Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City, FL and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City, FL: $2,409 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Panama City, FL
Learn more

Panama City, FL Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,409

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City, FL and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Panama City, FL and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,409 in Panama City, FL versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Panama City, FL $2,409
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,287 in Panama City, FL versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Panama City, FL $3,287
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,165 in Panama City, FL versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Panama City, FL $4,165
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Panama City, FL costs roughly 36% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City, FL 77% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 $18.74

$25.30 $25.30

-25.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 $54.0

$101 $101

-46.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$14.76 $14.76

-17.95%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.50 $6.50

-13.85%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$3.21 $3.21

-9.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.14 $3.14

-45.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$7.97 $7.97

-36.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$8.13 $8.13

-12.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.17 $1.17

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.30 $5.30

-34.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$6.40 $6.40

-58.44%

Eggs

$3.30 $3.30

$5.06 $5.06

-34.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 $10.78

$18.71 $18.71

-42.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 $11.61

$18.72 $18.72

-37.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 $14.64

$22.88 $22.88

-36.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$6.06 $6.06

-32.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.95 $1.95

-23.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.51 $5.51

-50.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$6.52 $6.52

-34.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.49 $3.49

-10.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.29 $3.29

-13.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.80 $2.80

-25.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.58 $2.58

-13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.31 $9.31

$12.49 $12.49

-25.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$14.87 $14.87

-18.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$4.19 $4.19

-59.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$5.80 $5.80

-33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.05 $3.05

-52.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.52 $35.52

$106 $106

-66.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.58 $2.58

-1.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.64 $1.64

-7.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.17 $26.17

$30.12 $30.12

-13.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.41 $1.41

-30.50%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-25.27%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.41%

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

$169 $169

$308 $308

-44.95%

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

$44.38 $44.38

$69.2 $69.2

-35.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.5 $59.5

$86.1 $86.1

-30.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.35 $24.35

$76.5 $76.5

-68.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 $12.87

$18.02 $18.02

-28.58%

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

$618 $618

$2,746 $2,746

-77.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K $13.9K

$30.6K $30.6K

-54.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.26 $48.26

$79.2 $79.2

-39.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.43 $40.43

$54.3 $54.3

-25.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 $84.5

$127 $127

-33.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 $95.9

$159 $159

-39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 $921

$2,508 $2,508

-63.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 $1,248

$1,938 $1,938

-35.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 $1,673

$5,117 $5,117

-67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$3,542 $3,542

-53.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 $3,269

$7,374 $7,374

-55.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 $2,694

$5,002 $5,002

-46.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,980 $3,980

$6,470 $6,470

-38.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.89

-5.08%

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

Last update for Panama City, FL: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City, FL

$1.2K 51.8%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 55.3% $691

Groceries & Markets

Panama City, FL

$354 14.7%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 54.5% $193

Eating Out

Panama City, FL

$312 12.9%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 30.4% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City, FL

$273 11.3%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 69.4% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City, FL

$121 5%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 55.9% $68

Getting Around

Panama City, FL

$51 2.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 151% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City, FL

$50 2.1%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 125% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $921 in Panama City, FL and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54 in Panama City, FL vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $547 per month, with Panama City, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Panama City, FL

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

04:58 4:58 AM

2 h behind Panama City, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,484

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City, FL Seattle, WA 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City, FL
Seattle, WA

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

Panama City, FL vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City, FL wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Panama City, FL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Panama City, FL. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $921 in Panama City, FL versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Panama City, FL versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Panama City, FL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.