Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Coronado

For one person, living is cheaper in Coronado: $1,349 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Coronado
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Coronado Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Coronado

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $1,349 in Coronado.

Panama City $1,855
Coronado $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $2,172 in Coronado.

Panama City $2,804
Coronado $2,172

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $2,996 in Coronado.

Panama City $3,753
Coronado $2,996

Living in Panama City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Coronado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Coronado 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$12.23 PAB 12.23

-4.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$55.3 PAB 55.3

-13.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$8.94 PAB 8.94

-10.96%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.83 PAB 3.83

10.18%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.23 PAB 1.23

63.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.92 PAB 0.92

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.02 PAB 1.02

232.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$2.57 PAB 2.57

53.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.59 PAB 1.59

61.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.36 PAB 2.36

13.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$11.62 PAB 11.62

8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$6.87 PAB 6.87

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$9.34 PAB 9.34

13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$0.90 PAB 0.90

103.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$2.97 PAB 2.97

41.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.88 PAB 2.88

39.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.83 PAB 1.83

90.16%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.86 PAB 1.86

126.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.54 PAB 2.54

-5.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$8.75 PAB 8.75

29.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$0.73 PAB 0.73

94.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$0.70 PAB 0.70

290.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.67 PAB 0.67

-50.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.49 PAB 1.49

69.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.49 PAB 1.49

24.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$0.94 PAB 0.94

32.98%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$33.3K PAB 33.3K

-36.92%

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

$130 PAB 130

$172 PAB 172

-24.47%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$21.06 PAB 21.06

33.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$58.8 PAB 58.8

-18.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$59.9 PAB 59.9

-23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$3.43 PAB 3.43

152.77%

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

$544 PAB 544

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$45.03 PAB 45.03

48.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$64.4 PAB 64.4

73.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$773 PAB 773

62.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$565 PAB 565

54.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,241 PAB 1,241

73.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,285 PAB 1,285

21.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,970 PAB 1,970

-13.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$443 PAB 443

106.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Coronado: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Coronado

$565 41.9% 35.5% $310

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Coronado

$216 * 16% 33.7% $110

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Coronado

$189 14% 8.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Coronado

$252 18.7% 22.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Coronado

$49 * 3.7% 65.9% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Coronado

$67 5% 5.8% $3.7

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Coronado

$12 * 0.9% 66.2% $23

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 $1,257 in Panama City and $773 in Coronado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 107% 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 $55.0 in Coronado. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $216, with Coronado cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇵🇦 Coronado

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

Same time as Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

1,444

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Panama City Coronado 63 km

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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 Coronado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Coronado wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Coronado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 107% higher in Panama City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,257 in Panama City versus $773 in Coronado. 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 $1,349 in Coronado – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,349 in Coronado versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Coronado but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Coronado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Coronado delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,349 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Coronado hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Panama City and Coronado 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 Coronado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.