Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Las Cruces, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Las Cruces, NM despite lower rent and utilities.

95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
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Las Cruces, NM Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,085

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Las Cruces, NM

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 Las Cruces, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,972 per month in Panama City vs $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Panama City $1,972
Las Cruces, NM $2,085

A couple spends around $2,930 per month in Panama City vs $3,045 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Panama City $2,930
Las Cruces, NM $3,045

A family of three spends $3,888 per month in Panama City vs $4,004 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Panama City $3,888
Las Cruces, NM $4,004

Panama City is about 5% cheaper than Las Cruces, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Panama City and Las Cruces, NM sit above the global median – Panama City by 46%, Las Cruces, NM by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 PAB 11.37

$17.44 $17.44

-34.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.69 PAB 46.69

$44.67 $44.67

4.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$12.08 $12.08

-33.94%

Cappuccino

$4.12 PAB 4.12

$5.80 $5.80

-28.97%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.51 $2.51

-19.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 PAB 1.57

$2.10 $2.10

-25.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 PAB 3.28

$6.51 $6.51

-49.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$9.19 $9.19

-57.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PAB 1.82

$0.79 $0.79

130.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PAB 2.61

$3.61 $3.61

-27.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 PAB 3.45

$3.71 $3.71

-7.01%

Eggs

$2.68 PAB 2.68

$4.69 $4.69

-42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 PAB 12.42

$13.32 $13.32

-6.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 PAB 6.73

$11.95 $11.95

-43.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 PAB 10.44

$17.43 $17.43

-40.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PAB 4.21

$4.30 $4.30

-2.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$2.03 $2.03

-3.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$3.35 $3.35

21.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$3.87 $3.87

3.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 PAB 3.46

$2.24 $2.24

54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 PAB 4.42

$2.42 $2.42

82.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$1.77 $1.77

37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PAB 1.72

$1.84 $1.84

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 PAB 6.04

$10.82 $10.82

-44.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$14.96 $14.96

-21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 PAB 1.41

$2.34 $2.34

-39.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 PAB 2.74

$3.49 $3.49

-21.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 PAB 2.45

$2.29 $2.29

6.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 PAB 1.76

$2.31 $2.31

-23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.86 PAB 21.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$0.93 $0.93

29.03%

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

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

$27.8K $27.8K

-11.76%

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

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

$24.3K $24.3K

-13.92%

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

$132 PAB 132

$171 $171

-22.75%

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

$27.89 PAB 27.89

$59.0 $59.0

-52.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 PAB 49.10

$87.7 $87.7

-44.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 PAB 44.53

$44.18 $44.18

0.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

$10.91 $10.91

211.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 PAB 8.70

$9.97 $9.97

-12.74%

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

$537 PAB 537

$680 $680

-21.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

$6,476 $6,476

216.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$60.0 $60.0

9.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.45 PAB 48.45

$32.32 $32.32

49.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 PAB 95.4

$84.6 $84.6

12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 PAB 114

$99.4 $99.4

14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 PAB 1,405

$857 $857

63.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 PAB 994

$865 $865

14.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 PAB 2,221

$1,521 $1,521

46.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 PAB 1,714

$1,447 $1,447

18.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 PAB 3,139

$2,279 $2,279

37.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 PAB 1,724

$1,900 $1,900

-9.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

$3,635 $3,635

-74.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.36

0.47%

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

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$994 50.4%

Las Cruces, NM

$865 41.5% 13% $129

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.5%

Las Cruces, NM

$385 18.5% 18.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$209 10.6%

Las Cruces, NM

$317 15.2% 52% $108

Eating Out

Panama City

$203 10.3%

Las Cruces, NM

$315 15.1% 55.2% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.4%

Las Cruces, NM

$124 6% 14.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$62 3.1%

Las Cruces, NM

$64 3.1% 3.5% $2.2

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.7%

Las Cruces, NM

$14 * 0.7% 58.4% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,405 in Panama City versus $857 in Las Cruces, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Las Cruces, NM are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Panama City versus $45 in Las Cruces, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Panama City vs $385 in Las Cruces, NM – so Panama City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

111,385

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Las Cruces, NM 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Las Cruces, NM

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 Las Cruces, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Cruces, NM costs about 6% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,958 per month in Panama City and $3,127 in Las Cruces, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Las Cruces, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $857 there versus $1,405 in Panama City.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Panama City and $45 in Las Cruces, NM. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Las Cruces, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,972 in Panama City and $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM, 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 $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM. 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, Las Cruces, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.