Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Cruces, NM and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Las Cruces, NM despite lower rent and utilities.

99

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
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Las Cruces, NM Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,085

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,085 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $2,085
Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $3,045 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $3,045
Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $4,004 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $4,004
Panama City $3,888

Las Cruces, NM costs about 6% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Las Cruces, NM and Panama City sit above the global median – Las Cruces, NM by 54%, Panama City by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 $17.44

$11.37 PAB 11.37

53.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.67 $44.67

$46.69 PAB 46.69

-4.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 $12.08

$7.98 PAB 7.98

51.38%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$4.12 PAB 4.12

40.78%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$2.01 PAB 2.01

24.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.57 PAB 1.57

33.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 $6.51

$3.28 PAB 3.28

98.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$3.88 PAB 3.88

136.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-56.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.61 PAB 2.61

38.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.45 PAB 3.45

7.54%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$2.68 PAB 2.68

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$12.42 PAB 12.42

7.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 $11.95

$6.73 PAB 6.73

77.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$10.44 PAB 10.44

66.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$4.21 PAB 4.21

2.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.95 PAB 1.95

4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$4.07 PAB 4.07

-17.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-35.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-45.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.72 PAB 1.72

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 $10.82

$6.04 PAB 6.04

79.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 $14.96

$11.68 PAB 11.68

28.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.41 PAB 1.41

65.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.74 PAB 2.74

27.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.45 PAB 2.45

-6.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.76 PAB 1.76

31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.86 PAB 21.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-22.50%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

13.33%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

16.17%

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

$171 $171

$132 PAB 132

29.45%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$27.89 PAB 27.89

111.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.7 $87.7

$49.10 PAB 49.10

78.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.18 $44.18

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-0.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 $10.91

$34.01 PAB 34.01

-67.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 $9.97

$8.70 PAB 8.70

14.60%

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

$680 $680

$537 PAB 537

26.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,476 $6,476

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

-68.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.32 $32.32

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-33.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 $84.6

$95.4 PAB 95.4

-11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$114 PAB 114

-12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 $857

$1,405 PAB 1,405

-39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 $865

$994 PAB 994

-12.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$2,221 PAB 2,221

-31.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$1,714 PAB 1,714

-15.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,279 $2,279

$3,139 PAB 3,139

-27.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,900 $1,900

$1,724 PAB 1,724

10.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,635 $3,635

$936 PAB 936

288.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

6.39

-0.47%

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

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: 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

Las Cruces, NM

$865 41.5%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 14.9% $129

Groceries & Markets

Las Cruces, NM

$385 18.5%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 15.5% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Las Cruces, NM

$317 15.2%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 34.2% $108

Eating Out

Las Cruces, NM

$315 15.1%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 35.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Las Cruces, NM

$124 6%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 17% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Las Cruces, NM

$64 3.1%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 3.4% $2.2

Getting Around

Las Cruces, NM

$14 * 0.7%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 140% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $857 in Las Cruces, NM 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 Las Cruces, NM are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Las Cruces, NM versus $47 in Panama City. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Las Cruces, NM vs $326 in Panama City – so Panama City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

07:51 7:51 AM

2 h ahead of Las Cruces, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,385

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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Las Cruces, NM Panama City 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Las Cruces, NM
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

Las Cruces, NM vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Cruces, NM costs about 6% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,127 per month in Las Cruces, NM and $2,958 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Las Cruces, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $857 there versus $1,405 in Panama City.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Las Cruces, NM and $47 in Panama City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Las Cruces, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM and $1,972 in Panama City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,972 in Panama City to $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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