Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dawson City and Panama City

For one person, living costs are similar in Dawson City and in Panama City: $1,888 and $1,855 a month, rent and utilities included.

Dawson City
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,888
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,855
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,888 per month in Dawson City vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Dawson City $1,888
  • Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $3,267 per month in Dawson City vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Dawson City $3,267
  • Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $4,647 per month in Dawson City vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Dawson City $4,647
  • Panama City $3,753

Dawson City costs about 2% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dawson City and Panama City sit above the global median – Dawson City by 40%, Panama City by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.14 CA$34.12
$11.63 PAB 11.63
107.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 CA$144
$47.92 PAB 47.92
111.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.41 CA$14.71
$7.96 PAB 7.96
30.78%
Cappuccino
$3.74 CA$5.29
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-11.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 CA$2.52
$2.01 PAB 2.01
-11.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 CA$2.22
$1.56 PAB 1.56
0.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.19 CA$7.34
$3.39 PAB 3.39
53.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 CA$7.84
$3.94 PAB 3.94
40.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.62 CA$3.70
$1.85 PAB 1.85
41.62%
White Bread (500g)
$4.11 CA$5.81
$2.56 PAB 2.56
60.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.95 CA$6.99
$3.48 PAB 3.48
42.24%
Eggs
$5.00 CA$7.06
$2.69 PAB 2.69
85.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.66 CA$13.66
$12.57 PAB 12.57
-23.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.61 CA$20.65
$6.83 PAB 6.83
113.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.38 CA$20.33
$10.58 PAB 10.58
35.92%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 CA$5.65
$4.18 PAB 4.18
-4.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.83 PAB 1.83
-19.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.95 CA$5.59
$4.20 PAB 4.20
-5.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.06 CA$5.73
$4.03 PAB 4.03
0.74%
Potato (1kg)
$2.43 CA$3.43
$3.48 PAB 3.48
-30.17%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 CA$3.12
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-47.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.42 CA$3.42
$2.41 PAB 2.41
0.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.69 PAB 1.69
-8.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.27 CA$20.17
$6.14 PAB 6.14
132.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.76 CA$18.05
$11.30 PAB 11.30
12.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 CA$3.57
$1.42 PAB 1.42
77.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 CA$4.20
$2.73 PAB 2.73
8.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 CA$2.80
$0.33 PAB 0.33
500.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.4 CA$86.8
$21.23 PAB 21.23
189.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 CA$4.57
$2.52 PAB 2.52
28.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 CA$2.32
$1.86 PAB 1.86
-11.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.68 CA$33.48
$21.78 PAB 21.78
8.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 CA$1.67
$1.25 PAB 1.25
-5.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K CA$39.5K
$21.2K PAB 21.2K
31.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.0K CA$25.5K
$21.0K PAB 21.0K
-14.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 CA$193
$130 PAB 130
5.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.51 CA$53.0
$28.13 PAB 28.13
33.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.3 CA$75.4
$48.21 PAB 48.21
10.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.06 CA$58.1
$45.78 PAB 45.78
-10.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.56 CA$24.82
$34.92 PAB 34.92
-49.71%
Cinema Ticket
$12.54 CA$17.73
$8.67 PAB 8.67
44.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$848 CA$1,199
$544 PAB 544
55.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K CA$17.8K
$9,697 PAB 9,697
29.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.2 CA$89.4
$66.8 PAB 66.8
-5.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.70 CA$53.3
$49.14 PAB 49.14
-23.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.3 CA$93.7
$93.9 PAB 93.9
-29.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 CA$142
$112 PAB 112
-10.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,224 CA$1,730
$1,257 PAB 1,257
-2.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$672 CA$951
$875 PAB 875
-23.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,931 CA$2,729
$2,155 PAB 2,155
-10.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,710 CA$2,418
$1,564 PAB 1,564
9.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,427 CA$6,258
$3,122 PAB 3,122
41.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,172 CA$4,484
$1,709 PAB 1,709
85.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dawson City
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,819 CA$3,986
$916 PAB 916
207.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.66
6.39
-27.07%

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

Last update for Dawson City: 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
Dawson City
$672
Panama City
$875 30.1% $202
Groceries & Markets
Dawson City
$401
Panama City
$325 19% $76
Eating Out
Dawson City
$320
Panama City
$207 35.3% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dawson City
$227
Panama City
$206 9.3% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Dawson City
$120
Panama City
$145 20.1% $24
Getting Around
Dawson City
$81
Panama City
$34 57.4% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Dawson City
$66
Panama City
$63 4.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,224 in Dawson City 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 208% higher in Dawson City, 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 $102 in Dawson City versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $325 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Dawson City
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
10:46 10:46 AM
12:46 12:46 PM
2 h ahead of Dawson City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,375
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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dawson City Panama City 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dawson City
  • 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
Dawson City vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Panama City cheaper than Dawson City?
Yes – Dawson City is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,832 per month in Dawson City and $2,783 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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 has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $848 per month in Dawson City and $544 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Dawson City and in Panama City?
Groceries cost about 23% more in Dawson City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Dawson City or in Panama City?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,855, than in Dawson City at $1,888. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dawson City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Dawson City or Panama City more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Panama City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dawson City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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