Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fullerton, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Fullerton, CA
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Fullerton, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Fullerton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,507

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,507 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $1,857 in Panama City, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $3,507
Panama City $1,857

A couple spends around $5,392 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $2,815 in Panama City, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $5,392
Panama City $2,815

A family of three spends $7,276 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $3,773 in Panama City, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $7,276
Panama City $3,773

Fullerton, CA costs about 89% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fullerton, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – Fullerton, CA by 159%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$11.68 PAB 11.68

114.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$47.76 PAB 47.76

65.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$8.12 PAB 8.12

39.78%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$4.23 PAB 4.23

35.22%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$1.92 PAB 1.92

46.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.58 PAB 1.58

29.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.31 PAB 3.31

138.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.98 PAB 3.98

146.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-26.56%

White Bread (500g)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.63 PAB 2.63

93.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.39 PAB 3.39

28.02%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.67 PAB 2.67

89.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$12.21 PAB 12.21

0.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$6.91 PAB 6.91

24.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$10.58 PAB 10.58

48.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.16 PAB 4.16

12.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-12.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-0.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.18 PAB 4.18

53.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.47 PAB 3.47

2.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-13.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.69 PAB 1.69

50.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$5.83 PAB 5.83

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$11.43 PAB 11.43

32.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.38 PAB 1.38

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.76 PAB 2.76

17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.33 PAB 0.33

596.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$20.63 PAB 20.63

212.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.55 PAB 2.55

74.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.78 PAB 1.78

6.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.21 $36.21

$22.17 PAB 22.17

63.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.24 PAB 1.24

19.35%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

11.58%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

23.27%

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

$213 $213

$131 PAB 131

62.16%

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

$84.5 $84.5

$27.83 PAB 27.83

203.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$49.32 PAB 49.32

48.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.78 $40.78

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-10.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 $12.13

$8.47 PAB 8.47

43.21%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$553 PAB 553

151.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

345.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$66.4 PAB 66.4

12.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 $40.26

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-15.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$113 PAB 113

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 $2,588

$1,322 PAB 1,322

95.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 $2,043

$874 PAB 874

133.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 $4,005

$2,153 PAB 2,153

86.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,069 $4,069

$1,580 PAB 1,580

157.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,472 $5,472

$3,097 PAB 3,097

76.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,578 $4,578

$914 PAB 914

400.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.39

-1.25%

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

Last update for Fullerton, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fullerton, CA

$2K 58.3%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 57.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Fullerton, CA

$413 11.8%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 21% $87

Eating Out

Fullerton, CA

$382 10.9%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 45.8% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fullerton, CA

$371 10.6%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 43.8% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Fullerton, CA

$146 4.2%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 0.4% $0.6

Getting Around

Fullerton, CA

$88 2.5%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 61.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Fullerton, CA

$65 1.9%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 3.7% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,588 in Fullerton, CA versus $1,322 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 401% higher in Fullerton, CA, 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 $79.0 in Fullerton, CA versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $327 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fullerton, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

2 h ahead of Fullerton, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,161

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Fullerton, CA Panama City 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Fullerton, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, $1,857 in Panama City – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,260 per month in Fullerton, CA and $2,786 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,391 per month in Fullerton, CA and $553 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Fullerton, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,857, than in Fullerton, CA at $3,507. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fullerton, 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 $1,857 in Panama City to $3,507 in Fullerton, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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