Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Flagstaff, AZ and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,965 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Flagstaff, AZ
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Flagstaff, AZ Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Flagstaff, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,965

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,965 per month in Flagstaff, AZ vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Flagstaff, AZ $2,965
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $4,337 per month in Flagstaff, AZ vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Flagstaff, AZ $4,337
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $5,710 per month in Flagstaff, AZ vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Flagstaff, AZ $5,710
Panama City $3,753

Flagstaff, AZ costs about 60% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Flagstaff, AZ and Panama City sit above the global median – Flagstaff, AZ by 120%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$11.63 PAB 11.63

68.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$47.92 PAB 47.92

69.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.61 $14.61

$7.96 PAB 7.96

83.54%

Cappuccino

$6.23 $6.23

$4.22 PAB 4.22

47.63%

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

$3.31 $3.31

$2.01 PAB 2.01

64.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.56 PAB 1.56

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.39 PAB 3.39

77.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.94 PAB 3.94

74.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-57.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.56 PAB 2.56

1.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.48 PAB 3.48

19.83%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.69 PAB 2.69

60.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.39 $14.39

$12.57 PAB 12.57

14.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$6.83 PAB 6.83

10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$10.58 PAB 10.58

4.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-8.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.83 PAB 1.83

2.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-14.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-7.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-34.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-47.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-7.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.69 PAB 1.69

56.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$6.14 PAB 6.14

69.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$11.30 PAB 11.30

7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.42 PAB 1.42

52.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.73 PAB 2.73

-15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.33 PAB 0.33

209.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.46 $31.46

$21.23 PAB 21.23

48.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.52 PAB 2.52

5.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-27.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.63 $36.63

$21.78 PAB 21.78

68.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-8.80%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

69.42%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

23.41%

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

$242 $242

$130 PAB 130

86.23%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$28.13 PAB 28.13

85.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.5 $76.5

$48.21 PAB 48.21

58.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 $68.9

$45.78 PAB 45.78

50.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$34.92 PAB 34.92

-42.33%

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 $13.77

$8.67 PAB 8.67

58.82%

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

$1,845 $1,845

$544 PAB 544

239.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

139.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-5.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.23 $35.23

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-28.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$93.9 PAB 93.9

17.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$112 PAB 112

19.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 $2,008

$1,257 PAB 1,257

59.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 $1,620

$875 PAB 875

85.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 $3,420

$2,155 PAB 2,155

58.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 $2,785

$1,564 PAB 1,564

78.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,586 $4,586

$3,122 PAB 3,122

46.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$1,709 PAB 1,709

151.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 $3,743

$916 PAB 916

308.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.39

1.10%

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

Last update for Flagstaff, AZ: 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

Flagstaff, AZ

$1.6K 54.6%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 46% $745

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Flagstaff, AZ

$370 12.5%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 44.3% $164

Eating Out

Flagstaff, AZ

$343 11.6%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 39.7% $136

Groceries & Markets

Flagstaff, AZ

$337 11.4%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 3.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Flagstaff, AZ

$154 5.2%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Flagstaff, AZ

$96 3.3%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 34.5% $33

Getting Around

Flagstaff, AZ

$45 1.5%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 23.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,008 in Flagstaff, AZ 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 309% higher in Flagstaff, AZ, 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 $81.0 in Flagstaff, AZ versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $325 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Flagstaff, AZ

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

09:50 9:50 AM

2 h ahead of Flagstaff, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,831

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.889 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Flagstaff, AZ Panama City 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Flagstaff, AZ
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

Flagstaff, AZ vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Flagstaff, AZ costs about 60% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,448 per month in Flagstaff, AZ and $2,783 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Panama City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,845 per month in Flagstaff, AZ and $544 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 $1,855, than in Flagstaff, AZ at $2,965. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Flagstaff, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panama City costs $1,855 versus $2,965 in Flagstaff, AZ. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Flagstaff, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.