Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Banos, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $2,394 in Los Banos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Los Banos, CA
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Los Banos, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,394 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Los Banos, CA $2,394
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,580 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Los Banos, CA $3,580
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,767 in Los Banos, CA versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Los Banos, CA $4,767
Panama City $3,773

Living in Los Banos, CA is roughly 29% 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: Los Banos, CA 77% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 $14.86

$11.68 PAB 11.68

27.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$47.76 PAB 47.76

111.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$8.12 PAB 8.12

21.06%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$4.23 PAB 4.23

20.80%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.92 PAB 1.92

31.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.58 PAB 1.58

29.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.31 PAB 3.31

139.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.24 $8.24

$3.98 PAB 3.98

107.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-46.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.63 PAB 2.63

22.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-12.98%

Eggs

$1.58 $1.58

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-40.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-28.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 $7.73

$6.91 PAB 6.91

11.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 $12.80

$10.58 PAB 10.58

20.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-18.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-31.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-42.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.69 PAB 1.69

47.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 $11.10

$5.83 PAB 5.83

90.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 $14.10

$11.43 PAB 11.43

23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.38 PAB 1.38

35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.76 PAB 2.76

-52.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.33 PAB 0.33

518.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.55 PAB 2.55

6.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.88 $32.88

$22.17 PAB 22.17

48.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.24 PAB 1.24

16.94%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

24.51%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

26.79%

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

$217 $217

$131 PAB 131

65.53%

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

$44.68 $44.68

$27.83 PAB 27.83

60.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.7 $88.7

$49.32 PAB 49.32

79.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.09 $39.09

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-14.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$8.47 PAB 8.47

75.44%

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

$2,509 $2,509

$553 PAB 553

353.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

203.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.82 $23.82

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-64.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.67 $21.67

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-54.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.3 $52.3

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-45.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 $59.4

$113 PAB 113

-47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,322 PAB 1,322

22.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 $1,294

$874 PAB 874

48.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$2,153 PAB 2,153

24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 $2,280

$1,580 PAB 1,580

44.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 $2,713

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-12.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$1,698 PAB 1,698

41.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,598 $6,598

$914 PAB 914

621.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

6.39

1.25%

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

Last update for Los Banos, 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

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 54.1%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 32.4% $420

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Banos, CA

$351 14.7%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 40.6% $142

Groceries & Markets

Los Banos, CA

$307 12.8%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 6.4% $20

Eating Out

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.9%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 27.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Los Banos, CA

$71 3%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 105% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Los Banos, CA

$69 2.9%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 9% $6.2

Getting Around

Los Banos, CA

$19 * 0.8%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 79.1% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,618 in Los Banos, CA and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 622% 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: $101 in Los Banos, CA vs $48.00 in Panama City. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $327, with Los Banos, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

2 h ahead of Los Banos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,972

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Los Banos, CA Panama City 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Banos, 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

Los Banos, CA vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Los Banos, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Panama City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 622% higher in Los Banos, 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: $1,618 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,322 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Los Banos, CA pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,394 per month in Los Banos, CA versus $1,857 in Panama City – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,857 in Panama City versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Los Banos, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Panama City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,857 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Panama City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.