Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Bathurst

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathurst: $1,735 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Panama City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Bathurst
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Bathurst Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Bathurst

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,735 in Bathurst, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Bathurst $1,735

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $2,012 in Bathurst, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Bathurst $2,012

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,289 in Bathurst, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Bathurst $2,289

Panama City costs about 7% more than Bathurst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Panama City and Bathurst sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Bathurst by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$16.04 CA$22.81

-27.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$41.48 CA$59.0

15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$11.34 CA$16.12

-29.81%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.36 CA$4.78

25.60%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.90 CA$2.70

5.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.56 CA$2.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$5.02 CA$7.14

-32.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$5.02 CA$7.14

-21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.76 CA$2.50

5.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.59 CA$3.69

-1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.47 CA$3.52

40.89%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.57 CA$5.08

-24.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.86 CA$15.44

15.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$9.22 CA$13.10

-25.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$6.33 CA$9.00

67.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.36 CA$6.20

-4.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.58 CA$2.24

15.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$4.57 CA$6.50

-8.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.88 CA$2.67

114.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.53 CA$3.59

37.55%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.49 CA$2.11

183.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.10 CA$2.98

14.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.62 CA$2.30

4.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$9.68 CA$13.77

-36.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$12.03 CA$17.10

-6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$3.13 CA$4.45

-54.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$4.39 CA$6.24

-37.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$3.43 CA$4.88

-90.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$61.8 CA$87.9

-65.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.87 CA$4.08

-12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.35 CA$1.92

37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$20.81 CA$29.58

4.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.20 CA$1.70

4.17%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$28.2K CA$40.1K

-24.68%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$18.8K CA$26.7K

12.07%

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

$130 PAB 130

$101 CA$143

28.84%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$68.9 CA$97.9

-59.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$60.0 CA$85.4

-19.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$44.21 CA$62.9

3.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$31.92 CA$45.39

9.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$9.03 CA$12.84

-3.99%

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

$544 PAB 544

$565 CA$803

-3.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$1,662 CA$2,363

483.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$48.48 CA$68.9

37.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$39.24 CA$55.8

25.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$75.8 CA$108

23.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$79.1 CA$113

40.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$724 CA$1,030

73.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$686 CA$976

27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$1,998 CA$2,841

-54.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.77

33.96%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bathurst: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Bathurst

$686 39.5% 21.6% $189

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Bathurst

$311 17.9% 4.3% $14

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Bathurst

$252 14.5% 21.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Bathurst

$230 13.2% 11.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Bathurst

$109 6.3% 24.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Bathurst

$62 3.6% 1.3% $0.8

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Bathurst

$85 4.9% 148% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $724 in Bathurst. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 118% higher in Bathurst, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $41.00 in Bathurst. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $311 – making Bathurst the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Bathurst

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

18:42 6:42 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

12,157

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Bathurst 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Bathurst

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 Bathurst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $2,603 in Bathurst. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bathurst, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,855 in Panama City and $1,735 in Bathurst. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 191% less in Bathurst. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bathurst, where all-in costs run around $1,735, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Bathurst it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bathurst – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bathurst. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.