Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

134

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

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,704 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $1,857 in Panama City, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $2,704
Panama City $1,857

A couple spends around $4,049 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $2,815 in Panama City, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $4,049
Panama City $2,815

A family of three spends $5,394 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $3,773 in Panama City, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $5,394
Panama City $3,773

Monrovia, CA costs about 46% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monrovia, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – Monrovia, CA by 100%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 $24.92

$11.68 PAB 11.68

113.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$47.76 PAB 47.76

111.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 $11.66

$8.12 PAB 8.12

43.60%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$4.23 PAB 4.23

32.62%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.92 PAB 1.92

39.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.58 PAB 1.58

24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.31 PAB 3.31

148.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 $9.63

$3.98 PAB 3.98

141.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-38.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.63 PAB 2.63

122.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.39 PAB 3.39

24.78%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$2.67 PAB 2.67

85.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$12.21 PAB 12.21

1.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.92 $20.92

$6.91 PAB 6.91

202.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$10.58 PAB 10.58

32.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$4.16 PAB 4.16

35.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.06 PAB 4.06

5.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$4.18 PAB 4.18

51.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.47 PAB 3.47

4.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-17.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-1.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.69 PAB 1.69

34.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$5.83 PAB 5.83

99.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.43 PAB 11.43

29.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.38 PAB 1.38

26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.76 PAB 2.76

12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.33 PAB 0.33

490.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.55 PAB 2.55

80.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.78 PAB 1.78

1.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.58 $35.58

$22.17 PAB 22.17

60.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.24 PAB 1.24

29.03%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

13.58%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

24.76%

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

$218 $218

$131 PAB 131

66.12%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$27.83 PAB 27.83

160.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$49.32 PAB 49.32

44.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.11 $39.11

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-14.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$8.47 PAB 8.47

39.20%

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

$1,948 $1,948

$553 PAB 553

251.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

338.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 $73.1

$66.4 PAB 66.4

10.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.92 $40.92

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-13.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 $80.5

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$113 PAB 113

52.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$1,322 PAB 1,322

19.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 $1,235

$874 PAB 874

41.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$2,153 PAB 2,153

15.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$1,580 PAB 1,580

29.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 $2,557

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-17.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$1,698 PAB 1,698

38.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.39

3.91%

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

Last update for Monrovia, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia, CA

$1.2K 45.7%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 29.2% $361

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia, CA

$477 17.7%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 31.6% $151

Eating Out

Monrovia, CA

$381 14.1%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 45.6% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia, CA

$362 13.4%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 42.4% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia, CA

$165 6.1%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 11.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia, CA

$63 2.3%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Monrovia, CA

$21 * 0.8%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 55.8% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,577 in Monrovia, CA versus $1,322 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Monrovia, CA versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $327 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

20:29 8:29 PM

2 h ahead of Monrovia, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,590

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 21, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Monrovia, CA Panama City 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, $1,857 in Panama City – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,056 per month in Monrovia, CA and $2,786 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 $101 in Monrovia, CA and $48.00 in Panama City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Monrovia, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,857, than in Monrovia, CA at $2,704. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monrovia, CA 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 $1,857 in Panama City to $2,704 in Monrovia, CA. 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, Monrovia, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.