Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Centro, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,932 a month against $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in El Centro, CA
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El Centro, CA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,700

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,700 per month in El Centro, CA vs $1,932 in Panama City, rent included.

El Centro, CA $2,700
Panama City $1,932

A couple spends around $3,848 per month in El Centro, CA vs $2,887 in Panama City, rent included.

El Centro, CA $3,848
Panama City $2,887

A family of three spends $4,996 per month in El Centro, CA vs $3,841 in Panama City, rent included.

El Centro, CA $4,996
Panama City $3,841

El Centro, CA costs about 40% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both El Centro, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – El Centro, CA by 98%, Panama City by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 $13.62

$11.72 PAB 11.72

16.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.97 $44.97

$46.74 PAB 46.74

-3.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 $11.39

$7.98 PAB 7.98

42.73%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$4.18 PAB 4.18

16.99%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.95 PAB 1.95

30.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.64 PAB 1.64

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.26 PAB 3.26

50.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.90 PAB 3.90

103.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.91 PAB 1.91

-39.27%

White Bread (500g)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.54 PAB 2.54

131.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.37 PAB 3.37

29.67%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$2.82 PAB 2.82

74.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$12.60 PAB 12.60

0.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$6.71 PAB 6.71

203.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.53 PAB 10.53

32.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$4.04 PAB 4.04

36.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-12.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.25 PAB 4.25

0.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.18 PAB 4.18

60.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.32 PAB 3.32

9.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$4.34 PAB 4.34

-20.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.40 PAB 2.40

-5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.71 PAB 1.71

35.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$6.05 PAB 6.05

92.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.38 PAB 11.38

30.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.36 PAB 1.36

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.80 PAB 2.80

16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.34 PAB 0.34

564.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 $58.6

$21.28 PAB 21.28

175.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.43 PAB 2.43

83.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.85 PAB 1.85

1.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.36 $35.36

$21.77 PAB 21.77

62.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.20 PAB 1.20

27.50%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

10.61%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

22.55%

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

$216 $216

$132 PAB 132

62.89%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$28.34 PAB 28.34

154.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$48.88 PAB 48.88

44.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.32 $34.32

$43.02 PAB 43.02

-20.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.94 PAB 34.94

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 $11.90

$8.43 PAB 8.43

41.16%

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

$1,895 $1,895

$545 PAB 545

247.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$9,648 PAB 9,648

343.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 $72.7

$65.8 PAB 65.8

10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 $40.38

$47.25 PAB 47.25

-14.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$94.6 PAB 94.6

-16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$110 PAB 110

57.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 $1,401

$1,407 PAB 1,407

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$954 PAB 954

36.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$2,272 PAB 2,272

-1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 $2,076

$1,662 PAB 1,662

24.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,709 $2,709

$3,057 PAB 3,057

-11.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,729 PAB 1,729

53.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.39

3.91%

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

Last update for El Centro, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Centro, CA

$1.3K 48.2%

Panama City

$954 49.3% 26.7% $347

Groceries & Markets

El Centro, CA

$477 17.7%

Panama City

$326 16.9% 31.7% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Centro, CA

$358 13.3%

Panama City

$210 10.9% 41.5% $149

Eating Out

El Centro, CA

$260 9.6%

Panama City

$206 10.7% 20.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

El Centro, CA

$164 6.1%

Panama City

$143 7.4% 13.1% $21

Getting Around

El Centro, CA

$81 3%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 57.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

El Centro, CA

$58 2.2%

Panama City

$60 3.1% 3% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,401 in El Centro, CA versus $1,407 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in El Centro, CA versus $47 in Panama City. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in El Centro, CA vs $326 in Panama City – so Panama City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 El Centro, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

06:53 6:53 AM

2 h ahead of El Centro, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,322

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 PAB (1 PAB = 0.899 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

El Centro, CA Panama City 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

El Centro, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,700 in El Centro, CA, $1,932 in Panama City – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,049 per month in El Centro, CA and $2,899 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,401 in El Centro, CA and $1,407 in Panama City. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Panama City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,895 per month in El Centro, CA and $545 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,932, than in El Centro, CA at $2,700. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in El Centro, 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 $1,932 in Panama City to $2,700 in El Centro, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.