Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 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
203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Los Angeles, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA.

Panama City $1,837
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Panama City $2,825
Los Angeles, CA $6,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Panama City $3,812
Los Angeles, CA $8,260

Living in Panama City costs roughly 57% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Los Angeles, CA 218% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$27.00 $27.00

-58.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$122 $122

-60.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$14.98 $14.98

-46.13%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$5.84 $5.84

-31.16%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$3.77 $3.77

-48.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$2.67 $2.67

-39.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$8.05 $8.05

-59.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$9.84 $9.84

-59.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.30 $1.30

40.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$4.84 $4.84

-46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$4.48 $4.48

-25.67%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$6.14 $6.14

-56.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$11.32 $11.32

8.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$15.78 $15.78

-57.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$19.94 $19.94

-47.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$5.24 $5.24

-20.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$2.33 $2.33

-21.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.69 $4.69

-10.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$5.65 $5.65

-27.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$3.28 $3.28

6.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$2.88 $2.88

51.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$2.10 $2.10

11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$2.44 $2.44

-28.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$12.78 $12.78

-52.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$15.05 $15.05

-22.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$2.96 $2.96

-53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.81 $2.81

1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$1.79 $1.79

-79.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$104 $104

-79.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$3.08 $3.08

-18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.88 $1.88

-4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$31.58 $31.58

-30.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.62 $1.62

-22.84%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$37.7K $37.7K

-42.83%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-19.53%

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

$131 PAB 131

$288 $288

-54.44%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$77.9 $77.9

-64.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$80.5 $80.5

-39.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$74.2 $74.2

-37.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$11.90 $11.90

194.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$19.79 $19.79

-55.89%

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

$551 PAB 551

$1,678 $1,678

-67.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$31.9K $31.9K

-70.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$91.3 $91.3

-25.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$65.7 $65.7

-26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$121 $121

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$206 $206

-45.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$2,545 $2,545

-51.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$2,443 $2,443

-64.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$5,518 $5,518

-60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$4,275 $4,275

-64.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$7,211 $7,211

-56.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$6,930 $6,930

-75.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$4,173 $4,173

-77.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.86

-6.85%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 180% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 44.1% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 115% $239

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 107% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2% 49.6% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7% 79% $50

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 265% $90

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Panama City and $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 347% 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 $122 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $467 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

20:55 8:55 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

4,030,904

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Los Angeles, CA 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Los Angeles, CA

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 Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 347% lower in Los Angeles, CA. 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: $1,238 in Panama City versus $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 396% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $551 in Panama City versus $1,678 in Los Angeles, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,837 in Panama City versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Los Angeles, CA. 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 Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.