Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moncton and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,029 in Moncton, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Moncton despite lower rent and utilities.

97

Cost of Living Index in Moncton
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Moncton Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Moncton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,029

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,029 per month in Moncton vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

Moncton $2,029
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $3,066 per month in Moncton vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

Moncton $3,066
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $4,103 per month in Moncton vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

Moncton $4,103
Panama City $3,812

Moncton costs about 10% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Moncton and Panama City sit above the global median – Moncton by 51%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 CA$26.28

$11.34 PAB 11.34

62.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 CA$94.7

$47.85 PAB 47.85

38.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 CA$14.90

$8.07 PAB 8.07

29.49%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$5.01

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-12.69%

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

$2.04 CA$2.90

$1.94 PAB 1.94

5.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.68

$1.62 PAB 1.62

16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 CA$6.19

$3.26 PAB 3.26

33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CA$8.01

$3.99 PAB 3.99

40.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 CA$4.17

$1.83 PAB 1.83

60.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.94

$2.57 PAB 2.57

7.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.86

$3.33 PAB 3.33

2.40%

Eggs

$3.75 CA$5.34

$2.69 PAB 2.69

39.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 CA$18.65

$12.33 PAB 12.33

6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 CA$21.34

$6.69 PAB 6.69

123.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 CA$18.67

$10.40 PAB 10.40

25.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 CA$7.71

$4.16 PAB 4.16

30.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 CA$2.29

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 CA$6.57

$4.18 PAB 4.18

10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.63 CA$8.03

$4.08 PAB 4.08

37.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 CA$2.94

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-41.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.98

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-52.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.51

$2.34 PAB 2.34

5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$3.02

$1.75 PAB 1.75

21.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 CA$20.07

$6.06 PAB 6.06

132.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 CA$19.66

$11.72 PAB 11.72

17.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 CA$4.69

$1.37 PAB 1.37

140.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 CA$5.84

$2.84 PAB 2.84

44.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 CA$2.93

$0.36 PAB 0.36

472.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.93 CA$69.8

$20.96 PAB 20.96

133.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 CA$4.00

$2.52 PAB 2.52

11.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.95

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-23.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 CA$30.03

$22.01 PAB 22.01

-4.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.77

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-0.80%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

28.91%

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

$19.1K CA$27.2K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

-10.10%

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

$121 CA$172

$131 PAB 131

-7.89%

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

$41.64 CA$59.4

$27.68 PAB 27.68

50.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 CA$89.8

$48.59 PAB 48.59

29.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.21 CA$68.7

$46.11 PAB 46.11

4.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.09 CA$15.81

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-68.32%

Cinema Ticket

$12.59 CA$17.95

$8.73 PAB 8.73

44.22%

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

$372 CA$530

$551 PAB 551

-32.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$19.0K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

39.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 CA$85.1

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-11.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.30 CA$50.3

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 CA$145

$94.9 PAB 94.9

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$170

$113 PAB 113

5.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,442

$1,238 PAB 1,238

-18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 CA$1,141

$873 PAB 873

-8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 CA$2,251

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-28.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 CA$1,900

$1,538 PAB 1,538

-13.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,160 CA$3,079

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-30.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,070 CA$2,951

$1,725 PAB 1,725

20.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,417 CA$3,445

$934 PAB 934

158.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

6.39

-28.01%

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

Last update for Moncton: October 4, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moncton

$800 40.1%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 9.1% $73

Groceries & Markets

Moncton

$420 21%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 22.8% $96

Eating Out

Moncton

$270 13.5%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 25.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moncton

$225 11.3%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Moncton

$142 7.1%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 2.4% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Moncton

$73 3.7%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 13.4% $9.8

Getting Around

Moncton

$67 3.3%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 49.3% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,011 in Moncton 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 159% higher in Moncton, 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 $66.0 in Moncton versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $324 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Moncton

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

08:45 8:45 AM

2 h behind Moncton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,000

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Moncton Panama City 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Moncton
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,029 in Moncton, $1,837 in Panama City – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,044 per month in Moncton 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Moncton and $48.00 in Panama City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,029 in Moncton and $1,837 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Moncton at $2,029. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moncton 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 $1,837 in Panama City to $2,029 in Moncton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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