Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Orem, UT and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,487 in Orem, UT, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Orem, UT
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Orem, UT Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Orem, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,487

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,487 in Orem, UT versus $1,972 in Panama City.

Orem, UT $2,487
Panama City $1,972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,371 in Orem, UT versus $2,930 in Panama City.

Orem, UT $3,371
Panama City $2,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,254 in Orem, UT versus $3,888 in Panama City.

Orem, UT $4,254
Panama City $3,888

Living in Orem, UT is roughly 26% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Orem, UT 84% above, Panama City 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 $14.87

$11.37 PAB 11.37

30.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 $59.7

$46.69 PAB 46.69

27.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 $11.05

$7.98 PAB 7.98

38.47%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$4.12 PAB 4.12

7.77%

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

$1.78 $1.78

$2.01 PAB 2.01

-11.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.57 PAB 1.57

-5.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.28 PAB 3.28

85.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.88 PAB 3.88

83.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-43.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.61 PAB 2.61

19.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.45 PAB 3.45

-29.28%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$2.68 PAB 2.68

10.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$12.42 PAB 12.42

13.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$6.73 PAB 6.73

94.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.44 $19.44

$10.44 PAB 10.44

86.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.21 PAB 4.21

-33.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-14.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$4.07 PAB 4.07

-39.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.02 PAB 4.02

11.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 PAB 3.46

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-70.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-28.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.72 PAB 1.72

11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$6.04 PAB 6.04

61.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.68 PAB 11.68

28.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.41 PAB 1.41

55.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.74 PAB 2.74

8.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.33 PAB 0.33

666.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 $84.5

$20.65 PAB 20.65

309.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.45 PAB 2.45

-39.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.76 PAB 1.76

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.03 $20.03

$21.86 PAB 21.86

-8.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-7.50%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

2.64%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

26.67%

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

$166 $166

$132 PAB 132

26.32%

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

$43.98 $43.98

$27.89 PAB 27.89

57.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$49.10 PAB 49.10

23.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.40 $22.40

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-49.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$15.08 $15.08

$8.70 PAB 8.70

73.33%

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

$786 $786

$537 PAB 537

46.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K $12.9K

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

-37.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$65.8 PAB 65.8

-19.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 $40.64

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-16.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$95.4 PAB 95.4

-10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$114 PAB 114

16.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 $1,638

$1,405 PAB 1,405

16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$994 PAB 994

30.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$2,221 PAB 2,221

-0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$1,714 PAB 1,714

-3.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 $2,636

$3,139 PAB 3,139

-16.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,724 PAB 1,724

27.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,693 $3,693

$936 PAB 936

294.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

6.39

6.89%

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

Last update for Orem, UT: 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

Orem, UT

$1.3K 52.1%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 23.2% $301

Groceries & Markets

Orem, UT

$365 * 14.7%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 10.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Orem, UT

$271 10.9%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 22.9% $62

Eating Out

Orem, UT

$263 10.6%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 22.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Orem, UT

$140 5.6%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 3.7% $5.2

Getting Around

Orem, UT

$101 4.1%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 67.1% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Orem, UT

$53 2.1%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 17.8% $9.4

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 $1,638 in Orem, UT and $1,405 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orem, UT pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Orem, UT vs $47 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $326 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Orem, UT

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

2 h ahead of Orem, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,129

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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.891 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Orem, UT Panama City 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Orem, UT
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

Orem, UT vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Orem, UT is about 3.9 times higher, 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: $1,638 in Orem, UT versus $1,405 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Orem, UT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $47 versus $60 in Orem, UT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 21% less than in Orem, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.