Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Marsascala

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsascala: $1,737 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Marsascala
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Marsascala Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Marsascala

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,737 in Marsascala, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Marsascala $1,737

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $2,651 in Marsascala, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Marsascala $2,651

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $3,564 in Marsascala, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Marsascala $3,564

Panama City costs about 7% more than Marsascala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panama City and Marsascala sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Marsascala by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$19.22 €17.10

-39.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$87.3 €77.7

-45.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$13.60 €12.10

-41.47%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.29 €2.04

84.28%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.44 €2.17

-17.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.32 €1.17

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.95 €3.51

-14.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.41 €3.03

15.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.23 €1.09

50.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$0.81 €0.72

216.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$3.26 €2.90

6.75%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$4.34 €3.86

-38.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$5.44 €4.84

131.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$6.26 €5.57

9.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$13.78 €12.25

-23.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.26 €2.90

28.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.46 €2.19

-25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$2.26 €2.01

85.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.95 €2.63

36.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.53 €2.25

37.55%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.03 €1.81

107.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.25 €2.00

7.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.90 €0.80

87.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$6.25 €5.56

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$6.85 €6.09

64.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.63 €1.45

-12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.34 €2.08

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.16 €1.93

-84.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$5.16 €4.59

-51.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$2.25 €2.00

-17.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$13.63 €12.12

59.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.46 €1.30

-14.38%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$31.0K €27.5K

-31.40%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$35.2K €31.3K

-40.30%

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

$130 PAB 130

$100 €89.0

29.79%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$20.94 €18.63

34.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$28.06 €24.96

71.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$55.6 €49.48

-17.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$22.26 €19.80

56.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$10.20 €9.08

-15.00%

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

$544 PAB 544

$223 €198

144.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$4,441 €3,950

118.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$86.2 €76.6

-22.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$30.06 €26.74

63.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$86.1 €76.6

9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$80.6 €71.7

38.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,007 €896

24.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$844 €751

3.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,534 €1,364

40.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,315 €1,169

18.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,842 €2,528

9.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$2,303 €2,049

-25.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$2,115 €1,881

-56.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

2.9

120.34%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Marsascala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Marsascala

$844 48.6% 3.6% $31

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Marsascala

$253 14.5% 22.3% $73

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Marsascala

$264 15.2% 27.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Marsascala

$149 8.6% 27.7% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Marsascala

$127 7.3% 11.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Marsascala

$76 4.4% 20.5% $13

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Marsascala

$25 * 1.4% 27.2% $9.4

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 $1,007 in Marsascala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 131% higher in Marsascala, 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 $48.00 in Panama City versus $87.0 in Marsascala. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Panama City vs $253 in Marsascala – so Marsascala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇲🇹 Marsascala

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

17:52 5:52 PM

7 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

12,134

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Marsascala 9,790 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Marsascala

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 Marsascala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $2,606 in Marsascala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $87.0 in Marsascala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Marsascala, where all-in costs run around $1,737, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Marsascala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marsascala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Marsascala. 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.