Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Cathedral City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Cathedral City, CA

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 Cathedral City, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA.

Panama City $1,857
Cathedral City, CA $2,593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $3,761 in Cathedral City, CA.

Panama City $2,815
Cathedral City, CA $3,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $4,929 in Cathedral City, CA.

Panama City $3,773
Cathedral City, CA $4,929

Living in Panama City costs roughly 28% less than in Cathedral City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Cathedral City, CA 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$18.94 $18.94

-38.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$74.2 $74.2

-35.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$11.12 $11.12

-26.98%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$4.94 $4.94

-14.37%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$2.62 $2.62

-26.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$1.95 $1.95

-18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$6.02 $6.02

-45.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$7.09 $7.09

-43.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.01 $1.01

90.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$3.43 $3.43

-23.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$4.41 $4.41

-23.13%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$4.12 $4.12

-35.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$12.05 $12.05

1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$11.62 $11.62

-40.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$15.70 $15.70

-32.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$5.01 $5.01

-16.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.63 $1.63

20.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$4.13 $4.13

-1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.57 $4.57

-8.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$2.79 $2.79

24.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$2.75 $2.75

54.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$2.03 $2.03

20.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$2.18 $2.18

-22.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$9.33 $9.33

-37.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$13.89 $13.89

-17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.83 $1.83

-24.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$3.33 $3.33

-17.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.98 $1.98

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$3.42 $3.42

-25.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.58 $1.58

12.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$29.37 $29.37

-24.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$0.89 $0.89

39.33%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$29.3K $29.3K

-16.82%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$25.1K $25.1K

-15.24%

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

$131 PAB 131

$186 $186

-29.50%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$53.1 $53.1

-47.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$68.3 $68.3

-27.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$42.44 $42.44

7.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$13.60 $13.60

-37.72%

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

$553 PAB 553

$1,315 $1,315

-57.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$23.3K $23.3K

-58.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$50.4 $50.4

31.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$39.39 $39.39

20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$85.8 $85.8

11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$113 $113

-0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$1,592 $1,592

-16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$1,374 $1,374

-36.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$2,622 $2,622

-17.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$2,223 $2,223

-28.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$2,814 $2,814

10.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$2,417 $2,417

-29.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

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: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cathedral City, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Cathedral City, CA

$1.4K 53% 57.1% $500

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Cathedral City, CA

$386 14.9% 18.1% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.9% 47.6% $99

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Cathedral City, CA

$307 11.8% 48.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5% 10.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7% 11.2% $7

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Cathedral City, CA

$19 * 0.7% 42.4% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $386 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

12:52 12:52 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

51,493

💱 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 October 20, 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 October 20, 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 Cathedral City, CA 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Cathedral City, CA

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 Cathedral City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Cathedral City, CA differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,857 vs $2,593 including rent). Panama City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,786 in Panama City and $3,889 in Cathedral City, CA 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,322 in Panama City versus $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $553 in Panama City versus $1,315 in Cathedral City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,857 in Panama City versus $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Cathedral City, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Safety-wise, Panama City and Cathedral City, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cathedral City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.