Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Artesia, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,398 in Artesia, NM, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Artesia, NM
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Artesia, NM Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Artesia, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Artesia, NM

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 Artesia, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,972 in Panama City versus $2,398 in Artesia, NM.

Panama City $1,972
Artesia, NM $2,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,930 in Panama City versus $3,235 in Artesia, NM.

Panama City $2,930
Artesia, NM $3,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,888 in Panama City versus $4,071 in Artesia, NM.

Panama City $3,888
Artesia, NM $4,071

Living in Panama City costs roughly 18% less than in Artesia, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 46% above, Artesia, NM 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 PAB 11.37

$16.23 $16.23

-29.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.69 PAB 46.69

$47.57 $47.57

-1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$11.84 $11.84

-32.60%

Cappuccino

$4.12 PAB 4.12

$6.24 $6.24

-33.97%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.33 $2.33

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 PAB 1.57

$1.59 $1.59

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 PAB 3.28

$6.04 $6.04

-45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$6.99 $6.99

-44.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PAB 1.82

$0.82 $0.82

121.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PAB 2.61

$2.88 $2.88

-9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 PAB 3.45

$2.47 $2.47

39.68%

Eggs

$2.68 PAB 2.68

$3.40 $3.40

-21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 PAB 12.42

$11.83 $11.83

4.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 PAB 6.73

$11.56 $11.56

-41.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 PAB 10.44

$12.92 $12.92

-19.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PAB 4.21

$3.53 $3.53

19.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.41 $1.41

38.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$2.50 $2.50

62.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$3.60 $3.60

11.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 PAB 3.46

$2.16 $2.16

60.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 PAB 4.42

$2.73 $2.73

61.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$1.77 $1.77

37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PAB 1.72

$1.64 $1.64

4.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 PAB 6.04

$9.91 $9.91

-39.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$9.34 $9.34

25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 PAB 1.41

$2.10 $2.10

-32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 PAB 2.74

$4.87 $4.87

-43.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.85 $1.85

-82.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

$58.9 $58.9

-64.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 PAB 2.45

$1.70 $1.70

44.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 PAB 1.76

$1.36 $1.36

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.86 PAB 21.86

$26.83 $26.83

-18.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$0.96 $0.96

25.00%

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

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

$27.0K $27.0K

-9.00%

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

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

-18.72%

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

$132 PAB 132

$147 $147

-10.51%

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

$27.89 PAB 27.89

$72.1 $72.1

-61.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 PAB 49.10

$66.9 $66.9

-26.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 PAB 44.53

$40.20 $40.20

10.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 PAB 8.70

$7.79 $7.79

11.68%

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

$537 PAB 537

$696 $696

-22.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

$11.9K $11.9K

72.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$37.18 $37.18

76.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.45 PAB 48.45

$36.45 $36.45

32.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 PAB 95.4

$85.4 $85.4

11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 PAB 114

$81.4 $81.4

39.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 PAB 1,405

$1,518 $1,518

-7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 PAB 994

$1,249 $1,249

-20.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 PAB 2,221

$2,107 $2,107

5.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 PAB 1,714

$1,623 $1,623

5.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 PAB 3,139

$2,838 $2,838

10.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 PAB 1,724

$2,361 $2,361

-26.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

$3,513 $3,513

-73.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.51

-1.84%

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

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Artesia, NM: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$994 50.4%

Artesia, NM

$1.2K 52.1% 25.6% $255

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.5%

Artesia, NM

$324 13.5% 0.4% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$209 10.6%

Artesia, NM

$286 11.9% 37.1% $77

Eating Out

Panama City

$203 10.3%

Artesia, NM

$300 12.5% 47.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.4%

Artesia, NM

$108 4.5% 25.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$62 3.1%

Artesia, NM

$56 2.3% 9.9% $6.1

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.7%

Artesia, NM

$75 3.1% 125% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,405 in Panama City and $1,518 in Artesia, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Artesia, NM pays about 3.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Panama City vs $48 in Artesia, NM. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $324, with Artesia, NM cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Artesia, NM

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

16,522

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Artesia, NM 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Artesia, NM

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 Artesia, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Artesia, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Panama City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Panama City. 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: $1,405 in Panama City versus $1,518 in Artesia, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,972 per month in Panama City versus $2,398 in Artesia, NM – Panama City is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 65% less than in Artesia, NM. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Panama City wins on affordability, Artesia, NM on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.