Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ketchikan, AK and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ketchikan, AK
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Ketchikan, AK Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Ketchikan, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Ketchikan, AK $2,868
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,913 in Ketchikan, AK versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Ketchikan, AK $3,913
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,957 in Ketchikan, AK versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Ketchikan, AK $4,957
Panama City $3,812

Living in Ketchikan, AK is roughly 56% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ketchikan, AK 114% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$11.34 PAB 11.34

76.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$47.85 PAB 47.85

55.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 $11.33

$8.07 PAB 8.07

40.40%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.02 PAB 4.02

34.08%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.94 PAB 1.94

34.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.62 PAB 1.62

20.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.26 PAB 3.26

80.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 $7.44

$3.99 PAB 3.99

86.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-44.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.57 PAB 2.57

37.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.33 PAB 3.33

33.03%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$2.69 PAB 2.69

28.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$12.33 PAB 12.33

0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$6.69 PAB 6.69

72.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$10.40 PAB 10.40

62.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.16 PAB 4.16

18.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.18 PAB 4.18

3.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.08 PAB 4.08

15.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-22.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-28.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.75 PAB 1.75

9.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$6.06 PAB 6.06

64.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 $14.33

$11.72 PAB 11.72

22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.37 PAB 1.37

58.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.84 PAB 2.84

11.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.36 PAB 0.36

472.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.15 $25.15

$20.96 PAB 20.96

19.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.52 PAB 2.52

23.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.79 PAB 1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.64 $28.64

$22.01 PAB 22.01

30.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.25 PAB 1.25

0.80%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

67.88%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

24.09%

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

$198 $198

$131 PAB 131

50.63%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$27.68 PAB 27.68

113.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$48.59 PAB 48.59

43.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-9.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$8.73 PAB 8.73

62.77%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$551 PAB 551

149.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K $22.8K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

138.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.69 $47.69

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-29.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 $37.74

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-21.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$94.9 PAB 94.9

-19.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$113 PAB 113

11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 $1,788

$1,238 PAB 1,238

44.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$873 PAB 873

87.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 $2,367

$2,197 PAB 2,197

7.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$1,538 PAB 1,538

39.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 $2,751

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-11.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 $2,803

$1,725 PAB 1,725

62.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,455 $4,455

$934 PAB 934

376.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.39

2.82%

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

Last update for Ketchikan, AK: October 4, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ketchikan, AK

$1.6K 56.1%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 46.5% $760

Groceries & Markets

Ketchikan, AK

$388 13.3%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 16.5% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ketchikan, AK

$326 11.2%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 36.4% $119

Eating Out

Ketchikan, AK

$321 11%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 37.2% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Ketchikan, AK

$130 4.5%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 12.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ketchikan, AK

$70 2.4%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 9.6% $6.7

Getting Around

Ketchikan, AK

$45 1.6%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 25.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK and $1,238 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ketchikan, AK pays 377% 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: $75.0 in Ketchikan, AK vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $324 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ketchikan, AK

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

21:03 9:03 PM

3 h ahead of Ketchikan, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,200

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ketchikan, AK Panama City 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ketchikan, AK
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

Ketchikan, AK vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ketchikan, AK and Panama City differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,868 vs $1,837 including rent). Panama City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 377% higher in Ketchikan, AK, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,788 in Ketchikan, AK versus $1,238 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,374 in Ketchikan, AK versus $551 in Panama City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ketchikan, AK. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Panama City versus $2,868 in Ketchikan, AK, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Ketchikan, AK. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ketchikan, AK and Panama City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Ketchikan, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.