Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Dartmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Dartmouth
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Dartmouth Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Dartmouth $1,993

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $2,990 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Dartmouth $2,990

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $3,987 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Dartmouth $3,987

Panama City is about 7% cheaper than Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Panama City and Dartmouth sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Dartmouth by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$10.55 CA$15.00

10.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$58.5 CA$83.2

-18.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$6.96 CA$9.89

14.37%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.56 CA$5.07

18.54%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.00 CA$2.84

0.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.88 CA$2.68

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$4.45 CA$6.33

-23.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$5.70 CA$8.10

-30.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$2.38 CA$3.38

-22.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.04 CA$2.91

25.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$3.31 CA$4.71

5.14%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.49 CA$4.96

-22.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$7.64 CA$10.86

64.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$9.18 CA$13.05

-25.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.37 CA$14.74

2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.38 CA$4.80

23.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.52 CA$2.16

20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$4.47 CA$6.36

-6.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$5.75 CA$8.17

-29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.03 CA$2.88

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.11 CA$3.00

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.48 CA$3.53

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$2.13 CA$3.02

-20.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$13.95 CA$19.83

-55.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$14.17 CA$20.15

-20.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$3.35 CA$4.77

-57.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$3.87 CA$5.50

-29.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.97 CA$2.80

-83.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$59.6 CA$84.7

-64.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.76 CA$3.92

-8.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.32 CA$1.87

40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$21.34 CA$30.34

2.06%

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

$28.0K CA$39.8K

-24.07%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$18.9K CA$26.8K

11.44%

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

$130 PAB 130

$77.5 CA$110

67.64%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$41.92 CA$59.6

-32.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$63.3 CA$90.0

-23.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$35.19 CA$50.0

30.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$12.41 CA$17.64

-30.14%

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

$544 PAB 544

$373 CA$530

45.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$13.2K CA$18.8K

-26.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$39.41 CA$56.0

69.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$33.13 CA$47.11

48.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$66.7 CA$94.8

40.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$74.6 CA$106

49.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,215 CA$1,727

3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$1,037 CA$1,475

-15.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,956 CA$2,781

10.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,818 CA$2,585

-13.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$2,539 CA$3,610

-63.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.6

38.91%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Dartmouth

$1K 52.1% 18.5% $162

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Dartmouth

$343 17.2% 5.4% $17

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Dartmouth

$197 9.9% 4.6% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Dartmouth

$183 9.2% 11.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Dartmouth

$96 4.8% 33.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Dartmouth

$60 3% 4.9% $3.1

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Dartmouth

$77 3.9% 123% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $1,215 in Dartmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 177% higher in Dartmouth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $58.0 in Dartmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $343 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Dartmouth

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

70,000

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Dartmouth 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Dartmouth

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 Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,855 in Panama City, $1,993 in Dartmouth – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $2,989 in Dartmouth. 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 $1,993 in Dartmouth. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 181% 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 Dartmouth at $1,993. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dartmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,855 in Panama City to $1,993 in Dartmouth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dartmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.