Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Gibsons, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,223 in Gibsons, BC, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Gibsons, BC
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Gibsons, BC Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Gibsons, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Gibsons, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,223 in Gibsons, BC.

Panama City $1,855
Gibsons, BC $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $3,142 in Gibsons, BC.

Panama City $2,804
Gibsons, BC $3,142

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $4,060 in Gibsons, BC.

Panama City $3,753
Gibsons, BC $4,060

Living in Panama City costs roughly 17% less than in Gibsons, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Gibsons, BC 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$14.17 CA$20.03

-17.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$46.32 CA$65.5

3.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$9.20 CA$13.01

-13.48%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.60 CA$5.09

17.22%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.04 CA$2.89

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.55 CA$2.19

0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$4.92 CA$6.96

-31.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$6.01 CA$8.50

-34.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$2.02 CA$2.86

-8.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.59 CA$3.67

-1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$3.08 CA$4.36

12.99%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.40 CA$4.81

-20.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.10 CA$12.86

38.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$10.13 CA$14.32

-32.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$16.04 CA$22.67

-34.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.84 CA$5.43

8.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.26 CA$1.78

45.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$3.76 CA$5.31

11.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$3.56 CA$5.03

13.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.50 CA$3.54

39.20%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.88 CA$2.65

124.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.10 CA$2.96

14.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.75 CA$2.48

-3.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$13.04 CA$18.44

-52.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$13.97 CA$19.75

-19.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.42 CA$3.43

-41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.80 CA$3.96

-2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.46 CA$3.47

-86.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$58.2 CA$82.2

-63.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$3.06 CA$4.32

-17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.25 CA$1.77

48.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$25.81 CA$36.48

-15.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.28 CA$1.81

-2.34%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$28.1K CA$39.7K

-24.43%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$16.5K CA$23.3K

27.72%

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

$130 PAB 130

$146 CA$207

-11.18%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$38.48 CA$54.4

-26.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$73.2 CA$103

-34.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$39.06 CA$55.2

17.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$19.18 CA$27.12

82.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$12.16 CA$17.19

-28.70%

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

$544 PAB 544

$811 CA$1,146

-32.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$13.6K CA$19.2K

-28.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$55.6 CA$78.6

20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$40.86 CA$57.8

20.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$75.8 CA$107

23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$117 CA$165

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,235 CA$1,746

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$1,115 CA$1,577

-21.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,909 CA$2,699

12.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,680 CA$2,375

-6.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$4,635 CA$6,553

-32.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$3,824 CA$5,407

-55.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$3,399 CA$4,806

-73.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.4

-0.16%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gibsons, BC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Gibsons, BC

$1.1K 50.2% 27.5% $240

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Gibsons, BC

$344 15.5% 5.8% $19

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Gibsons, BC

$235 10.6% 13.8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Gibsons, BC

$258 11.6% 25% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Gibsons, BC

$130 5.9% 10.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Gibsons, BC

$63 2.9% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Gibsons, BC

$77 3.5% 125% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $1,235 in Gibsons, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gibsons, BC pays 271% 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 $46.00 in Gibsons, BC. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $344, with Panama City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Gibsons, BC

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

12:22 12:22 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

4,800

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Gibsons, BC 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Gibsons, BC

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 Gibsons, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Gibsons, BC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Panama City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 271% lower in Gibsons, BC. 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: $1,257 in Panama City versus $1,235 in Gibsons, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $46.00 in Gibsons, BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,855 per month in Panama City versus $2,223 in Gibsons, BC – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,223 in Gibsons, BC, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Gibsons, BC. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Panama City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,855 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Panama City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Gibsons, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.