Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ontario, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,867 in Ontario, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

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

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,867

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,867 in Ontario, CA versus $1,855 in Panama City.

Ontario, CA $2,867
Panama City $1,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,937 in Ontario, CA versus $2,804 in Panama City.

Ontario, CA $2,937
Panama City $2,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,007 in Ontario, CA versus $3,753 in Panama City.

Ontario, CA $3,007
Panama City $3,753

Living in Ontario, CA is roughly 55% 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: Ontario, CA 112% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$11.63 PAB 11.63

71.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 $78.2

$47.92 PAB 47.92

63.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.13 $15.13

$7.96 PAB 7.96

90.08%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$4.22 PAB 4.22

33.65%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.01 PAB 2.01

53.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.56 PAB 1.56

48.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 $7.26

$3.39 PAB 3.39

114.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 $9.37

$3.94 PAB 3.94

137.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-43.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.56 PAB 2.56

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.48 PAB 3.48

37.64%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$2.69 PAB 2.69

69.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$12.57 PAB 12.57

3.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$6.83 PAB 6.83

29.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$10.58 PAB 10.58

48.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.18 PAB 4.18

10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-5.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.03 PAB 4.03

37.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.48 PAB 3.48

3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-17.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.69 PAB 1.69

13.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$6.14 PAB 6.14

88.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.30 PAB 11.30

30.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.42 PAB 1.42

36.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.73 PAB 2.73

51.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.33 PAB 0.33

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.84 $29.84

$21.23 PAB 21.23

40.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.52 PAB 2.52

141.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.25 PAB 1.25

22.40%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

74.52%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

28.00%

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

$222 $222

$130 PAB 130

70.66%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$28.13 PAB 28.13

144.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$48.21 PAB 48.21

28.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.0 $64.0

$45.78 PAB 45.78

39.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.79 $28.79

$34.92 PAB 34.92

-17.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 $17.89

$8.67 PAB 8.67

106.34%

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

$1,164 $1,164

$544 PAB 544

113.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 $58.3

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-12.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.76 $40.76

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-17.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 $91.3

$93.9 PAB 93.9

-2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$112 PAB 112

-6.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,900 $1,900

$1,257 PAB 1,257

51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 $1,503

$875 PAB 875

71.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,646 $2,646

$2,155 PAB 2,155

22.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,989 $3,989

$3,122 PAB 3,122

27.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,666 $3,666

$1,709 PAB 1,709

114.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,613 $3,613

$916 PAB 916

294.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ontario, CA

$1.5K 52.4%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 41.8% $628

Groceries & Markets

Ontario, CA

$389 13.6%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 16.3% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ontario, CA

$352 12.3%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 41.4% $146

Eating Out

Ontario, CA

$349 12.2%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 40.8% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Ontario, CA

$133 4.6%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 9.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ontario, CA

$100 3.5%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 36.8% $37

Getting Around

Ontario, CA

$42 * 1.5%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 18.2% $7.7

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 $1,900 in Ontario, CA and $1,257 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ontario, CA pays 294% 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: $78.0 in Ontario, CA vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $325 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

10:31 10:31 AM

2 h ahead of Ontario, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

185,000

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.889 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

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Ontario, CA Panama City 4,780 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ontario, 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

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

Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 294% higher in Ontario, CA, 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: $1,900 in Ontario, CA versus $1,257 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,164 in Ontario, CA versus $544 in Panama City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ontario, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,867 in Ontario, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Ontario, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Panama City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ontario, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Ontario, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.