Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Beach, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $3,185 in Long Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, CA
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Long Beach, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Long Beach, CA versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Long Beach, CA $3,185
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,857 in Long Beach, CA versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Long Beach, CA $4,857
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,529 in Long Beach, CA versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Long Beach, CA $6,529
Panama City $3,773

Living in Long Beach, CA is roughly 71% 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: Long Beach, CA 135% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$11.68 PAB 11.68

68.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$47.76 PAB 47.76

64.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.48 $14.48

$8.12 PAB 8.12

78.33%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$4.23 PAB 4.23

45.86%

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

$3.27 $3.27

$1.92 PAB 1.92

70.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.58 PAB 1.58

56.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 $7.46

$3.31 PAB 3.31

125.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.70 $9.70

$3.98 PAB 3.98

143.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-45.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.63 PAB 2.63

57.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.39 PAB 3.39

37.17%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$2.67 PAB 2.67

73.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$12.21 PAB 12.21

7.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$6.91 PAB 6.91

106.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$10.58 PAB 10.58

43.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$4.16 PAB 4.16

13.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$4.06 PAB 4.06

18.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.18 PAB 4.18

15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-0.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-47.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.69 PAB 1.69

8.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$5.83 PAB 5.83

98.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$11.43 PAB 11.43

31.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.38 PAB 1.38

39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.76 PAB 2.76

19.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.33 PAB 0.33

433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 $68.9

$20.63 PAB 20.63

234.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.55 PAB 2.55

14.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.78 PAB 1.78

16.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 $28.25

$22.17 PAB 22.17

27.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.24 PAB 1.24

24.19%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

16.84%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

21.95%

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

$169 $169

$131 PAB 131

28.49%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$27.83 PAB 27.83

138.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$49.32 PAB 49.32

22.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 $39.49

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 $14.84

$8.47 PAB 8.47

75.21%

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

$1,912 $1,912

$553 PAB 553

245.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

272.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-11.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 $40.11

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-15.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 $93.9

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$113 PAB 113

26.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$1,322 PAB 1,322

55.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 $1,813

$874 PAB 874

107.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,672 $3,672

$2,153 PAB 2,153

70.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,462 $3,462

$1,580 PAB 1,580

119.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,440 $7,440

$3,097 PAB 3,097

140.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,677 $6,677

$1,698 PAB 1,698

293.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,419 $4,419

$914 PAB 914

383.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for Long Beach, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 56.9%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 51.8% $938

Groceries & Markets

Long Beach, CA

$414 13%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 21.1% $87

Eating Out

Long Beach, CA

$355 11.1%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 41.6% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Beach, CA

$295 9.3%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 29.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.7%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 3.8% $5.7

Getting Around

Long Beach, CA

$89 2.8%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 62.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Long Beach, CA

$69 2.2%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 9.5% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,057 in Long Beach, CA and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Long Beach, CA pays 384% 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: $79.0 in Long Beach, CA vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $327 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

18:09 6:09 PM

2 h ahead of Long Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,450

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 October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Long Beach, CA Panama City 4,810 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Long Beach, CA
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

Long Beach, CA vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Long Beach, CA and Panama City differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($3,185 vs $1,857 including rent). Panama City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 384% higher in Long Beach, CA, 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: $2,057 in Long Beach, CA versus $1,322 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $79.0 in Long Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,185 per month in Long Beach, CA versus $1,857 in Panama City – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,857 in Panama City versus $3,185 in Long Beach, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Long Beach, CA. 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.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Long Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.