Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and El Valle de Anton

For one person, living is cheaper in El Valle de Anton: $1,356 a month against $1,932 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in El Valle de Anton
Learn more

El Valle de Anton Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,932

/mo nomad

El Valle de Anton

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in El Valle de Anton

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 El Valle de Anton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,932 in Panama City versus $1,356 in El Valle de Anton.

Panama City $1,932
El Valle de Anton $1,356

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,887 in Panama City versus $2,116 in El Valle de Anton.

Panama City $2,887
El Valle de Anton $2,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,841 in Panama City versus $2,875 in El Valle de Anton.

Panama City $3,841
El Valle de Anton $2,875

Living in Panama City is roughly 42% more expensive than in El Valle de Anton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$11.66 PAB 11.66

0.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.74 PAB 46.74

$46.97 PAB 46.97

-0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$7.85 PAB 7.85

1.66%

Cappuccino

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.23 PAB 4.23

-1.18%

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

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.94 PAB 1.94

0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 PAB 1.64

$1.62 PAB 1.62

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$3.24 PAB 3.24

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 PAB 3.90

$3.95 PAB 3.95

-1.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PAB 1.91

$1.90 PAB 1.90

0.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 PAB 2.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 PAB 3.37

$3.51 PAB 3.51

-3.99%

Eggs

$2.82 PAB 2.82

$2.72 PAB 2.72

3.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 PAB 12.60

$12.30 PAB 12.30

2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 PAB 6.71

$6.58 PAB 6.58

1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 PAB 10.53

$10.71 PAB 10.71

-1.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 PAB 4.04

$4.02 PAB 4.02

0.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 PAB 4.25

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-0.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.05 PAB 4.05

3.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 PAB 3.32

$3.44 PAB 3.44

-3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 PAB 4.34

$4.29 PAB 4.29

1.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 PAB 2.40

$2.35 PAB 2.35

2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 PAB 1.71

$1.73 PAB 1.73

-1.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.05 PAB 6.05

$5.84 PAB 5.84

3.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 PAB 11.38

$11.54 PAB 11.54

-1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 PAB 1.36

$1.42 PAB 1.42

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 PAB 2.80

$2.75 PAB 2.75

1.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 PAB 0.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.28 PAB 21.28

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$2.45 PAB 2.45

-0.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.77 PAB 21.77

$22.23 PAB 22.23

-2.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-4.00%

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

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

$24.3K PAB 24.3K

1.77%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$20.7K PAB 20.7K

2.44%

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

$132 PAB 132

$133 PAB 133

-0.32%

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

$28.34 PAB 28.34

$27.67 PAB 27.67

2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 PAB 48.88

$48.27 PAB 48.27

1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.02 PAB 43.02

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.94 PAB 34.94

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 PAB 8.43

$8.53 PAB 8.53

-1.17%

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

$545 PAB 545

$535 PAB 535

1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,648 PAB 9,648

$9,776 PAB 9,776

-1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$67.7 PAB 67.7

-2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.25 PAB 47.25

$48.90 PAB 48.90

-3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 PAB 94.6

$93.9 PAB 93.9

0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 PAB 110

$112 PAB 112

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 PAB 1,407

$570 PAB 570

146.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 PAB 954

$443 PAB 443

115.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 PAB 2,272

$1,008 PAB 1,008

125.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 PAB 1,662

$861 PAB 861

92.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,057 PAB 3,057

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,729 PAB 1,729

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

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 27, 2026

Last update for El Valle de Anton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$954 49.3%

El Valle de Anton

$443 32.6% 53.6% $511

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.9%

El Valle de Anton

$325 24% 0.2% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$210 10.9%

El Valle de Anton

$209 15.4% 0.4% $0.8

Eating Out

Panama City

$206 10.7%

El Valle de Anton

$206 15.2% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$143 7.4%

El Valle de Anton

$145 10.7% 1.6% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$60 3.1%

El Valle de Anton

$17 * 1.3% 71.5% $43

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

El Valle de Anton

$12 * 0.9% 66% $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 $1,407 in Panama City and $570 in El Valle de Anton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Panama City vs $47 in El Valle de Anton. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $325, with El Valle de Anton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇵🇦 El Valle de Anton

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

Same time as Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

146

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City El Valle de Anton 76 km

From you

Panama City
El Valle de Anton

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 El Valle de Anton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Valle de Anton wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making El Valle de Anton the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,899 in Panama City and $2,034 in El Valle de Anton to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,407 in Panama City versus $570 in El Valle de Anton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $545 in Panama City versus $535 in El Valle de Anton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,932 per month in Panama City versus $1,356 in El Valle de Anton – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. El Valle de Anton is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.