Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lynnwood, WA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $3,348 in Lynnwood, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lynnwood, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,348
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,348 in Lynnwood, WA versus $1,837 in Panama City.

  • Lynnwood, WA $3,348
  • Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,612 in Lynnwood, WA versus $2,825 in Panama City.

  • Lynnwood, WA $4,612
  • Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,877 in Lynnwood, WA versus $3,812 in Panama City.

  • Lynnwood, WA $5,877
  • Panama City $3,812

Living in Lynnwood, WA is roughly 82% 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: Lynnwood, WA 150% above, Panama City 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.22 $22.22
$11.34 PAB 11.34
95.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.2 $79.2
$47.85 PAB 47.85
65.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.90 $11.90
$8.07 PAB 8.07
47.46%
Cappuccino
$5.54 $5.54
$4.02 PAB 4.02
37.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$1.94 PAB 1.94
61.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.62 PAB 1.62
50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.87 $6.87
$3.26 PAB 3.26
110.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.77 $7.77
$3.99 PAB 3.99
94.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.83 PAB 1.83
-39.89%
White Bread (500g)
$4.31 $4.31
$2.57 PAB 2.57
67.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.35 $4.35
$3.33 PAB 3.33
30.63%
Eggs
$5.40 $5.40
$2.69 PAB 2.69
100.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.86 $14.86
$12.33 PAB 12.33
20.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.05 $14.05
$6.69 PAB 6.69
110.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.20 $11.20
$10.40 PAB 10.40
7.69%
Apples (1kg)
$4.92 $4.92
$4.16 PAB 4.16
18.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.84 PAB 1.84
-8.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.13 $4.13
$4.18 PAB 4.18
-1.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$4.08 PAB 4.08
6.37%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 $2.26
$3.50 PAB 3.50
-35.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.88 $2.88
$4.37 PAB 4.37
-34.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.73 $1.73
$2.34 PAB 2.34
-26.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.75 PAB 1.75
12.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.89 $11.89
$6.06 PAB 6.06
96.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.29 $18.29
$11.72 PAB 11.72
56.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.37 PAB 1.37
29.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 $3.58
$2.84 PAB 2.84
26.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.93 $2.93
$0.36 PAB 0.36
713.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$20.96 PAB 20.96
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 $2.64
$2.52 PAB 2.52
4.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.79 PAB 1.79
-5.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.09 $30.09
$22.01 PAB 22.01
36.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 $1.39
$1.25 PAB 1.25
11.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$21.5K PAB 21.5K
66.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$21.2K PAB 21.2K
19.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 $199
$131 PAB 131
51.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$82.4 $82.4
$27.68 PAB 27.68
197.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.1 $65.1
$48.59 PAB 48.59
34.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.13 $49.13
$46.11 PAB 46.11
6.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.01 PAB 35.01
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.87 $16.87
$8.73 PAB 8.73
93.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,929 $1,929
$551 PAB 551
250.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.8K $31.8K
$9,560 PAB 9,560
232.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.48 $49.48
$67.6 PAB 67.6
-26.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.83 $43.83
$48.03 PAB 48.03
-8.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.6 $85.6
$94.9 PAB 94.9
-9.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$113 PAB 113
-8.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,015 $2,015
$1,238 PAB 1,238
62.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,012 $2,012
$873 PAB 873
130.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,625 $2,625
$2,197 PAB 2,197
19.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,958 $2,958
$1,538 PAB 1,538
92.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,116 PAB 3,116
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,725 PAB 1,725
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lynnwood, WA
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,286 $4,286
$934 PAB 934
358.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.44
6.39
0.78%

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

Last update for Lynnwood, WA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lynnwood, WA
$2K
Panama City
$873 56.6% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Lynnwood, WA
$410
Panama City
$324 20.9% $86
Eating Out
Lynnwood, WA
$352
Panama City
$202 42.7% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lynnwood, WA
$347
Panama City
$207 40.2% $139
Clothing & Footwear
Lynnwood, WA
$127
Panama City
$146 14.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Lynnwood, WA
$83
Panama City
$64 23.3% $19
Getting Around
Lynnwood, WA
$23 *
Panama City
$34 48.1% $11

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 $2,015 in Lynnwood, WA and $1,238 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lynnwood, WA pays 359% 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 Lynnwood, WA vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $324 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Lynnwood, WA
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
05:49 5:49 AM
07:49 7:49 AM
2 h ahead of Lynnwood, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,568
1,086,990 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lynnwood, WA Panama City 5,890 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lynnwood, WA
  • 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
Lynnwood, WA vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lynnwood, WA or Panama City?
Panama City wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Lynnwood, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Panama City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lynnwood, WA or in Panama City?
Average pay runs 359% higher in Lynnwood, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lynnwood, WA compared to Panama City?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,015 in Lynnwood, WA versus $1,238 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Lynnwood, WA and in Panama City?
Childcare runs $1,929 in Lynnwood, WA versus $551 in Panama City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Lynnwood, WA and in Panama City?
Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $79.0 in Lynnwood, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Lynnwood, WA or in Panama City?
At $1,837 in Panama City versus $3,348 in Lynnwood, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Lynnwood, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lynnwood, WA or Panama City?
Both work as nomad bases, but Panama City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Panama City hard to pass up.
How safe is Lynnwood, WA compared to Panama City?
Safety-wise, Lynnwood, WA 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Lynnwood, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lynnwood, WA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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