1,551

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 PAB 1,284

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,181 PAB 1,181

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,150 PAB 1,150

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 PAB 604

$784 PAB 784

-22.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

7.69%

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

Last update for David: October 13, 2026

Last update for Boquete: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

David

–

Boquete

$710 48.5%

Groceries & Markets

David

–

Boquete

$295 20.2%

Eating Out

David

–

Boquete

$153 10.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

David

–

Boquete

$126 8.6%

Sport & Entertainment

David

–

Boquete

$95 6.5%

Clothing & Footwear

David

–

Boquete

$43 * 2.9%

Getting Around

David

–

Boquete

$41 2.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in David and $825 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boquete pays 30% 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: $37.00 in David vs $40.00 in Boquete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $88.0 vs $295 per month, with David cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 David

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

Same time as David

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,907

7,000

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

David Boquete 33 km

From you

David
Boquete

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

David vs Boquete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

David is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Boquete. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $343 in David versus $825 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 236% higher in Boquete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in David – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $40.00 in Boquete. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $882 in David versus $1,462 in Boquete, a $1,500 budget is realistic in David but tight or insufficient in Boquete. The gap between the two cities makes David the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, David is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Boquete, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, David and Boquete are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find David gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Boquete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.