Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Moncton

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,029 in Moncton, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Moncton despite lower rent and utilities.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Moncton
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Moncton Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Moncton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $2,029 in Moncton, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Moncton $2,029

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $3,066 in Moncton, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Moncton $3,066

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $4,103 in Moncton, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Moncton $4,103

Panama City is about 9% cheaper than Moncton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panama City and Moncton sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Moncton by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$18.44 CA$26.28

-38.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$66.5 CA$94.7

-28.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$10.45 CA$14.90

-22.78%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$3.51 CA$5.01

14.53%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$2.04 CA$2.90

-4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$1.88 CA$2.68

-13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$4.34 CA$6.19

-24.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$5.62 CA$8.01

-29.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.93 CA$4.17

-37.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.77 CA$3.94

-7.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$3.41 CA$4.86

-2.35%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.75 CA$5.34

-28.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$13.08 CA$18.65

-5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$14.97 CA$21.34

-55.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$13.10 CA$18.67

-20.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$5.41 CA$7.71

-23.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.61 CA$2.29

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.61 CA$6.57

-9.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$5.63 CA$8.03

-27.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$2.06 CA$2.94

69.90%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$2.09 CA$2.98

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$2.46 CA$3.51

-4.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$2.12 CA$3.02

-17.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$14.08 CA$20.07

-56.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$13.79 CA$19.66

-15.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$3.29 CA$4.69

-58.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$4.10 CA$5.84

-30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$2.06 CA$2.93

-82.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$48.93 CA$69.8

-57.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.81 CA$4.00

-10.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.37 CA$1.95

30.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$21.07 CA$30.03

4.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.24 CA$1.77

0.81%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$27.8K CA$39.6K

-22.43%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$19.1K CA$27.2K

11.23%

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

$131 PAB 131

$121 CA$172

8.57%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$41.64 CA$59.4

-33.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$63.0 CA$89.8

-22.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$48.21 CA$68.7

-4.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$11.09 CA$15.81

215.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$12.59 CA$17.95

-30.66%

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

$551 PAB 551

$372 CA$530

47.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$13.3K CA$19.0K

-28.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$59.7 CA$85.1

13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$35.30 CA$50.3

36.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$102 CA$145

-6.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$119 CA$170

-5.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$1,011 CA$1,442

22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$800 CA$1,141

9.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$1,579 CA$2,251

39.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$1,333 CA$1,900

15.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$2,160 CA$3,079

44.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$2,070 CA$2,951

-16.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$2,417 CA$3,445

-61.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.6

38.91%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Moncton: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Moncton

$800 40.1% 8.3% $73

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Moncton

$420 21% 29.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Moncton

$225 11.3% 8.7% $18

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Moncton

$270 13.5% 33.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Moncton

$142 7.1% 2.3% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Moncton

$73 3.7% 15.5% $9.8

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Moncton

$67 3.3% 97.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $1,011 in Moncton. 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 159% higher in Moncton, 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 $66.0 in Moncton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $420 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Moncton

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

80,000

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Moncton 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Moncton

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 Moncton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Panama City, $2,029 in Moncton – roughly 10% 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 $3,044 in Moncton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panama City, 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 $66.0 in Moncton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Panama City and $2,029 in Moncton. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Moncton at $2,029. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moncton 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 $1,837 in Panama City to $2,029 in Moncton. 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 Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moncton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.