Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain Home, ID and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,972 in Panama City.

Mountain Home, ID $2,720
Panama City $1,972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Mountain Home, ID versus $2,930 in Panama City.

Mountain Home, ID $3,919
Panama City $2,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,118 in Mountain Home, ID versus $3,888 in Panama City.

Mountain Home, ID $5,118
Panama City $3,888

Living in Mountain Home, ID is roughly 38% 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: Mountain Home, ID 101% above, Panama City 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.66 $22.66

$11.37 PAB 11.37

99.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 $86.0

$46.69 PAB 46.69

84.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 $10.36

$7.98 PAB 7.98

29.82%

Cappuccino

$4.60 $4.60

$4.12 PAB 4.12

11.65%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.01 PAB 2.01

37.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.57 PAB 1.57

31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.28 PAB 3.28

63.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 $8.25

$3.88 PAB 3.88

112.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-45.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.61 PAB 2.61

39.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.45 PAB 3.45

30.72%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$2.68 PAB 2.68

52.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 $12.37

$12.42 PAB 12.42

-0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$6.73 PAB 6.73

77.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$10.44 PAB 10.44

60.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$4.21 PAB 4.21

23.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-14.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$4.07 PAB 4.07

9.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.02 PAB 4.02

14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-16.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-31.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-8.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.72 PAB 1.72

22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$6.04 PAB 6.04

61.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$11.68 PAB 11.68

26.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.41 PAB 1.41

41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.74 PAB 2.74

28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.33 PAB 0.33

442.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 $65.0

$20.65 PAB 20.65

214.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.45 PAB 2.45

49.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.76 PAB 1.76

3.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.85 $30.85

$21.86 PAB 21.86

41.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-0.83%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

30.60%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

32.67%

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

$198 $198

$132 PAB 132

50.46%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$27.89 PAB 27.89

107.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$49.10 PAB 49.10

43.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 $38.16

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-14.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 $13.01

$8.70 PAB 8.70

49.54%

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

$1,520 $1,520

$537 PAB 537

183.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

-4.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-21.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 $35.51

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-26.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$95.4 PAB 95.4

6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$114 PAB 114

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$1,405 PAB 1,405

14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$994 PAB 994

37.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,767 $2,767

$2,221 PAB 2,221

24.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 $2,092

$1,714 PAB 1,714

22.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,091 $3,091

$3,139 PAB 3,139

-1.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,344 $2,344

$1,724 PAB 1,724

36.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.39

3.13%

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

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 31, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mountain Home, ID

$1.4K 50.4%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 27.5% $376

Groceries & Markets

Mountain Home, ID

$400 14.7%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 18.6% $74

Eating Out

Mountain Home, ID

$330 12.2%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 38.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mountain Home, ID

$327 12%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 36.1% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Mountain Home, ID

$143 5.3%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 1.8% $2.5

Getting Around

Mountain Home, ID

$85 3.1%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 60.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Mountain Home, ID

$64 2.4%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 3.5% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID and $1,405 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86 in Mountain Home, ID vs $47 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $326 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

20:52 8:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

2 h ahead of Mountain Home, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,656

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.891 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.891 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mountain Home, ID Panama City 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mountain Home, ID
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

Mountain Home, ID vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,079 in Mountain Home, ID and $2,958 in Panama City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,405 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,720 per month in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,972 in Panama City – Panama City is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 68% less than in Mountain Home, ID. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,972 in Panama City versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.