Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Florida

For one person, living is cheaper in Florida: $1,273 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,855
/mo nomad
Florida
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,273
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,273 in Florida, rent included.

  • Panama City $1,855
  • Florida $1,273

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,939 in Florida, rent included.

  • Panama City $2,804
  • Florida $1,939

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,606 in Florida, rent included.

  • Panama City $3,753
  • Florida $2,606

Panama City costs about 46% more than Florida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Florida is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Panama City
Florida
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 PAB 11.63
$12.75 UYU 512
-8.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.92 PAB 47.92
$42.81 UYU 1,718
11.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.96 PAB 7.96
$13.60 UYU 546
-41.47%
Cappuccino
$4.22 PAB 4.22
$4.80 UYU 193
-12.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 PAB 2.01
$2.35 UYU 94.2
-14.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 PAB 1.56
$2.21 UYU 88.6
-29.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 PAB 3.39
$2.91 UYU 117
16.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 PAB 3.94
$3.58 UYU 144
10.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Panama City
Florida
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 PAB 1.85
$1.05 UYU 42.16
76.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 PAB 2.56
$2.65 UYU 106
-3.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.48 PAB 3.48
$1.75 UYU 70.2
98.86%
Eggs
$2.69 PAB 2.69
$3.34 UYU 134
-19.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 PAB 12.57
$11.96 UYU 480
5.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.83 PAB 6.83
$11.64 UYU 467
-41.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.58 PAB 10.58
$11.71 UYU 470
-9.65%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 PAB 4.18
$2.94 UYU 118
42.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 PAB 1.83
$3.32 UYU 133
-44.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.20 PAB 4.20
$2.18 UYU 87.6
92.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 PAB 4.03
$4.08 UYU 164
-1.23%
Potato (1kg)
$3.48 PAB 3.48
$2.09 UYU 83.8
66.51%
Onion (1kg)
$4.22 PAB 4.22
$2.05 UYU 82.3
105.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 PAB 2.41
$1.54 UYU 61.8
56.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 PAB 1.69
$1.89 UYU 75.7
-10.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.14 PAB 6.14
$9.91 UYU 398
-38.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.30 PAB 11.30
$8.10 UYU 325
39.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 PAB 1.42
$3.08 UYU 124
-53.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 PAB 2.73
$3.33 UYU 134
-18.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Panama City
Florida
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 PAB 0.33
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.23 PAB 21.23
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.52 PAB 2.52
$3.56 UYU 143
-29.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 PAB 1.86
$3.51 UYU 141
-47.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.78 PAB 21.78
$10.03 UYU 402
117.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 PAB 1.25
$1.79 UYU 71.9
-30.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K PAB 21.2K
$35.6K UYU 1.4M
-40.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K PAB 21.0K
$39.4K UYU 1.6M
-46.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Panama City
Florida
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 PAB 130
$114 UYU 4,588
13.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.13 PAB 28.13
$23.69 UYU 951
18.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.21 PAB 48.21
$47.45 UYU 1,904
1.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Panama City
Florida
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.78 PAB 45.78
$43.81 UYU 1,758
4.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.92 PAB 34.92
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.67 PAB 8.67
$7.34 UYU 295
18.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Panama City
Florida
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$544 PAB 544
$489 UYU 19.6K
11.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,697 PAB 9,697
$6,635 UYU 266.3K
46.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Panama City
Florida
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.8 PAB 66.8
$44.11 UYU 1,770
51.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.14 PAB 49.14
$37.56 UYU 1,508
30.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.9 PAB 93.9
$72.9 UYU 2,927
28.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 PAB 112
$85.5 UYU 3,433
30.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Panama City
Florida
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,257 PAB 1,257
$503 UYU 20.2K
150.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$875 PAB 875
$332 UYU 13.3K
163.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 PAB 2,155
$865 UYU 34.7K
149.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,564 PAB 1,564
$552 UYU 22.2K
183.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,122 PAB 3,122
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,709 PAB 1,709
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Panama City
Florida
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$916 PAB 916
$794 UYU 31.9K
15.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.39
15
-57.40%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Florida: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Panama City
$875
Florida
$332 62.1% $543
Groceries & Markets
Panama City
$325
Florida
$328 0.8% $2.6
Eating Out
Panama City
$207
Florida
$240 16.3% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Panama City
$206
Florida
$185 10% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Panama City
$145
Florida
$108 25.3% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Panama City
$63
Florida
$58 7.3% $4.6
Getting Around
Panama City
$34
Florida
$21 * 38.6% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $503 in Florida. 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 15% higher in Panama 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 $43.00 in Florida. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Panama City vs $328 in Florida – so Panama City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇦 Panama City
🇺🇾 Florida
🕒 Local time
00:39 12:39 AM
02:39 2:39 AM
2 h ahead of Panama City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,086,990 Capital
33,640
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

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).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Panama City Florida 5,380 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Panama City
  • Florida

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 Florida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Panama City and in Florida compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,855 in Panama City, $1,273 in Florida – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Panama City compared to Florida?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $1,910 in Florida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Panama City and Florida?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Florida, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Panama City or Florida?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,855 in Panama City and $1,273 in Florida. That's a gap of about 46%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Panama City and Florida?
Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $489 in Florida. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Florida, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Florida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Panama City and Florida?
It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,273 in Florida to $1,855 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Panama City and Florida?
If budget matters most, go with Florida. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Panama City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?