Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,065 a month against $1,972 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Panama City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,972 per month in Panama City vs $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Panama City $1,972
Los Alamos, NM $1,065

A couple spends around $2,930 per month in Panama City vs $1,652 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Panama City $2,930
Los Alamos, NM $1,652

A family of three spends $3,888 per month in Panama City vs $2,239 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Panama City $3,888
Los Alamos, NM $2,239

Panama City costs about 85% more than Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Panama City sits 46% above the global median, while Los Alamos, NM is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 PAB 11.37

$17.06 $17.06

-33.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.69 PAB 46.69

$40.31 $40.31

15.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$9.88 $9.88

-19.23%

Cappuccino

$4.12 PAB 4.12

$4.99 $4.99

-17.43%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.57 $2.57

-21.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 PAB 1.57

$1.47 $1.47

6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 PAB 3.28

$6.10 $6.10

-46.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$6.99 $6.99

-44.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PAB 1.82

$0.96 $0.96

89.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PAB 2.61

$2.14 $2.14

21.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 PAB 3.45

$4.53 $4.53

-23.84%

Eggs

$2.68 PAB 2.68

$3.98 $3.98

-32.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 PAB 12.42

$11.84 $11.84

4.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 PAB 6.73

$9.66 $9.66

-30.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 PAB 10.44

$17.42 $17.42

-40.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PAB 4.21

$4.86 $4.86

-13.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.49 $1.49

30.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$2.90 $2.90

40.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$4.37 $4.37

-8.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 PAB 3.46

$1.09 $1.09

217.43%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 PAB 4.42

$3.38 $3.38

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$1.95 $1.95

24.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PAB 1.72

$0.48 $0.48

258.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 PAB 6.04

$11.03 $11.03

-45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$14.19 $14.19

-17.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 PAB 1.41

$2.39 $2.39

-41.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 PAB 2.74

$3.58 $3.58

-23.46%

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

$3.98 $3.98

-38.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 PAB 1.76

$2.16 $2.16

-18.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.86 PAB 21.86

$34.85 $34.85

-37.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$0.87 $0.87

37.93%

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

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

$29.5K $29.5K

-16.72%

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

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

$25.5K $25.5K

-18.14%

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

$132 PAB 132

$159 $159

-17.06%

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

$27.89 PAB 27.89

$39.48 $39.48

-29.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 PAB 49.10

$71.0 $71.0

-30.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 PAB 44.53

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 PAB 8.70

$13.22 $13.22

-34.19%

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

$537 PAB 537

$1,343 $1,343

-60.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

$23.1K $23.1K

-11.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$20.01 $20.01

228.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.45 PAB 48.45

$42.97 $42.97

12.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 PAB 95.4

$103 $103

-7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 PAB 114

$120 $120

-4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 PAB 1,405

$1,089 $1,089

28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 PAB 994

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 PAB 2,221

$1,868 $1,868

18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 PAB 1,714

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 PAB 3,139

$3,337 $3,337

-5.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 PAB 1,724

$3,316 $3,316

-48.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

$8,290 $8,290

-88.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.76

-5.47%

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

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$994 50.4%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$339 31.8% 4.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$209 10.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.3% 29% $61

Eating Out

Panama City

$203 10.3%

Los Alamos, NM

$287 26.9% 41.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.4%

Los Alamos, NM

$128 12.1% 11.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$62 3.1%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.5% 57.3% $35

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.7%

Los Alamos, NM

$15 * 1.4% 55.6% $18

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 $1,089 in Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM are about 8.9 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Panama City versus $40 in Los Alamos, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Panama City vs $339 in Los Alamos, NM – so Panama City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

13,179

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.895 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 = 0.895 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Los Alamos, NM 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,958 per month in Panama City and $1,597 in Los Alamos, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Alamos, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,089 there versus $1,405 in Panama City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,972 in Panama City and $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM. That makes Los Alamos, NM about 46% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Panama City and $1,343 in Los Alamos, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,065, than in Panama City at $1,972. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City 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 $1,065 in Los Alamos, NM to $1,972 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.