Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Dawson City

For one person, living costs are similar in Panama City and in Dawson City: $1,855 and $1,888 a month, rent and utilities included.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Dawson City
Learn more

Dawson City Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Dawson City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,888 in Dawson City, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Dawson City $1,888

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $3,267 in Dawson City, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Dawson City $3,267

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $4,647 in Dawson City, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Dawson City $4,647

Panama City is about 2% cheaper than Dawson City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Panama City and Dawson City sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Dawson City by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$24.14 CA$34.12

-51.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$102 CA$144

-52.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$10.41 CA$14.71

-23.54%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.74 CA$5.29

12.83%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.78 CA$2.52

12.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.57 CA$2.22

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$5.19 CA$7.34

-34.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$5.55 CA$7.84

-29.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$2.62 CA$3.70

-29.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$4.11 CA$5.81

-37.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$4.95 CA$6.99

-29.70%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$5.00 CA$7.06

-46.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.66 CA$13.66

30.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$14.61 CA$20.65

-53.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$14.38 CA$20.33

-26.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.00 CA$5.65

4.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.48 CA$2.09

23.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$3.95 CA$5.59

6.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$4.06 CA$5.73

-0.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.43 CA$3.43

43.21%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.21 CA$3.12

90.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.42 CA$3.42

-0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.55 CA$2.19

9.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$14.27 CA$20.17

-56.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$12.76 CA$18.05

-11.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.52 CA$3.57

-43.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.97 CA$4.20

-8.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.98 CA$2.80

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$61.4 CA$86.8

-65.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$3.23 CA$4.57

-21.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.64 CA$2.32

13.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$23.68 CA$33.48

-8.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.18 CA$1.67

5.93%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$27.9K CA$39.5K

-23.97%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$18.0K CA$25.5K

16.64%

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

$130 PAB 130

$136 CA$193

-4.80%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$37.51 CA$53.0

-25.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$53.3 CA$75.4

-9.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$41.06 CA$58.1

11.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$17.56 CA$24.82

98.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$12.54 CA$17.73

-30.86%

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

$544 PAB 544

$848 CA$1,199

-35.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$12.6K CA$17.8K

-22.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$63.2 CA$89.4

5.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$37.70 CA$53.3

30.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$66.3 CA$93.7

41.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$100 CA$142

11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,224 CA$1,730

2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$672 CA$951

30.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,931 CA$2,729

11.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,710 CA$2,418

-8.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$4,427 CA$6,258

-29.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$3,172 CA$4,484

-46.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$2,819 CA$3,986

-67.51%

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 Dawson City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Dawson City

$672 35.6% 23.1% $202

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Dawson City

$401 21.3% 23.4% $76

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Dawson City

$320 16.9% 54.7% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Dawson City

$227 12% 10.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Dawson City

$120 6.4% 16.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Dawson City

$66 3.5% 4.8% $3

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Dawson City

$81 4.3% 135% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $1,224 in Dawson City. 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 208% higher in Dawson City, 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 $102 in Dawson City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $401 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Dawson City

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

11:45 11:45 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

1,375

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Dawson City 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Dawson City

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 Dawson City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dawson City is pricier by about 2%, 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 $2,832 in Dawson City. 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.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $848 in Dawson City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Dawson City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,855, than in Dawson City at $1,888. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dawson City 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, Dawson City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.