Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Labrador City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,857 a month against $2,361 in Labrador City, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Labrador City
Learn more

Labrador City Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Labrador City

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $2,361 in Labrador City.

Panama City $1,857
Labrador City $2,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $3,438 in Labrador City.

Panama City $2,815
Labrador City $3,438

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $4,514 in Labrador City.

Panama City $3,773
Labrador City $4,514

Living in Panama City costs roughly 21% less than in Labrador City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Labrador City 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$29.93 CA$42.31

-60.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$68.8 CA$97.2

-30.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$12.75 CA$18.02

-36.31%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$3.50 CA$4.95

20.86%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$4.12 CA$5.83

-53.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$2.16 CA$3.05

-26.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$5.37 CA$7.59

-38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$5.64 CA$7.97

-29.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$2.07 CA$2.93

-7.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$2.41 CA$3.41

9.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.23 CA$4.56

4.95%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.86 CA$4.05

-6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$9.73 CA$13.76

25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$11.22 CA$15.86

-38.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$14.41 CA$20.37

-26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$3.68 CA$5.20

13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.29 CA$1.82

52.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$3.74 CA$5.28

8.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.80 CA$5.37

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$2.44 CA$3.45

42.21%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$2.20 CA$3.11

93.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$2.45 CA$3.46

-0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.62 CA$2.28

4.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$14.02 CA$19.82

-58.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$12.78 CA$18.06

-10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$2.57 CA$3.63

-46.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$3.08 CA$4.36

-10.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.25 CA$3.18

-85.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$62.0 CA$87.7

-66.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$2.92 CA$4.13

-12.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.48 CA$2.09

20.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$22.79 CA$32.22

-2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.18 CA$1.67

5.08%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-13.40%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$19.0K CA$26.9K

11.95%

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

$131 PAB 131

$133 CA$187

-0.97%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$38.45 CA$54.4

-27.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$91.7 CA$130

-46.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$40.01 CA$56.6

14.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$18.16 CA$25.68

87.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$11.21 CA$15.84

-24.44%

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

$553 PAB 553

$736 CA$1,041

-24.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$13.0K CA$18.4K

-25.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$52.4 CA$74.1

26.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$37.89 CA$53.6

25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$84.2 CA$119

13.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$103 CA$145

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$1,235 CA$1,746

7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$1,104 CA$1,561

-20.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$1,968 CA$2,782

9.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$1,710 CA$2,417

-7.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$4,188 CA$5,920

-26.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$3,561 CA$5,034

-52.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

$3,269 CA$4,622

-72.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Labrador City: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Labrador City

$1.1K 46.7% 26.3% $230

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Labrador City

$343 14.5% 5.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Labrador City

$263 11.1% 26.1% $54

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Labrador City

$383 16.2% 84.9% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Labrador City

$125 5.3% 13.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Labrador City

$62 2.6% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Labrador City

$81 3.4% 143% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $1,235 in Labrador City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Labrador City pays 258% 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 $69.0 in Labrador City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $343 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Labrador City

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

7,400

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Labrador City 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Labrador City

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 Labrador City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 258% lower in Labrador City. 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: $1,322 in Panama City versus $1,235 in Labrador City. 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 $69.0 in Labrador City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,857 per month in Panama City versus $2,361 in Labrador City – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,857 in Panama City versus $2,361 in Labrador City, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Labrador City. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Panama City and Labrador City 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 Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Labrador City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.