Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Hamilton, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,220 in Hamilton, MT, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. The total is higher in Hamilton, MT despite lower rent and utilities.

95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton, MT
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Hamilton, MT Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Hamilton, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,220

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,972 per month in Panama City vs $2,220 in Hamilton, MT, rent included.

Panama City $1,972
Hamilton, MT $2,220

A couple spends around $2,930 per month in Panama City vs $3,644 in Hamilton, MT, rent included.

Panama City $2,930
Hamilton, MT $3,644

A family of three spends $3,888 per month in Panama City vs $5,068 in Hamilton, MT, rent included.

Panama City $3,888
Hamilton, MT $5,068

Panama City is about 11% cheaper than Hamilton, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Panama City and Hamilton, MT sit above the global median – Panama City by 46%, Hamilton, MT by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 PAB 11.37

$37.54 $37.54

-69.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.69 PAB 46.69

$69.0 $69.0

-32.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$11.34 $11.34

-29.63%

Cappuccino

$4.12 PAB 4.12

$5.25 $5.25

-21.52%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.71 $2.71

-25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 PAB 1.57

$1.98 $1.98

-20.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 PAB 3.28

$6.12 $6.12

-46.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$7.06 $7.06

-45.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PAB 1.82

$0.99 $0.99

83.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PAB 2.61

$3.49 $3.49

-25.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 PAB 3.45

$4.56 $4.56

-24.34%

Eggs

$2.68 PAB 2.68

$4.18 $4.18

-35.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 PAB 12.42

$12.30 $12.30

0.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 PAB 6.73

$12.43 $12.43

-45.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 PAB 10.44

$19.15 $19.15

-45.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PAB 4.21

$5.96 $5.96

-29.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.29 $1.29

51.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$3.84 $3.84

5.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$4.63 $4.63

-13.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 PAB 3.46

$2.77 $2.77

24.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 PAB 4.42

$3.39 $3.39

30.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$2.10 $2.10

15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PAB 1.72

$2.18 $2.18

-21.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 PAB 6.04

$10.94 $10.94

-44.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$15.18 $15.18

-23.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 PAB 1.41

$2.13 $2.13

-33.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 PAB 2.74

$3.51 $3.51

-21.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.03 $2.03

-83.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

$62.3 $62.3

-66.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 PAB 2.45

$3.13 $3.13

-21.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 PAB 1.76

$1.83 $1.83

-3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.86 PAB 21.86

$32.18 $32.18

-32.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$1.03 $1.03

16.50%

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

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

$29.6K $29.6K

-16.96%

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

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-20.15%

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

$132 PAB 132

$202 $202

-34.72%

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

$27.89 PAB 27.89

$58.9 $58.9

-52.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 PAB 49.10

$89.5 $89.5

-45.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 PAB 44.53

$40.28 $40.28

10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 PAB 8.70

$13.00 $13.00

-33.08%

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

$537 PAB 537

$1,307 $1,307

-58.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

$22.7K $22.7K

-9.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$53.0 $53.0

24.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.45 PAB 48.45

$47.47 $47.47

2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 PAB 95.4

$88.2 $88.2

8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 PAB 114

$115 $115

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 PAB 1,405

$1,172 $1,172

19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 PAB 994

$713 $713

39.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 PAB 2,221

$2,379 $2,379

-6.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 PAB 1,714

$1,802 $1,802

-4.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 PAB 3,139

$2,261 $2,261

38.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 PAB 1,724

$2,356 $2,356

-26.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

$3,528 $3,528

-73.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

7.29

-12.35%

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

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Hamilton, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$994 50.4%

Hamilton, MT

$713 32.1% 28.3% $281

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.5%

Hamilton, MT

$410 18.5% 25.9% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$209 10.6%

Hamilton, MT

$350 15.8% 67.8% $141

Eating Out

Panama City

$203 10.3%

Hamilton, MT

$461 20.8% 127% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.4%

Hamilton, MT

$137 6.2% 6.1% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$62 3.1%

Hamilton, MT

$66 3% 7% $4.4

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.7%

Hamilton, MT

$83 3.7% 149% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,405 in Panama City versus $1,172 in Hamilton, MT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hamilton, MT are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Panama City versus $69 in Hamilton, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $410 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Hamilton, MT

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

62,447

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Hamilton, MT 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Hamilton, MT

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, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,972 in Panama City, $2,220 in Hamilton, MT – Panama City comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,958 per month in Panama City and $3,330 in Hamilton, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hamilton, MT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,172 there versus $1,405 in Panama City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,972 in Panama City and $2,220 in Hamilton, MT. That makes Panama City about 11% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Panama City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,972 in Panama City and $2,220 in Hamilton, MT, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,972 in Panama City to $2,220 in Hamilton, MT. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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