Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncan BC and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,112 in Duncan BC, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Duncan BC
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Duncan BC Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Duncan BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,112

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,112 in Duncan BC versus $1,855 in Panama City.

Duncan BC $2,112
Panama City $1,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,371 in Duncan BC versus $2,804 in Panama City.

Duncan BC $3,371
Panama City $2,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,630 in Duncan BC versus $3,753 in Panama City.

Duncan BC $4,630
Panama City $3,753

Living in Duncan BC is roughly 14% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Duncan BC 56% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 CA$24.40

$11.63 PAB 11.63

48.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 CA$97.8

$47.92 PAB 47.92

44.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.95

$7.96 PAB 7.96

32.79%

Cappuccino

$4.06 CA$5.73

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-3.79%

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)

$1.67 CA$2.36

$1.56 PAB 1.56

7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 CA$7.63

$3.39 PAB 3.39

59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 CA$7.80

$3.94 PAB 3.94

40.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 CA$2.20

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-15.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.68

$2.56 PAB 2.56

1.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.15

$3.48 PAB 3.48

25.00%

Eggs

$4.04 CA$5.71

$2.69 PAB 2.69

50.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 CA$16.95

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 CA$18.85

$6.83 PAB 6.83

95.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$10.58 PAB 10.58

34.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.69

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-28.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-10.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.52

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-22.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-33.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CA$3.58

$2.41 PAB 2.41

5.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-7.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.49

$6.14 PAB 6.14

124.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 CA$16.56

$11.30 PAB 11.30

3.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$1.42 PAB 1.42

85.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 CA$4.19

$2.73 PAB 2.73

8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$0.33 PAB 0.33

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 CA$83.0

$21.23 PAB 21.23

176.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$2.52 PAB 2.52

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-15.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.64 CA$43.32

$21.78 PAB 21.78

40.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.25 PAB 1.25

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

$25.4K CA$35.9K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

19.69%

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

$19.7K CA$27.8K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

-6.34%

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

$82.6 CA$117

$130 PAB 130

-36.37%

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

$36.70 CA$51.9

$28.13 PAB 28.13

30.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$72.0

$48.21 PAB 48.21

5.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 CA$84.0

$45.78 PAB 45.78

29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 CA$17.54

$8.67 PAB 8.67

43.14%

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

$1,032 CA$1,459

$544 PAB 544

89.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,936 CA$14.0K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

2.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 CA$79.8

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.64 CA$46.14

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-33.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$93.9 PAB 93.9

0.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$133

$112 PAB 112

-15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,716

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 CA$1,435

$875 PAB 875

16.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 CA$3,196

$2,155 PAB 2,155

4.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 CA$2,940

$1,564 PAB 1,564

32.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,345 CA$6,142

$3,122 PAB 3,122

39.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,513 CA$4,967

$1,709 PAB 1,709

105.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,075 CA$4,347

$916 PAB 916

235.70%

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 Duncan BC: 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

Duncan BC

$1K 48.1%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 13.8% $140

Groceries & Markets

Duncan BC

$368 17.4%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 11.7% $43

Eating Out

Duncan BC

$272 12.9%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 23.9% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duncan BC

$170 8.1%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 21.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Duncan BC

$125 5.9%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 15.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Duncan BC

$84 4%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 25% $21

Getting Around

Duncan BC

$77 3.7%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 55.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Duncan BC and $1,257 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 236% 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 Duncan BC vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $325 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Duncan BC

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

13:50 1:50 PM

2 h ahead of Duncan BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,199

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Duncan BC Panama City 6,040 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Duncan BC
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

Duncan BC vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 236% higher in Duncan BC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,214 in Duncan BC versus $1,257 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Duncan BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $69.0 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,112 in Duncan BC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Duncan BC. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Duncan BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.