Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazatlan and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazatlan: $1,436 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Mazatlan
Learn more

Mazatlan Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index

Jump to prices

Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,436

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,436 per month in Mazatlan vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

Mazatlan $1,436
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $2,041 per month in Mazatlan vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

Mazatlan $2,041
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $2,645 per month in Mazatlan vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

Mazatlan $2,645
Panama City $3,812

Mazatlan is about 22% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mazatlan and Panama City sit above the global median – Mazatlan by 7%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 MX$201

$11.34 PAB 11.34

-3.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.29 MX$850

$47.85 PAB 47.85

-3.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.37 MX$154

$8.07 PAB 8.07

3.72%

Cappuccino

$3.40 MX$62.4

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-15.42%

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

$1.45 MX$26.53

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-25.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$20.12

$1.62 PAB 1.62

-32.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 MX$39.04

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-34.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$52.0

$3.99 PAB 3.99

-29.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$30.14

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-10.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 MX$47.48

$2.57 PAB 2.57

0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MX$24.44

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-60.06%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$50.4

$2.69 PAB 2.69

1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$148

$12.33 PAB 12.33

-34.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 MX$127

$6.69 PAB 6.69

3.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 MX$141

$10.40 PAB 10.40

-26.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$49.89

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-34.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$31.17

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-7.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.79

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-61.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 MX$9.52

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-87.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$29.99

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-53.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.12

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-68.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 MX$29.44

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-31.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$77.1

$6.06 PAB 6.06

-30.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.98 MX$293

$11.72 PAB 11.72

36.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 MX$37.24

$1.37 PAB 1.37

48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$56.8

$2.84 PAB 2.84

8.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.72

$0.36 PAB 0.36

91.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.84 MX$768

$20.96 PAB 20.96

99.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 MX$68.0

$2.52 PAB 2.52

47.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 MX$45.00

$1.79 PAB 1.79

36.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.17

$1.25 PAB 1.25

22.40%

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

$21.4K MX$393.0K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

-0.61%

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

$24.8K MX$455.0K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

16.94%

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

$59.0 MX$1,084

$131 PAB 131

-54.99%

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

$46.93 MX$862

$27.68 PAB 27.68

69.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.53 MX$799

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.05 MX$827

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-2.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 MX$80.7

$8.73 PAB 8.73

-49.71%

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

$88.4 MX$1,624

$551 PAB 551

-83.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,007 MX$36.9K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

-79.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 MX$1,173

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-5.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.58 MX$506

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-42.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,055

$94.9 PAB 94.9

17.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 MX$1,545

$113 PAB 113

-25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 MX$14.5K

$1,238 PAB 1,238

-36.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 MX$11.4K

$873 PAB 873

-29.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 MX$22.8K

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-43.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 MX$15.4K

$1,538 PAB 1,538

-45.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,579 MX$29.0K

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-49.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,051 MX$19.3K

$1,725 PAB 1,725

-39.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 MX$9,785

$934 PAB 934

-42.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

6.39

81.53%

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

Last update for Mazatlan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mazatlan

$619 43.4%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 41% $254

Groceries & Markets

Mazatlan

$236 * 16.5%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 37.6% $89

Eating Out

Mazatlan

$180 12.6%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 12% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazatlan

$150 10.5%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 38.8% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Mazatlan

$129 9.1%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 12.5% $16

Getting Around

Mazatlan

$61 4.2%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 44.1% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Mazatlan

$54 3.8%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 18.1% $9.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Mazatlan versus $1,238 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 run about 75% higher in Panama City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Mazatlan versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $324 – making Mazatlan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mazatlan

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

2 h ahead of Mazatlan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

441,975

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazatlan Panama City 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mazatlan
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

Mazatlan vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,436 in Mazatlan, $1,837 in Panama City – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,155 per month in Mazatlan and $2,756 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mazatlan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 100% less in Mazatlan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $88.4 per month in Mazatlan and $551 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mazatlan, where all-in costs run around $1,436, than in Panama City at $1,837. In Mazatlan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,436 in Mazatlan to $1,837 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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