Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Aguadulce

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguadulce: $958 a month against $1,932 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Aguadulce
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Aguadulce Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,932

/mo nomad

Aguadulce

🇵🇦 Panama

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Aguadulce

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,932 in Panama City versus $958 in Aguadulce.

Panama City $1,932
Aguadulce $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,887 in Panama City versus $1,533 in Aguadulce.

Panama City $2,887
Aguadulce $1,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,841 in Panama City versus $2,109 in Aguadulce.

Panama City $3,841
Aguadulce $2,109

Living in Panama City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Aguadulce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 42% above, Aguadulce is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$11.61 PAB 11.61

0.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.74 PAB 46.74

$47.62 PAB 47.62

-1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$7.79 PAB 7.79

2.44%

Cappuccino

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.03 PAB 4.03

3.72%

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

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.99 PAB 1.99

-2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 PAB 1.64

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 PAB 3.90

$4.05 PAB 4.05

-3.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PAB 1.91

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-0.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 PAB 2.54

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-1.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 PAB 3.37

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-3.16%

Eggs

$2.82 PAB 2.82

$2.72 PAB 2.72

3.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 PAB 12.60

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 PAB 6.71

$6.69 PAB 6.69

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 PAB 10.53

$10.57 PAB 10.57

-0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 PAB 4.04

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 PAB 1.94

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 PAB 4.25

$4.23 PAB 4.23

0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.06 PAB 4.06

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 PAB 3.32

$3.51 PAB 3.51

-5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 PAB 4.34

$4.27 PAB 4.27

1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 PAB 2.40

$2.37 PAB 2.37

1.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 PAB 1.71

$1.70 PAB 1.70

0.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.05 PAB 6.05

$6.10 PAB 6.10

-0.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 PAB 11.38

$11.70 PAB 11.70

-2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 PAB 1.36

$1.35 PAB 1.35

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 PAB 2.80

$2.71 PAB 2.71

3.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 PAB 0.34

$0.26 PAB 0.26

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.28 PAB 21.28

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.77 PAB 21.77

$21.59 PAB 21.59

0.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

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

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

0.06%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

-0.01%

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

$132 PAB 132

$131 PAB 131

1.00%

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

$28.34 PAB 28.34

$27.94 PAB 27.94

1.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 PAB 48.88

$48.23 PAB 48.23

1.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.02 PAB 43.02

$45.56 PAB 45.56

-5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.94 PAB 34.94

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 PAB 8.43

$8.74 PAB 8.74

-3.55%

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

$545 PAB 545

$548 PAB 548

-0.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,648 PAB 9,648

$9,480 PAB 9,480

1.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$66.1 PAB 66.1

-0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.25 PAB 47.25

$48.83 PAB 48.83

-3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 PAB 94.6

$94.8 PAB 94.8

-0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 PAB 110

$113 PAB 113

-3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 PAB 1,407

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 PAB 954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 PAB 2,272

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 PAB 1,662

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,057 PAB 3,057

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,729 PAB 1,729

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

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 Panama City: October 27, 2026

Last update for Aguadulce: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$954 49.3%

Aguadulce

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.9%

Aguadulce

$326 34.1% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$210 10.9%

Aguadulce

$207 21.6% 1.1% $2.3

Eating Out

Panama City

$206 10.7%

Aguadulce

$203 21.2% 1.4% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$143 7.4%

Aguadulce

$145 15.2% 1.8% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$60 3.1%

Aguadulce

$63 6.6% 5.2% $3.1

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Aguadulce

$13 * 1.3% 63% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Panama City vs $48 in Aguadulce for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $326 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇵🇦 Aguadulce

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

Same time as Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

8,501

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Panama City Aguadulce 140 km

From you

Panama City
Aguadulce

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 vs Aguadulce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguadulce wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Aguadulce the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,899 in Panama City and $1,437 in Aguadulce to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $545 in Panama City versus $548 in Aguadulce. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,932 per month in Panama City versus $958 in Aguadulce – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Aguadulce 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.