Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Los Ángeles

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Ángeles: $925 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Los Ángeles
Learn more

Los Ángeles Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Los Ángeles

🇨🇱 Chile

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Los Ángeles

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $925 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Los Ángeles $925

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,378 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Los Ángeles $1,378

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,831 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Los Ángeles $1,831

Panama City costs about 101% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Los Ángeles is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$12.46 CLP 12.3K

-6.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$25.23 CLP 24.8K

89.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$10.17 CLP 10.0K

-21.73%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.03 CLP 1,996

107.88%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.50 CLP 1,474

34.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.57 CLP 1,542

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.47 CLP 2,437

37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.04 CLP 2,998

29.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.21 CLP 1,189

52.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.80 CLP 2,756

-8.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.98 CLP 2,939

16.78%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$4.33 CLP 4,269

-37.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$8.05 CLP 7,928

56.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$10.69 CLP 10.5K

-36.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$14.17 CLP 14.0K

-25.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.63 CLP 2,587

58.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.61 CLP 1,582

13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$2.71 CLP 2,673

54.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.28 CLP 2,248

76.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.51 CLP 1,483

130.46%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.59 CLP 1,570

165.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$1.44 CLP 1,416

67.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.10 CLP 1,083

53.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$5.67 CLP 5,586

8.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$4.27 CLP 4,203

164.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$0.99 CLP 978

43.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.50 CLP 488

-34.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.06 CLP 2,032

22.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.26 CLP 1,245

-0.79%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

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

$130 PAB 130

$123 CLP 120.9K

5.82%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$20.82 CLP 20.5K

131.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$80.7 CLP 79.5K

-43.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$10.27 CLP 10.1K

240.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$4.42 CLP 4,355

96.15%

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

$544 PAB 544

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$274 CLP 269.6K

359.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$228 CLP 224.2K

284.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$442 CLP 435.3K

387.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$337 CLP 331.6K

364.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

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 10, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Los Ángeles

$228 24.6% 74% $647

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Los Ángeles

$275 * 29.7% 15.5% $51

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Los Ángeles

$185 20% 10.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Los Ángeles

$144 * 15.5% 30.4% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Los Ángeles

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Los Ángeles

$90 9.7% 41.9% $26

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Los Ángeles

$4 * 0.4% 88.3% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $274 in Los Ángeles. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $25.00 in Los Ángeles. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $275 – making Los Ángeles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇱 Los Ángeles

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

143,023

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.15 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 985 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,103 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Los Ángeles 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Los Ángeles

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 Ángeles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City costs about 101% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $1,387 in Los Ángeles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,855 in Panama City and $925 in Los Ángeles. That's a gap of about 101%.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Panama City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Los Ángeles, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Los Ángeles it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Los Ángeles costs $925 versus $1,855 in Panama City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Los Ángeles. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.