Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Moses Lake, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Moses Lake, WA
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Moses Lake, WA Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Moses Lake, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Moses Lake, WA

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 Moses Lake, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Moses Lake, WA $2,339

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $3,512 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Moses Lake, WA $3,512

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $4,685 in Moses Lake, WA, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Moses Lake, WA $4,685

Panama City is about 21% cheaper than Moses Lake, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Panama City and Moses Lake, WA sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Moses Lake, WA by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$18.16 $18.16

-35.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$79.5 $79.5

-39.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$12.17 $12.17

-34.59%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$4.63 $4.63

-8.86%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.97 $2.97

-32.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$2.45 $2.45

-36.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$4.42 $4.42

-23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$8.23 $8.23

-52.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$0.74 $0.74

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$3.93 $3.93

-34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$4.22 $4.22

-17.54%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.37 $3.37

-20.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.18 $9.18

36.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$11.39 $11.39

-40.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$13.54 $13.54

-21.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$6.08 $6.08

-31.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.67 $1.67

9.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$5.32 $5.32

-21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$5.55 $5.55

-27.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$3.56 $3.56

-2.25%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.21 $3.21

31.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.86 $2.86

-15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$2.15 $2.15

-21.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$11.36 $11.36

-45.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$14.76 $14.76

-23.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.80 $1.80

-21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$4.03 $4.03

-32.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.02 $2.02

-83.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.43 $2.43

3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.57 $1.57

18.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$30.42 $30.42

-28.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.11 $1.11

12.61%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$30.8K $30.8K

-31.05%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

-17.74%

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

$130 PAB 130

$155 $155

-16.30%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$69.5 $69.5

-59.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$76.6 $76.6

-37.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$40.77 $40.77

12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$11.93 $11.93

-27.33%

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

$544 PAB 544

$1,131 $1,131

-51.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$30.8K $30.8K

-68.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$52.3 $52.3

27.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$24.78 $24.78

98.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$47.41 $47.41

97.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$81.1 $81.1

37.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,491 $1,491

-15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$1,173 $1,173

-25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$2,281 $2,281

-5.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$2,046 $2,046

-23.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,678 $2,678

16.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$2,822 $2,822

-39.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$9,110 $9,110

-89.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.85

-6.72%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Moses Lake, WA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Moses Lake, WA

$1.2K 50.1% 34% $298

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Moses Lake, WA

$393 16.8% 20.7% $67

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Moses Lake, WA

$298 12.7% 44% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Moses Lake, WA

$301 12.9% 46.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Moses Lake, WA

$93 4% 36% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Moses Lake, WA

$65 2.8% 2.4% $1.5

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Moses Lake, WA

$18 * 0.8% 46.7% $16

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 $1,491 in Moses Lake, WA. 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 895% higher in Moses Lake, WA, 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 $80.0 in Moses Lake, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $393 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Moses Lake, WA

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

00:45 12:45 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

25,146

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

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Panama City Moses Lake, WA 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Moses Lake, WA

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 Moses Lake, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moses Lake, WA costs about 26% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,509 in Moses Lake, WA. 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 $80.0 in Moses Lake, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Moses Lake, WA, 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 Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,855, than in Moses Lake, WA at $2,339. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moses Lake, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panama City costs $1,855 versus $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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