Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Fredericton

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,008 in Fredericton, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Fredericton
Learn more

Fredericton Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Fredericton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $2,008 in Fredericton.

Panama City $1,837
Fredericton $2,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $3,000 in Fredericton.

Panama City $2,825
Fredericton $3,000

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $3,992 in Fredericton.

Panama City $3,812
Fredericton $3,992

Living in Panama City costs roughly 8% less than in Fredericton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Fredericton 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$15.53 CA$22.14

-26.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$62.6 CA$89.3

-23.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$12.60 CA$17.96

-35.95%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$3.93 CA$5.60

2.29%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$2.67 CA$3.81

-27.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$2.08 CA$2.97

-22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$5.30 CA$7.56

-38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$4.77 CA$6.80

-16.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.74 CA$2.48

5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.75 CA$3.92

-6.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$2.53 CA$3.60

31.62%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.75 CA$5.34

-28.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$11.28 CA$16.07

9.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$9.91 CA$14.13

-32.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$10.14 CA$14.45

2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$4.56 CA$6.50

-8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.58 CA$2.25

16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.52 CA$6.45

-7.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$5.29 CA$7.54

-22.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$2.54 CA$3.62

37.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$1.53 CA$2.19

185.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$2.11 CA$3.00

10.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.63 CA$2.32

7.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$11.24 CA$16.02

-46.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$12.11 CA$17.26

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$3.01 CA$4.29

-54.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$4.56 CA$6.50

-37.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$2.13 CA$3.04

-83.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$55.9 CA$79.7

-62.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.77 CA$3.95

-9.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.35 CA$1.93

32.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$20.72 CA$29.53

6.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.26 CA$1.80

-0.79%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$27.4K CA$39.0K

-21.30%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$19.1K CA$27.3K

10.75%

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

$131 PAB 131

$126 CA$180

3.77%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$70.6 CA$101

-60.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$68.9 CA$98.3

-29.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$39.53 CA$56.3

16.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$24.80 CA$35.35

41.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$10.54 CA$15.02

-17.17%

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

$551 PAB 551

$577 CA$823

-4.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$1,714 CA$2,444

457.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$48.45 CA$69.1

39.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$39.03 CA$55.6

23.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$75.8 CA$108

25.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$82.2 CA$117

37.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$1,144 CA$1,631

8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$836 CA$1,192

4.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$1,823 CA$2,599

20.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$1,467 CA$2,090

4.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$1,873 CA$2,670

66.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,842 CA$2,626

-6.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$2,328 CA$3,318

-59.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.77

33.96%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Fredericton: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Fredericton

$836 42.7% 4.2% $37

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Fredericton

$348 17.8% 7.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Fredericton

$266 13.6% 28.2% $59

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Fredericton

$264 13.5% 31% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Fredericton

$110 5.6% 24.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Fredericton

$61 3.1% 4.7% $3

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Fredericton

$74 3.8% 119% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Panama City and $1,144 in Fredericton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredericton pays 149% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $63.0 in Fredericton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $348 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Fredericton

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

11:41 11:41 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

56,224

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Fredericton 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Fredericton

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 Fredericton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 149% lower in Fredericton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,238 in Panama City versus $1,144 in Fredericton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 167% less than in Fredericton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $551 in Panama City versus $577 in Fredericton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,837 in Panama City versus $2,008 in Fredericton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Fredericton. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Panama City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fredericton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Fredericton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.