Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lafayette, CO and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,535 in Lafayette, CO, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, CO
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Lafayette, CO Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Lafayette, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,535

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,535 per month in Lafayette, CO vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

Lafayette, CO $2,535
Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $3,765 per month in Lafayette, CO vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

Lafayette, CO $3,765
Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $4,996 per month in Lafayette, CO vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

Lafayette, CO $4,996
Panama City $3,888

Lafayette, CO costs about 29% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lafayette, CO and Panama City sit above the global median – Lafayette, CO by 87%, Panama City by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$11.37 PAB 11.37

79.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 $73.5

$46.69 PAB 46.69

57.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.64 $12.64

$7.98 PAB 7.98

58.40%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.12 PAB 4.12

31.31%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.01 PAB 2.01

29.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.57 PAB 1.57

24.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.28 PAB 3.28

85.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 $7.28

$3.88 PAB 3.88

87.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.61 PAB 2.61

57.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.45 PAB 3.45

45.80%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$2.68 PAB 2.68

52.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 $12.54

$12.42 PAB 12.42

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 $11.84

$6.73 PAB 6.73

75.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 $15.49

$10.44 PAB 10.44

48.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.21 PAB 4.21

16.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-14.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.07 PAB 4.07

-0.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.02 PAB 4.02

9.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-30.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-24.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-11.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.72 PAB 1.72

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.54 $11.54

$6.04 PAB 6.04

91.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$11.68 PAB 11.68

27.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.41 PAB 1.41

58.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.74 PAB 2.74

12.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.33 PAB 0.33

478.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 $62.2

$20.65 PAB 20.65

201.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.45 PAB 2.45

33.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.76 PAB 1.76

-2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.16 $29.16

$21.86 PAB 21.86

33.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-13.33%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

11.41%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

38.32%

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

$163 $163

$132 PAB 132

23.64%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$27.89 PAB 27.89

112.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$49.10 PAB 49.10

42.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 $39.82

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 $13.41

$8.70 PAB 8.70

54.14%

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

$1,477 $1,477

$537 PAB 537

175.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

1.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 $51.4

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-21.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 $44.50

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-8.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$95.4 PAB 95.4

-7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$114 PAB 114

10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 $1,533

$1,405 PAB 1,405

9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 $1,225

$994 PAB 994

23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,760 $2,760

$2,221 PAB 2,221

24.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 $2,088

$1,714 PAB 1,714

21.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,803 $2,803

$3,139 PAB 3,139

-10.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,063 $2,063

$1,724 PAB 1,724

19.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.39

3.13%

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

Last update for Lafayette, CO: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lafayette, CO

$1.2K 48.3%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 18.9% $231

Groceries & Markets

Lafayette, CO

$400 15.8%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 18.6% $75

Eating Out

Lafayette, CO

$329 13%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 38.4% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lafayette, CO

$292 11.5%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 28.5% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Lafayette, CO

$140 5.5%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 4.2% $5.9

Getting Around

Lafayette, CO

$82 3.2%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 59.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Lafayette, CO

$67 2.6%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 7.1% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Lafayette, CO 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Lafayette, CO versus $47 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $326 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lafayette, CO

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

2 h ahead of Lafayette, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,729

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.895 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 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 = 0.895 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lafayette, CO Panama City 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lafayette, CO
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

Lafayette, CO vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lafayette, CO is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,802 per month in Lafayette, CO and $2,958 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,533 in Lafayette, CO and $1,405 in Panama City. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Lafayette, CO, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Lafayette, CO and $47 in Panama City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,972, than in Lafayette, CO at $2,535. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lafayette, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Panama City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Panama City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 22% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.