Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Boquete

For one person, living is cheaper in Boquete: $1,473 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $44,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
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Boquete Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Boquete

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Boquete actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY versus $1,473 in Boquete.

New York, NY $5,142
Boquete $1,473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,455 in New York, NY versus $2,266 in Boquete.

New York, NY $7,455
Boquete $2,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,767 in New York, NY versus $3,059 in Boquete.

New York, NY $9,767
Boquete $3,059

Living in New York, NY is roughly 249% more expensive than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 284% above, Boquete 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$6.46 PAB 6.46

309.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$39.90 PAB 39.90

197.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$7.58 PAB 7.58

90.37%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$3.88 PAB 3.88

68.81%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.34 PAB 1.34

186.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.21 PAB 1.21

147.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$2.26 PAB 2.26

265.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$5.08 PAB 5.08

97.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-26.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.08 PAB 2.08

135.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$2.14 PAB 2.14

234.58%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.54 PAB 2.54

133.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$9.20 PAB 9.20

107.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$7.77 PAB 7.77

123.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$15.16 PAB 15.16

24.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.39 PAB 4.39

58.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$0.97 PAB 0.97

114.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.49 PAB 4.49

35.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$2.27 PAB 2.27

206.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.17 PAB 2.17

83.41%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.16 PAB 2.16

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.22 PAB 2.22

26.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.63 PAB 1.63

53.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$5.09 PAB 5.09

278.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$7.96 PAB 7.96

147.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.15 PAB 1.15

167.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.64 PAB 2.64

39.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.39 PAB 1.39

117.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$25.47 PAB 25.47

447.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.01 PAB 1.01

203.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.95 PAB 1.95

9.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$29.64 PAB 29.64

39.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.18 PAB 1.18

-5.93%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.1K PAB 25.1K

39.68%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$22.2K PAB 22.2K

14.47%

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

$217 $217

$58.7 PAB 58.7

270.51%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$26.10 PAB 26.10

183.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$43.09 PAB 43.09

68.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$81.3 PAB 81.3

48.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$17.41 PAB 17.41

284.20%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$6.53 PAB 6.53

241.81%

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

$3,425 $3,425

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$6,039 PAB 6,039

912.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$24.55 PAB 24.55

210.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$25.25 PAB 25.25

119.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$44.67 PAB 44.67

166.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$841 PAB 841

435.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$701 PAB 701

350.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$1,562 PAB 1,562

464.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$1,309 PAB 1,309

322.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,163 PAB 1,163

1566.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,151 PAB 1,151

486.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$799 PAB 799

561.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.5

4.92%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Boquete: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Boquete

$701 48.2% 77.8% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Boquete

$293 20.2% 46.4% $253

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Boquete

$153 10.5% 63.9% $270

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Boquete

$128 8.8% 64.9% $236

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Boquete

$43 * 2.9% 75.2% $129

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Boquete

$42 2.9% 74.7% $124

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Boquete

$94 6.5% 42.9% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,506 in New York, NY and $841 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 562% 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: $119 in New York, NY vs $40.00 in Boquete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $293 per month, with Boquete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

7,000

💱 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

PAB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

New York, NY Boquete 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Boquete

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

New York, NY vs Boquete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boquete is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 249% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 562% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,506 in New York, NY versus $841 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $5,142 per month in New York, NY versus $1,473 in Boquete – a 249% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,473 in Boquete versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Boquete but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Boquete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Boquete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, New York, NY and Boquete 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 Boquete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 249% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.