Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Mexicali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $949 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $949 in Mexicali, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Mexicali $949

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $1,525 in Mexicali, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Mexicali $1,525

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $2,101 in Mexicali, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Mexicali $2,101

Panama City costs about 94% more than Mexicali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Mexicali is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$12.10 MX$222

-6.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$34.24 MX$629

39.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$6.69 MX$123

20.63%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$3.43 MX$62.9

17.20%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.34 MX$24.60

44.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$1.12 MX$20.65

44.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$3.23 MX$59.2

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$4.26 MX$78.2

-6.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.20 MX$22.10

52.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.39 MX$43.96

7.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.54 MX$28.33

116.23%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.76 MX$50.7

-2.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$2.42 MX$44.48

409.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$6.00 MX$110

11.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$6.66 MX$122

56.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$1.63 MX$29.85

155.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.40 MX$25.74

31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.40 MX$25.78

198.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$1.63 MX$29.98

150.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.41 MX$25.91

148.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$1.42 MX$26.03

207.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$1.35 MX$24.70

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$0.85 MX$15.66

105.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$4.01 MX$73.7

51.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$8.06 MX$148

45.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.94 MX$35.61

-29.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$3.90 MX$71.6

-27.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$1.05 MX$19.20

-65.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$35.15 MX$645

-40.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.84 MX$52.1

-11.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$2.26 MX$41.57

-20.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$19.06 MX$350

15.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.34 MX$24.60

-6.72%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$21.7K MX$399.3K

-0.98%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$24.4K MX$447.3K

-13.01%

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

$131 PAB 131

$47.14 MX$866

178.28%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$22.65 MX$416

22.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$30.19 MX$554

60.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$39.21 MX$720

17.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$16.63 MX$305

110.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$4.08 MX$75.0

113.97%

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

$551 PAB 551

$210 MX$3,860

161.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$4,724 MX$86.7K

102.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$34.95 MX$642

93.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$32.98 MX$605

45.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$77.4 MX$1,420

22.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$38.03 MX$698

196.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$998 MX$18.3K

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$276 MX$5,059

216.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$1,357 MX$24.9K

61.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$556 MX$10.2K

176.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$2,638 MX$48.4K

18.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,474 MX$27.1K

16.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$860 MX$15.8K

8.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

12.07

-47.06%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Mexicali

$276 29.1% 68.4% $598

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Mexicali

$197 20.8% 39.2% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Mexicali

$100 10.5% 51.8% $107

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Mexicali

$192 20.3% 4.6% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Mexicali

$83 8.7% 43.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Mexicali

$47 5% 25.5% $16

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Mexicali

$53 5.6% 57.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $998 in Mexicali. 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 9% higher in Panama City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $34.00 in Mexicali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $197 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

854,186

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Mexicali 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Mexicali

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 Mexicali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Panama City, $949 in Mexicali – roughly 94% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Panama City and $1,423 in Mexicali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 65% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $34.00 in Mexicali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Panama City at $1,837. In Mexicali 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 $949 in Mexicali to $1,837 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mexicali. 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.