Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modesto, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,634 in Modesto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Modesto, CA
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Modesto, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Modesto, CA vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

Modesto, CA $2,634
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $3,994 per month in Modesto, CA vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

Modesto, CA $3,994
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $5,354 per month in Modesto, CA vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

Modesto, CA $5,354
Panama City $3,812

Modesto, CA costs about 43% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Modesto, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – Modesto, CA by 97%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$11.34 PAB 11.34

30.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$47.85 PAB 47.85

64.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 $9.02

$8.07 PAB 8.07

11.77%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.02 PAB 4.02

38.31%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.94 PAB 1.94

32.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.62 PAB 1.62

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.26 PAB 3.26

53.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.99 PAB 3.99

79.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-39.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.57 PAB 2.57

38.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.33 PAB 3.33

26.73%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$2.69 PAB 2.69

106.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$12.33 PAB 12.33

5.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$6.69 PAB 6.69

102.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$10.40 PAB 10.40

87.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$4.16 PAB 4.16

29.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.84 PAB 1.84

4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.18 PAB 4.18

27.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.08 PAB 4.08

31.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.50 PAB 3.50

2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-33.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.34 PAB 2.34

4.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.75 PAB 1.75

40.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$6.06 PAB 6.06

92.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$11.72 PAB 11.72

25.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.37 PAB 1.37

40.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.84 PAB 2.84

15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.36 PAB 0.36

441.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.63 $40.63

$20.96 PAB 20.96

93.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.52 PAB 2.52

37.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.79 PAB 1.79

69.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$22.01 PAB 22.01

34.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.25 PAB 1.25

12.00%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

67.92%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

21.53%

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

$262 $262

$131 PAB 131

99.98%

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

$47.75 $47.75

$27.68 PAB 27.68

72.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$48.59 PAB 48.59

42.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.66 $41.66

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-9.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-56.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 $10.81

$8.73 PAB 8.73

23.83%

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

$1,792 $1,792

$551 PAB 551

225.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

323.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-28.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.40 $39.40

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 $94.5

$94.9 PAB 94.9

-0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$113 PAB 113

6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$1,238 PAB 1,238

15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$873 PAB 873

48.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$2,197 PAB 2,197

10.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 $2,403

$1,538 PAB 1,538

56.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,151 $3,151

$3,116 PAB 3,116

1.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,185 $3,185

$1,725 PAB 1,725

84.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 $4,038

$934 PAB 934

332.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.39

-4.54%

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

Last update for Modesto, CA: 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

Modesto, CA

$1.3K 48.9%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 32.5% $420

Groceries & Markets

Modesto, CA

$439 16.6%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 26.2% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modesto, CA

$380 14.3%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 45.3% $172

Eating Out

Modesto, CA

$269 10.2%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 25% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Modesto, CA

$136 5.1%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 7.2% $9.8

Getting Around

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 49.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Modesto, CA

$63 2.4%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,425 in Modesto, CA 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 332% higher in Modesto, CA, 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 $79.0 in Modesto, CA versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $324 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

07:45 7:45 AM

2 h ahead of Modesto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,266

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 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 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).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Modesto, CA Panama City 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Modesto, 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

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

Modesto, CA costs about 43% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,952 per month in Modesto, CA 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 Panama City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,634 in Modesto, CA and $1,837 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 94% less in Panama City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Modesto, CA at $2,634. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Modesto, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panama City costs $1,837 versus $2,634 in Modesto, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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