Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Coquitlam

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,784 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
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Coquitlam Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,784 in Coquitlam.

Panama City $1,855
Coquitlam $2,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $3,921 in Coquitlam.

Panama City $2,804
Coquitlam $3,921

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $5,058 in Coquitlam.

Panama City $3,753
Coquitlam $5,058

Living in Panama City costs roughly 33% less than in Coquitlam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Coquitlam 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$16.08 CA$22.74

-27.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$69.3 CA$97.9

-30.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$10.46 CA$14.78

-23.90%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.77 CA$5.34

11.94%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.13 CA$3.01

-5.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.61 CA$2.27

-3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$5.67 CA$8.02

-40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$6.11 CA$8.64

-35.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.44 CA$2.04

28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.52 CA$3.56

1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.69 CA$3.80

29.37%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.88 CA$5.48

-30.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.59 CA$13.56

31.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$13.46 CA$19.02

-49.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$19.57 CA$27.66

-45.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.94 CA$5.57

6.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.38 CA$1.95

32.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$3.95 CA$5.59

6.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$4.07 CA$5.76

-0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.57 CA$2.22

121.66%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.75 CA$3.89

53.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.51 CA$3.54

-3.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.04 CA$1.47

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$15.62 CA$22.09

-60.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$11.70 CA$16.54

-3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.63 CA$3.72

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.88 CA$4.07

-5.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.22 CA$3.14

-85.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$74.4 CA$105

-71.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.68 CA$3.78

-5.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.37 CA$1.94

35.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$24.47 CA$34.59

-10.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.34 CA$1.90

-6.72%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$25.6K CA$36.3K

-17.18%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$18.6K CA$26.3K

13.21%

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

$130 PAB 130

$81.0 CA$114

60.34%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$35.50 CA$50.2

-20.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$52.5 CA$74.2

-8.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$20.62 CA$29.14

122.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$10.61 CA$15.00

229.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$10.31 CA$14.57

-15.91%

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

$544 PAB 544

$1,091 CA$1,542

-50.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$11.4K CA$16.1K

-14.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$57.2 CA$80.9

16.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$32.93 CA$46.55

49.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$94.8 CA$134

-0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$95.8 CA$135

16.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,941 CA$2,745

-35.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$1,734 CA$2,452

-49.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$3,462 CA$4,894

-37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$2,582 CA$3,651

-39.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$6,099 CA$8,623

-48.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$4,977 CA$7,036

-65.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$2,953 CA$4,175

-68.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.28

49.30%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Coquitlam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Coquitlam

$1.7K 62.3% 98.2% $859

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Coquitlam

$360 12.9% 10.7% $35

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Coquitlam

$261 9.4% 26.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Coquitlam

$169 6.1% 18.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Coquitlam

$126 4.5% 12.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Coquitlam

$41 1.5% 34.7% $22

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Coquitlam

$93 3.3% 170% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $1,941 in Coquitlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam pays 222% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $69.0 in Coquitlam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $360 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

148,625

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Coquitlam 6,010 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Coquitlam

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 Coquitlam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 222% lower in Coquitlam. 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: $1,257 in Panama City versus $1,941 in Coquitlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,855 per month in Panama City versus $2,784 in Coquitlam – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 250% less than in Coquitlam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,784 in Coquitlam, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Coquitlam. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Panama City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Coquitlam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Coquitlam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.