Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Creston

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,094 in Creston, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Creston
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Creston Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Creston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,094

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $2,094 in Creston, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Creston $2,094

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $3,206 in Creston, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Creston $3,206

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $4,318 in Creston, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Creston $4,318

Panama City is about 11% cheaper than Creston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Panama City and Creston sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Creston by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$17.22 CA$24.34

-32.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$65.8 CA$93.0

-27.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$11.38 CA$16.08

-30.05%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$4.05 CA$5.73

4.20%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.96 CA$2.76

2.55%

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

$5.09 CA$7.20

-33.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$4.80 CA$6.78

-17.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$2.01 CA$2.84

-7.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.88 CA$4.06

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$3.16 CA$4.47

10.13%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$4.25 CA$6.00

-36.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.81 CA$13.87

28.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$10.10 CA$14.28

-32.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$14.57 CA$20.59

-27.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.76 CA$5.32

11.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.31 CA$1.85

39.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$3.35 CA$4.73

25.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$3.97 CA$5.61

1.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.16 CA$3.05

61.11%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.33 CA$3.29

81.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.50 CA$3.53

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.39 CA$1.96

21.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$12.86 CA$18.18

-52.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$14.25 CA$20.15

-20.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.22 CA$3.14

-36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$3.02 CA$4.27

-9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.08 CA$2.95

-84.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$53.4 CA$75.5

-60.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.90 CA$4.11

-13.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.41 CA$1.99

31.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$22.72 CA$32.11

-4.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.12 CA$1.59

11.61%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$24.2K CA$34.2K

-12.18%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$18.7K CA$26.5K

12.20%

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

$130 PAB 130

$132 CA$186

-1.55%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$37.43 CA$52.9

-24.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$53.4 CA$75.5

-9.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$37.37 CA$52.8

22.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$19.25 CA$27.22

81.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$11.10 CA$15.69

-21.89%

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

$544 PAB 544

$705 CA$996

-22.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$13.1K CA$18.5K

-25.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$53.4 CA$75.5

25.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$43.30 CA$61.2

13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$92.9 CA$131

0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$105 CA$149

6.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,141 CA$1,613

10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$993 CA$1,403

-11.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,934 CA$2,734

11.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,812 CA$2,561

-13.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$3,677 CA$5,198

-15.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$3,646 CA$5,155

-53.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.66

37.12%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Creston: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Creston

$993 47.4% 13.5% $118

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Creston

$345 16.5% 6.2% $20

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Creston

$270 12.9% 30.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Creston

$223 10.6% 8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Creston

$133 6.3% 8.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Creston

$60 2.8% 5.6% $3.5

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Creston

$72 3.4% 108% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $1,141 in Creston. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $66.0 in Creston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $345 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Creston

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

11:47 11:47 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

5,583

💱 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 Creston 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Creston

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 Creston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Creston is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $3,141 in Creston. 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. 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 $2,094 in Creston. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 151% less in Panama City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,855, than in Creston at $2,094. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Creston 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Creston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.