Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Valle de Anton and Bocas del Toro

For one person, living is cheaper in El Valle de Anton: $1,357 a month against $1,477 in Bocas del Toro, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bocas del Toro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in El Valle de Anton
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El Valle de Anton Living Index

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El Valle de Anton

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,357

/mo nomad

Bocas del Toro

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in El Valle de Anton and in Bocas del Toro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in El Valle de Anton and in Bocas del Toro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,357 in El Valle de Anton versus $1,477 in Bocas del Toro.

El Valle de Anton $1,357
Bocas del Toro $1,477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,118 in El Valle de Anton versus $2,083 in Bocas del Toro.

El Valle de Anton $2,118
Bocas del Toro $2,083

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,879 in El Valle de Anton versus $2,688 in Bocas del Toro.

El Valle de Anton $2,879
Bocas del Toro $2,688

Living in El Valle de Anton costs roughly 8% less than in Bocas del Toro.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.33 PAB 11.33

$9.52 PAB 9.52

19.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.16 PAB 48.16

$50.3 PAB 50.3

-4.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 PAB 8.06

$10.06 PAB 10.06

-19.88%

Cappuccino

$4.21 PAB 4.21

$4.09 PAB 4.09

2.93%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.73 PAB 1.73

16.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.60 PAB 1.60

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 PAB 3.28

$2.03 PAB 2.03

61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$4.11 PAB 4.11

-0.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 PAB 1.89

$2.05 PAB 2.05

-7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 PAB 2.65

$3.88 PAB 3.88

-31.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 PAB 3.49

Eggs

$2.71 PAB 2.71

$2.68 PAB 2.68

1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 PAB 12.36

$17.27 PAB 17.27

-28.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 PAB 6.93

$8.58 PAB 8.58

-19.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 PAB 10.51

$8.24 PAB 8.24

27.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$9.85 PAB 9.85

-59.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 PAB 1.88

$1.51 PAB 1.51

24.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 PAB 4.13

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$4.84 PAB 4.84

-17.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 PAB 3.45

$3.26 PAB 3.26

5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$4.21 PAB 4.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 PAB 2.42

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PAB 1.72

$1.63 PAB 1.63

5.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 PAB 5.92

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 PAB 11.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 PAB 1.36

$2.92 PAB 2.92

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.52 PAB 2.52

8.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 PAB 2.54

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.67 PAB 21.67

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 PAB 1.23

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

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

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

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

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

$131 PAB 131

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

$28.39 PAB 28.39

$40.27 PAB 40.27

-29.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$34.72 PAB 34.72

39.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 PAB 8.53

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

$550 PAB 550

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,521 PAB 9,521

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 PAB 66.9

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.44 PAB 48.44

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 PAB 94.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 PAB 111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 PAB 579

$754 PAB 754

-23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 PAB 446

$894 PAB 894

-50.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 PAB 990

$1,189 PAB 1,189

-16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 PAB 864

$1,193 PAB 1,193

-27.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 PAB 710

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for El Valle de Anton: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bocas del Toro: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Valle de Anton

$446 32.8%

Bocas del Toro

–

Groceries & Markets

El Valle de Anton

$326 24%

Bocas del Toro

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Valle de Anton

$208 15.3%

Bocas del Toro

–

Eating Out

El Valle de Anton

$204 15.1%

Bocas del Toro

–

Clothing & Footwear

El Valle de Anton

$144 10.6%

Bocas del Toro

–

Sport & Entertainment

El Valle de Anton

$17 * 1.3%

Bocas del Toro

–

Getting Around

El Valle de Anton

$12 * 0.9%

Bocas del Toro

–

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 $579 in El Valle de Anton and $754 in Bocas del Toro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in El Valle de Anton vs $50 in Bocas del Toro. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $321, with Bocas del Toro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 El Valle de Anton

🇵🇦 Bocas del Toro

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

Same time as El Valle de Anton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

146

159,228

💱 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

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Between locations

El Valle de Anton Bocas del Toro 250 km

From you

El Valle de Anton
Bocas del Toro

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 Valle de Anton vs Bocas del Toro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $2,035 in El Valle de Anton and $2,216 in Bocas del Toro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $579 in El Valle de Anton versus $754 in Bocas del Toro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in El Valle de Anton – a meal for two runs $48 versus $50 in Bocas del Toro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,357 per month in El Valle de Anton versus $1,477 in Bocas del Toro – El Valle de Anton is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. El Valle de Anton is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.