Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Bellingham, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,932 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,932

/mo nomad

Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,932 per month in Panama City vs $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Panama City $1,932
Bellingham, WA $3,010

A couple spends around $2,887 per month in Panama City vs $4,448 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Panama City $2,887
Bellingham, WA $4,448

A family of three spends $3,841 per month in Panama City vs $5,886 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Panama City $3,841
Bellingham, WA $5,886

Panama City is about 36% cheaper than Bellingham, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panama City and Bellingham, WA sit above the global median – Panama City by 42%, Bellingham, WA by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$24.70 $24.70

-52.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.74 PAB 46.74

$101 $101

-53.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$13.26 $13.26

-39.82%

Cappuccino

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$5.94 $5.94

-29.63%

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

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$3.16 $3.16

-38.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 PAB 1.64

$2.19 $2.19

-25.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$6.87 $6.87

-52.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 PAB 3.90

$6.90 $6.90

-43.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PAB 1.91

$1.13 $1.13

69.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 PAB 2.54

$3.82 $3.82

-33.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 PAB 3.37

$4.91 $4.91

-31.36%

Eggs

$2.82 PAB 2.82

$4.96 $4.96

-43.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 PAB 12.60

$18.80 $18.80

-32.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 PAB 6.71

$18.61 $18.61

-63.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 PAB 10.53

$23.00 $23.00

-54.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 PAB 4.04

$5.14 $5.14

-21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.89 $1.89

2.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 PAB 4.25

$5.32 $5.32

-20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$6.32 $6.32

-33.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 PAB 3.32

$3.61 $3.61

-8.03%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 PAB 4.34

$3.16 $3.16

37.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 PAB 2.40

$2.55 $2.55

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 PAB 1.71

$2.47 $2.47

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.05 PAB 6.05

$12.44 $12.44

-51.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 PAB 11.38

$14.95 $14.95

-23.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 PAB 1.36

$1.76 $1.76

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 PAB 2.80

$5.74 $5.74

-51.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 PAB 0.34

$1.99 $1.99

-82.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.28 PAB 21.28

$30.51 $30.51

-30.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$2.68 $2.68

-9.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.70 $1.70

8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.77 PAB 21.77

$30.27 $30.27

-28.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$1.44 $1.44

-16.67%

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

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

-9.94%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

-17.57%

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

$132 PAB 132

$217 $217

-39.03%

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

$28.34 PAB 28.34

$57.4 $57.4

-50.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 PAB 48.88

$81.3 $81.3

-39.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.02 PAB 43.02

$62.0 $62.0

-30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.94 PAB 34.94

$14.82 $14.82

135.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 PAB 8.43

$18.31 $18.31

-53.96%

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

$545 PAB 545

$1,125 $1,125

-51.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,648 PAB 9,648

$31.7K $31.7K

-69.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$80.5 $80.5

-18.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.25 PAB 47.25

$28.32 $28.32

66.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 PAB 94.6

$109 $109

-13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 PAB 110

$149 $149

-26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 PAB 1,407

$1,707 $1,707

-17.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 PAB 954

$1,458 $1,458

-34.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 PAB 2,272

$2,598 $2,598

-12.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 PAB 1,662

$2,347 $2,347

-29.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,057 PAB 3,057

$4,441 $4,441

-31.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,729 PAB 1,729

$3,925 $3,925

-55.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$4,391 $4,391

-79.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.68

-4.34%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$954 49.3%

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 52.9% $504

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.9%

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8% 54.9% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$210 10.9%

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8% 69.7% $146

Eating Out

Panama City

$206 10.7%

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6% 83.2% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$143 7.4%

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5% 15.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$60 3.1%

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3% 64.7% $39

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7% 44.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Panama City versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bellingham, WA are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Panama City versus $101 in Bellingham, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $505 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🕒 Local time

20:53 8:53 PM

18:53 6:53 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

91,482

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.898 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 PAB (1 PAB = 0.898 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Bellingham, WA 5,960 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Bellingham, WA costs about 56% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,899 per month in Panama City and $4,515 in Bellingham, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panama City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,407 there versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA.

Kindergarten costs $545 per month in Panama City and $1,125 in Bellingham, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Bellingham, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,932, than in Bellingham, WA at $3,010. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bellingham, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Panama City – 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 Panama City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bellingham, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.