Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Fukuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,307 a month against $1,932 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Fukuoka
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Fukuoka Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,932

/mo nomad

Fukuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,932 per month in Panama City vs $1,307 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Panama City $1,932
Fukuoka $1,307

A couple spends around $2,887 per month in Panama City vs $2,031 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Panama City $2,887
Fukuoka $2,031

A family of three spends $3,841 per month in Panama City vs $2,754 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Panama City $3,841
Fukuoka $2,754

Panama City costs about 48% more than Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Panama City sits 42% above the global median, while Fukuoka is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$7.33 ¥1,158

59.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.74 PAB 46.74

$43.83 ¥6,920

6.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$5.97 ¥942

33.67%

Cappuccino

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.72 ¥587

12.37%

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

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.06 ¥167

83.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 PAB 1.64

$0.75 ¥118

118.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$3.85 ¥608

-15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 PAB 3.90

$2.16 ¥340

80.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PAB 1.91

$1.55 ¥245

23.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 PAB 2.54

$1.83 ¥288

38.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 PAB 3.37

$6.43 ¥1,015

-47.59%

Eggs

$2.82 PAB 2.82

$2.30 ¥364

22.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 PAB 12.60

$18.19 ¥2,872

-30.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 PAB 6.71

$5.34 ¥843

25.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 PAB 10.53

$18.96 ¥2,994

-44.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 PAB 4.04

$3.62 ¥572

11.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.85 ¥293

4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 PAB 4.25

$2.83 ¥446

50.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.33 ¥526

25.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 PAB 3.32

$2.15 ¥339

54.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 PAB 4.34

$2.59 ¥409

67.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 PAB 2.40

$1.03 ¥162

133.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 PAB 1.71

$0.98 ¥154

74.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.05 PAB 6.05

$3.98 ¥628

52.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 PAB 11.38

$6.41 ¥1,012

77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 PAB 1.36

$1.71 ¥270

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 PAB 2.80

$1.92 ¥303

45.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 PAB 0.34

$1.29 ¥204

-73.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.28 PAB 21.28

$52.9 ¥8,352

-59.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$4.11 ¥649

-40.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$2.39 ¥377

-22.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.77 PAB 21.77

$17.92 ¥2,830

21.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$1.10 ¥174

9.09%

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

$24.8K PAB 24.8K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

11.74%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

41.04%

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

$132 PAB 132

$215 ¥33.9K

-38.44%

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

$28.34 PAB 28.34

$25.33 ¥4,000

11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 PAB 48.88

$34.10 ¥5,384

43.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.02 PAB 43.02

$48.11 ¥7,597

-10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.94 PAB 34.94

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 PAB 8.43

$12.61 ¥1,990

-33.15%

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

$545 PAB 545

$702 ¥110.9K

-22.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,648 PAB 9,648

$12.4K ¥2.0M

-21.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$48.84 ¥7,712

34.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.25 PAB 47.25

$26.49 ¥4,182

78.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 PAB 94.6

$65.8 ¥10.4K

43.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 PAB 110

$47.48 ¥7,497

131.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 PAB 1,407

$523 ¥82.6K

168.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 PAB 954

$332 ¥52.4K

187.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 PAB 2,272

$1,173 ¥185.2K

93.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 PAB 1,662

$709 ¥112.0K

134.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,057 PAB 3,057

$4,674 ¥737.9K

-34.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,729 PAB 1,729

$2,568 ¥405.5K

-32.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$1,647 ¥260.1K

-44.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

1.97

224.37%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 27, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$954 49.3%

Fukuoka

$332 25.4% 65.2% $622

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.9%

Fukuoka

$317 24.2% 2.8% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$210 10.9%

Fukuoka

$274 21% 31% $65

Eating Out

Panama City

$206 10.7%

Fukuoka

$152 11.6% 26.4% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$143 7.4%

Fukuoka

$85 6.5% 40.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$60 3.1%

Fukuoka

$73 5.6% 22.4% $13

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Fukuoka

$74 5.7% 116% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Panama City versus $523 in Fukuoka. 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 80% higher in Fukuoka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Panama City versus $44 in Fukuoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $317 – making Fukuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇯🇵 Fukuoka

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

08:09 8:09 AM

14 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

1,612,392

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.898 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 PAB (1 PAB = 0.898 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Fukuoka 14,320 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Fukuoka

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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,932 in Panama City, $1,307 in Fukuoka – Fukuoka comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,899 per month in Panama City and $1,961 in Fukuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fukuoka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $523 there versus $1,407 in Panama City.

Kindergarten costs $545 per month in Panama City and $702 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Panama City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fukuoka costs $1,307 versus $1,932 in Panama City. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.