Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $5,131 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $39,500 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
249

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇧🇲 Bermuda

$5,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $5,131 in Hamilton, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Hamilton $5,131

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $9,033 in Hamilton, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Hamilton $9,033

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $12.9K in Hamilton, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Hamilton $12.9K

Panama City is about 64% cheaper than Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panama City and Hamilton sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Hamilton by 283%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$49.07 BMD 49.07

-76.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$153 BMD 153

-68.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$17.07 BMD 17.07

-52.72%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$6.34 BMD 6.34

-36.59%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$2.98 BMD 2.98

-34.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$3.17 BMD 3.17

-48.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$7.43 BMD 7.43

-56.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$9.07 BMD 9.07

-56.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$4.79 BMD 4.79

-61.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$8.18 BMD 8.18

-68.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$5.45 BMD 5.45

-38.90%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$7.23 BMD 7.23

-62.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$23.76 BMD 23.76

-48.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$21.05 BMD 21.05

-68.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$19.59 BMD 19.59

-46.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$8.86 BMD 8.86

-53.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$6.75 BMD 6.75

-72.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$7.34 BMD 7.34

-43.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$8.53 BMD 8.53

-52.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$5.57 BMD 5.57

-37.16%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$4.11 BMD 4.11

6.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$6.33 BMD 6.33

-63.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$3.43 BMD 3.43

-48.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$17.91 BMD 17.91

-66.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$24.06 BMD 24.06

-51.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$5.18 BMD 5.18

-73.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$4.31 BMD 4.31

-34.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$5.14 BMD 5.14

-93.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$69.1 BMD 69.1

-69.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$6.39 BMD 6.39

-60.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$2.91 BMD 2.91

-38.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$70.7 BMD 70.7

-68.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$2.36 BMD 2.36

-47.03%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$38.2K BMD 38.2K

-43.62%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$43.3K BMD 43.3K

-51.04%

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

$131 PAB 131

$293 BMD 293

-55.22%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$151 BMD 151

-81.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$163 BMD 163

-70.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$189 BMD 189

-75.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$14.76 BMD 14.76

137.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$13.58 BMD 13.58

-35.71%

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

$551 PAB 551

$1,307 BMD 1,307

-57.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$25.3K BMD 25.3K

-62.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$90.1 BMD 90.1

-24.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$70.1 BMD 70.1

-31.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$140 BMD 140

-32.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$130 BMD 130

-13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$3,943 BMD 3,943

-68.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$2,641 BMD 2,641

-66.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$8,560 BMD 8,560

-74.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$7,447 BMD 7,447

-79.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$15.1K BMD 15.1K

-79.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$8,947 BMD 8,947

-80.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$6,487 BMD 6,487

-85.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

8.63

-25.96%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Hamilton

$2.6K 51.6% 202% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Hamilton

$747 14.6% 130% $422

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Hamilton

$607 11.9% 192% $399

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Hamilton

$600 11.7% 197% $398

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Hamilton

$194 3.8% 33% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Hamilton

$216 4.2% 240% $152

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Hamilton

$111 2.2% 227% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $3,943 in Hamilton. 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 594% higher in Hamilton, 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 $153 in Hamilton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $747 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇲 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

10,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Bermudian Dollar BMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 BMD = 1 USD

1 BMD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BMD, 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).

Bermudian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BMD (1 BMD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BMD (1 BMD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Hamilton 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Panama City, $5,131 in Hamilton – roughly 179% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Panama City and $7,696 in Hamilton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panama City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $153 in Hamilton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Panama City and $5,131 in Hamilton. That's a gap of about 179%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Hamilton at $5,131. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamilton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Panama City to $5,131 in Hamilton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamilton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.