Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Merced, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,528 in Merced, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,528 in Merced, CA.

Panama City $1,855
Merced, CA $2,528

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $3,698 in Merced, CA.

Panama City $2,804
Merced, CA $3,698

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $4,868 in Merced, CA.

Panama City $3,753
Merced, CA $4,868

Living in Panama City costs roughly 27% less than in Merced, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Merced, CA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$17.30 $17.30

-32.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$39.53 $39.53

21.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$12.13 $12.13

-34.38%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$5.67 $5.67

-25.57%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.47 $2.47

-18.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.47 $1.47

6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$9.15 $9.15

-62.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$10.14 $10.14

-61.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.24 $1.24

49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$4.33 $4.33

-40.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$4.18 $4.18

-16.75%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$5.69 $5.69

-52.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$19.30 $19.30

-34.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$14.22 $14.22

-51.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$21.62 $21.62

-51.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.45 $4.45

-6.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.03 $2.03

-9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$5.41 $5.41

-22.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$5.36 $5.36

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$3.49 $3.49

-0.29%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.96 $2.96

42.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.44 $2.44

-1.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$2.57 $2.57

-34.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$11.89 $11.89

-48.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$15.78 $15.78

-28.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.42 $2.42

-41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$3.41 $3.41

-19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.49 $1.49

-77.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$59.9 $59.9

-64.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$3.05 $3.05

-17.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.66 $1.66

12.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$26.51 $26.51

-17.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.32 $1.32

-5.30%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$37.3K $37.3K

-42.99%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

-18.42%

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

$130 PAB 130

$237 $237

-45.32%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$29.93 $29.93

-6.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$82.7 $82.7

-41.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$32.75 $32.75

39.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$14.11 $14.11

147.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$16.87 $16.87

-48.61%

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

$544 PAB 544

$1,851 $1,851

-70.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$40.5K $40.5K

-76.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$59.9 $59.9

11.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$50.7 $50.7

-3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$100.0 $100.0

-6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$120 $120

-6.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,638 $1,638

-23.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$1,082 $1,082

-19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$2,012 $2,012

7.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,905 $1,905

-17.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,890 $2,890

8.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$2,896 $2,896

-40.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$3,329 $3,329

-72.49%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Merced, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Merced, CA

$1.1K 42.8% 23.7% $207

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Merced, CA

$479 19% 47.4% $154

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Merced, CA

$325 12.8% 57.1% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Merced, CA

$350 13.9% 69.8% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Merced, CA

$149 5.9% 2.7% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Merced, CA

$66 2.6% 5.3% $3.4

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Merced, CA

$77 3.1% 124% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $1,638 in Merced, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merced, CA pays 263% 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 $40.00 in Merced, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $479, with Panama City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

83,316

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.889 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.889 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Merced, CA 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Merced, 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 Merced, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Merced, CA differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,855 vs $2,528 including rent). Panama City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 263% lower in Merced, 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: $1,257 in Panama City versus $1,638 in Merced, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $544 in Panama City versus $1,851 in Merced, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Merced, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,528 in Merced, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Merced, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Merced, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.