Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanaimo, BC and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
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Nanaimo, BC Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,349

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Nanaimo, BC $2,349
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Nanaimo, BC versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Nanaimo, BC $3,389
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Nanaimo, BC versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Nanaimo, BC $4,429
Panama City $3,812

Living in Nanaimo, BC is roughly 28% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nanaimo, BC 75% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.51 CA$24.96

$11.34 PAB 11.34

54.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 CA$109

$47.85 PAB 47.85

60.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 CA$16.21

$8.07 PAB 8.07

40.89%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.43

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-5.22%

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

$2.21 CA$3.14

$1.94 PAB 1.94

13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.30

$1.62 PAB 1.62

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 CA$7.78

$3.26 PAB 3.26

67.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 CA$7.88

$3.99 PAB 3.99

38.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 CA$4.79

$2.57 PAB 2.57

30.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-8.11%

Eggs

$4.15 CA$5.92

$2.69 PAB 2.69

54.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 CA$16.00

$12.33 PAB 12.33

-8.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 CA$18.68

$6.69 PAB 6.69

95.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.74 CA$23.86

$10.40 PAB 10.40

60.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.62

$4.16 PAB 4.16

11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.82

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.92

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.82 CA$8.30

$4.08 PAB 4.08

42.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-22.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$4.05

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-35.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 CA$4.05

$2.34 PAB 2.34

21.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.26

$1.75 PAB 1.75

30.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.15 CA$17.32

$6.06 PAB 6.06

100.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 CA$20.17

$11.72 PAB 11.72

20.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$1.37 PAB 1.37

98.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 CA$3.80

$2.84 PAB 2.84

-5.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 CA$2.62

$0.36 PAB 0.36

411.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.74 CA$63.8

$20.96 PAB 20.96

113.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 CA$3.93

$2.52 PAB 2.52

9.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 CA$3.02

$1.79 PAB 1.79

18.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.48 CA$40.59

$22.01 PAB 22.01

29.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.87

$1.25 PAB 1.25

4.80%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

29.02%

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

$19.3K CA$27.6K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

-8.78%

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

$151 CA$216

$131 PAB 131

15.40%

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

$40.28 CA$57.4

$27.68 PAB 27.68

45.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 CA$91.1

$48.59 PAB 48.59

31.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.48 CA$39.17

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-40.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 CA$26.53

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-46.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.94 CA$15.60

$8.73 PAB 8.73

25.32%

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

$515 CA$734

$551 PAB 551

-6.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K CA$18.4K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

34.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.90 CA$69.7

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-27.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.57 CA$47.86

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 CA$141

$94.9 PAB 94.9

4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$153

$113 PAB 113

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 CA$1,954

$1,238 PAB 1,238

10.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 CA$1,601

$873 PAB 873

28.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,121 CA$3,023

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-3.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 CA$2,421

$1,538 PAB 1,538

10.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,831 CA$5,461

$3,116 PAB 3,116

22.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,462 CA$4,935

$1,725 PAB 1,725

100.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 CA$4,487

$934 PAB 934

236.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

6.39

-26.13%

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

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: 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

Nanaimo, BC

$1.1K 48.8%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 22.3% $250

Groceries & Markets

Nanaimo, BC

$405 17.6%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 19.8% $80

Eating Out

Nanaimo, BC

$274 11.9%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 26.3% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanaimo, BC

$256 11.1%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 18.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Nanaimo, BC

$130 5.6%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 12.1% $16

Getting Around

Nanaimo, BC

$65 2.8%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 48.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nanaimo, BC

$49 2.1%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 28.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,371 in Nanaimo, BC and $1,238 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanaimo, BC pays 237% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $77.0 in Nanaimo, BC vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $324 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

2 h ahead of Nanaimo, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,504

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

Nanaimo, BC Panama City 6,070 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nanaimo, BC
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

Nanaimo, BC vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Nanaimo, BC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Panama City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 237% higher in Nanaimo, BC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,371 in Nanaimo, BC versus $1,238 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 113% less than in Nanaimo, BC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $515 in Nanaimo, BC versus $551 in Panama City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,837 in Panama City versus $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Nanaimo, BC. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Panama City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Panama City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nanaimo, BC and Panama City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Nanaimo, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.