Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, MT and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,220 in Hamilton, MT, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. The total is higher in Hamilton, MT despite lower rent and utilities.

Hamilton, MT, United States
Panama City, Panama
Hamilton, MT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,220
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,972
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,220 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Hamilton, MT $2,220
  • Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $3,644 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Hamilton, MT $3,644
  • Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $5,068 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Hamilton, MT $5,068
  • Panama City $3,888

Hamilton, MT costs about 13% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hamilton, MT and Panama City sit above the global median – Hamilton, MT by 64%, Panama City by 46%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$37.54 $37.54
$11.37 PAB 11.37
230.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.0 $69.0
$46.69 PAB 46.69
47.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.34 $11.34
$7.98 PAB 7.98
42.11%
Cappuccino
$5.25 $5.25
$4.12 PAB 4.12
27.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$2.01 PAB 2.01
34.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.57 PAB 1.57
26.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.12 $6.12
$3.28 PAB 3.28
86.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.06 $7.06
$3.88 PAB 3.88
81.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.82 PAB 1.82
-45.60%
White Bread (500g)
$3.49 $3.49
$2.61 PAB 2.61
33.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.56 $4.56
$3.45 PAB 3.45
32.17%
Eggs
$4.18 $4.18
$2.68 PAB 2.68
55.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.30 $12.30
$12.42 PAB 12.42
-0.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.43 $12.43
$6.73 PAB 6.73
84.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.15 $19.15
$10.44 PAB 10.44
83.43%
Apples (1kg)
$5.96 $5.96
$4.21 PAB 4.21
41.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.95 PAB 1.95
-33.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.84 $3.84
$4.07 PAB 4.07
-5.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.63 $4.63
$4.02 PAB 4.02
15.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.77 $2.77
$3.46 PAB 3.46
-19.94%
Onion (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$4.42 PAB 4.42
-23.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.43 PAB 2.43
-13.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.72 PAB 1.72
26.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.94 $10.94
$6.04 PAB 6.04
81.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.18 $15.18
$11.68 PAB 11.68
29.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.41 PAB 1.41
51.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 $3.51
$2.74 PAB 2.74
28.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.33 PAB 0.33
515.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.3 $62.3
$20.65 PAB 20.65
201.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.13 $3.13
$2.45 PAB 2.45
27.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.76 PAB 1.76
3.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.18 $32.18
$21.86 PAB 21.86
47.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.20 PAB 1.20
-14.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$24.6K PAB 24.6K
20.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$20.9K PAB 20.9K
25.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 $202
$132 PAB 132
53.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$27.89 PAB 27.89
111.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$89.5 $89.5
$49.10 PAB 49.10
82.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.28 $40.28
$44.53 PAB 44.53
-9.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.01 PAB 34.01
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.00 $13.00
$8.70 PAB 8.70
49.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,307 $1,307
$537 PAB 537
143.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.7K $22.7K
$20.5K PAB 20.5K
10.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.0 $53.0
$65.8 PAB 65.8
-19.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.47 $47.47
$48.45 PAB 48.45
-2.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.2 $88.2
$95.4 PAB 95.4
-7.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 $115
$114 PAB 114
1.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,172 $1,172
$1,405 PAB 1,405
-16.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$713 $713
$994 PAB 994
-28.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,379 $2,379
$2,221 PAB 2,221
7.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 $1,802
$1,714 PAB 1,714
5.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,261 $2,261
$3,139 PAB 3,139
-27.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,356 $2,356
$1,724 PAB 1,724
36.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamilton, MT
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,528 $3,528
$936 PAB 936
276.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.29
6.39
14.08%

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

Last update for Hamilton, MT: November 1, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hamilton, MT
$713
Panama City
$994 39.4% $281
Eating Out
Hamilton, MT
$461
Panama City
$203 56% $258
Groceries & Markets
Hamilton, MT
$410
Panama City
$326 20.6% $84
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton, MT
$350
Panama City
$209 40.4% $141
Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton, MT
$137
Panama City
$145 6.5% $8.8
Getting Around
Hamilton, MT
$83
Panama City
$33 59.8% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton, MT
$66
Panama City
$62 6.6% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,172 in Hamilton, MT versus $1,405 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 in Hamilton, MT are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Hamilton, MT versus $47 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $326 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Hamilton, MT
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
20:14 8:14 PM
22:14 10:14 PM
2 h ahead of Hamilton, MT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
62,447
1,086,990 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.891 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamilton, MT Panama City 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamilton, MT
  • 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
Hamilton, MT vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hamilton, MT and in Panama City compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,220 in Hamilton, MT, $1,972 in Panama City – Panama City comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Hamilton, MT compared to Panama City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,330 per month in Hamilton, MT and $2,958 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hamilton, MT and Panama City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hamilton, MT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,172 there versus $1,405 in Panama City.
Which city is more expensive overall: Hamilton, MT or Panama City?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,220 in Hamilton, MT and $1,972 in Panama City. That makes Panama City about 11% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Hamilton, MT and in Panama City?
Public transport costs about 67% less in Panama City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $2,500 go in Hamilton, MT compared to Panama City?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,220 in Hamilton, MT and $1,972 in Panama City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Hamilton, MT and Panama City?
It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,972 in Panama City to $2,220 in Hamilton, MT. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Hamilton, MT and Panama City?
If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamilton, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Hamilton, MT vs other spots: cost of living compared

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