Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kent, WA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $3,315 in Kent, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kent, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,315
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,855
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,315 in Kent, WA versus $1,855 in Panama City.

  • Kent, WA $3,315
  • Panama City $1,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,993 in Kent, WA versus $2,804 in Panama City.

  • Kent, WA $4,993
  • Panama City $2,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,670 in Kent, WA versus $3,753 in Panama City.

  • Kent, WA $6,670
  • Panama City $3,753

Living in Kent, WA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kent, WA 146% above, Panama City 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.74 $19.74
$11.63 PAB 11.63
69.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.6 $80.6
$47.92 PAB 47.92
68.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.78 $13.78
$7.96 PAB 7.96
73.12%
Cappuccino
$4.76 $4.76
$4.22 PAB 4.22
12.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 $2.80
$2.01 PAB 2.01
39.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.56 PAB 1.56
33.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.84 $6.84
$3.39 PAB 3.39
101.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.79 $7.79
$3.94 PAB 3.94
97.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.85 PAB 1.85
-27.57%
White Bread (500g)
$5.00 $5.00
$2.56 PAB 2.56
95.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$3.48 PAB 3.48
-4.89%
Eggs
$6.65 $6.65
$2.69 PAB 2.69
147.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.02 $15.02
$12.57 PAB 12.57
19.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.14 $14.14
$6.83 PAB 6.83
107.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.82 $22.82
$10.58 PAB 10.58
115.69%
Apples (1kg)
$5.92 $5.92
$4.18 PAB 4.18
41.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.83 PAB 1.83
2.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.90 $3.90
$4.20 PAB 4.20
-7.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.23 $4.23
$4.03 PAB 4.03
4.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 $2.81
$3.48 PAB 3.48
-19.25%
Onion (1kg)
$2.72 $2.72
$4.22 PAB 4.22
-35.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 $1.54
$2.41 PAB 2.41
-36.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.41 $2.41
$1.69 PAB 1.69
42.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.35 $12.35
$6.14 PAB 6.14
101.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.23 $15.23
$11.30 PAB 11.30
34.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.42 PAB 1.42
47.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$2.73 PAB 2.73
-28.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.03 $3.03
$0.33 PAB 0.33
818.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.0 $62.0
$21.23 PAB 21.23
192.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.62 $2.62
$2.52 PAB 2.52
3.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.86 PAB 1.86
-11.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.40 $30.40
$21.78 PAB 21.78
39.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.25 PAB 1.25
16.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.4K $36.4K
$21.2K PAB 21.2K
71.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$21.0K PAB 21.0K
22.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$300 $300
$130 PAB 130
131.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.8 $62.8
$28.13 PAB 28.13
123.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$84.5 $84.5
$48.21 PAB 48.21
75.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.42 $33.42
$45.78 PAB 45.78
-27.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.01 $17.01
$34.92 PAB 34.92
-51.29%
Cinema Ticket
$17.33 $17.33
$8.67 PAB 8.67
99.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,667 $2,667
$544 PAB 544
390.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.9K $30.9K
$9,697 PAB 9,697
218.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.50 $39.50
$66.8 PAB 66.8
-40.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.6 $54.6
$49.14 PAB 49.14
11.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.0 $91.0
$93.9 PAB 93.9
-3.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.76 $40.76
$112 PAB 112
-63.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,075 $2,075
$1,257 PAB 1,257
65.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,828 $1,828
$875 PAB 875
108.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,023 $4,023
$2,155 PAB 2,155
86.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,479 $3,479
$1,564 PAB 1,564
122.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,972 $5,972
$3,122 PAB 3,122
91.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,988 $3,988
$1,709 PAB 1,709
133.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kent, WA
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,592 $4,592
$916 PAB 916
401.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.76
6.39
5.79%

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

Last update for Kent, WA: 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
Kent, WA
$1.8K
Panama City
$875 52.1% $953
Groceries & Markets
Kent, WA
$459
Panama City
$325 29.1% $134
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kent, WA
$447
Panama City
$206 53.9% $241
Eating Out
Kent, WA
$326
Panama City
$207 36.5% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Kent, WA
$102
Panama City
$145 42.2% $43
Getting Around
Kent, WA
$85
Panama City
$34 59.5% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Kent, WA
$68
Panama City
$63 7.3% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,075 in Kent, WA and $1,257 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kent, WA pays 401% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Kent, WA vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $325 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Kent, WA
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
21:19 9:19 PM
23:19 11:19 PM
2 h ahead of Kent, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,588
1,086,990 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kent, WA Panama City 5,860 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kent, WA
  • 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
Kent, WA vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kent, WA or Panama City?
Panama City wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Kent, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Panama City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kent, WA or in Panama City?
Average pay runs 401% higher in Kent, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kent, WA compared to Panama City?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,075 in Kent, WA versus $1,257 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Kent, WA and in Panama City?
Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $81.0 in Kent, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Kent, WA compared to Panama City?
All in, you'll spend $3,315 per month in Kent, WA versus $1,855 in Panama City – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Kent, WA or in Panama City?
At $1,855 in Panama City versus $3,315 in Kent, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Kent, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kent, WA or Panama City?
Both work as nomad bases, but Panama City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Panama City hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Kent, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Kent, WA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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