Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and La Paz

For one person, living is cheaper in La Paz: $1,289 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
61

Cost of Living Index in La Paz
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La Paz Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

La Paz

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in La Paz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $1,289 in La Paz.

Panama City $1,837
La Paz $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $2,107 in La Paz.

Panama City $2,825
La Paz $2,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $2,926 in La Paz.

Panama City $3,812
La Paz $2,926

Living in Panama City is roughly 43% more expensive than in La Paz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, La Paz is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$10.11 MX$184

12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$56.2 MX$1,022

-14.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$8.18 MX$149

-1.34%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$3.19 MX$58.1

26.02%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.77 MX$32.24

9.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$1.00 MX$18.26

62.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$2.15 MX$39.17

51.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$5.71 MX$104

-30.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.16 MX$39.36

-15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.59 MX$47.13

-0.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$2.25 MX$40.88

48.00%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.48 MX$45.03

8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$11.99 MX$218

2.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$8.53 MX$155

-21.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$11.21 MX$204

-7.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$3.43 MX$62.4

21.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.28 MX$23.31

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.95 MX$35.46

114.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$1.83 MX$33.37

122.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$2.03 MX$36.98

72.41%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$2.13 MX$38.68

105.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$1.48 MX$27.01

58.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.38 MX$25.07

26.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$4.38 MX$79.7

38.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$17.12 MX$311

-31.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.31 MX$23.79

4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.88 MX$52.4

-1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$0.68 MX$12.40

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.61 MX$47.54

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$2.04 MX$37.16

-12.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$11.99 MX$218

83.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.48 MX$26.83

-15.54%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$21.1K MX$383.6K

2.12%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$24.6K MX$447.2K

-13.80%

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

$131 PAB 131

$62.8 MX$1,142

108.99%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$25.84 MX$470

7.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$32.75 MX$596

48.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$34.76 MX$632

32.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$20.51 MX$373

70.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$5.23 MX$95.2

66.92%

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

$551 PAB 551

$225 MX$4,102

144.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$4,619 MX$84.0K

106.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$58.5 MX$1,063

15.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$40.73 MX$741

17.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$74.5 MX$1,356

27.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$90.0 MX$1,637

25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$814 MX$14.8K

52.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$492 MX$8,945

77.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$1,728 MX$31.4K

27.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$1,052 MX$19.1K

46.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$1,914 MX$34.8K

62.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,163 MX$21.2K

48.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$770 MX$14.0K

21.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.6

-44.91%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for La Paz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

La Paz

$492 38.7% 43.7% $381

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

La Paz

$300 23.6% 7.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

La Paz

$121 9.6% 41.5% $86

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

La Paz

$177 14% 12.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

La Paz

$119 9.4% 18.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

La Paz

$45 3.6% 28.9% $18

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

La Paz

$16 * 1.2% 54.1% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Panama City and $814 in La Paz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 21% 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 $56.0 in La Paz. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $300, with La Paz cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇲🇽 La Paz

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

02:50 2:50 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

250,141

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.38 MXN (100 MXN = 4.91 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City La Paz 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
La Paz

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 La Paz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Paz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Panama City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,238 in Panama City versus $814 in La Paz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Panama City versus $1,289 in La Paz – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in La Paz versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Paz but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes La Paz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Panama City and La Paz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find La Paz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.