Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,972 in Panama City versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID.

Panama City $1,972
Mountain Home, ID $2,720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,930 in Panama City versus $3,919 in Mountain Home, ID.

Panama City $2,930
Mountain Home, ID $3,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,888 in Panama City versus $5,118 in Mountain Home, ID.

Panama City $3,888
Mountain Home, ID $5,118

Living in Panama City costs roughly 27% less than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 46% above, Mountain Home, ID 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 PAB 11.37

$22.66 $22.66

-49.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.69 PAB 46.69

$86.0 $86.0

-45.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$10.36 $10.36

-22.97%

Cappuccino

$4.12 PAB 4.12

$4.60 $4.60

-10.43%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.77 $2.77

-27.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 PAB 1.57

$2.07 $2.07

-24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 PAB 3.28

$5.37 $5.37

-38.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$8.25 $8.25

-52.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PAB 1.82

$1.00 $1.00

82.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PAB 2.61

$3.65 $3.65

-28.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 PAB 3.45

$4.51 $4.51

-23.50%

Eggs

$2.68 PAB 2.68

$4.08 $4.08

-34.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 PAB 12.42

$12.37 $12.37

0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 PAB 6.73

$11.93 $11.93

-43.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 PAB 10.44

$16.77 $16.77

-37.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PAB 4.21

$5.18 $5.18

-18.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.66 $1.66

17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$4.45 $4.45

-8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$4.62 $4.62

-12.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 PAB 3.46

$2.89 $2.89

19.72%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 PAB 4.42

$3.04 $3.04

45.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$2.22 $2.22

9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PAB 1.72

$2.10 $2.10

-18.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 PAB 6.04

$9.77 $9.77

-38.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$14.80 $14.80

-21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 PAB 1.41

$1.99 $1.99

-29.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 PAB 2.74

$3.51 $3.51

-21.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.79 $1.79

-81.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

$65.0 $65.0

-68.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 PAB 2.45

$3.67 $3.67

-33.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 PAB 1.76

$1.83 $1.83

-3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.86 PAB 21.86

$30.85 $30.85

-29.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$1.19 $1.19

0.84%

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

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

$32.1K $32.1K

-23.43%

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

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

-24.63%

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

$132 PAB 132

$198 $198

-33.54%

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

$27.89 PAB 27.89

$57.8 $57.8

-51.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 PAB 49.10

$70.5 $70.5

-30.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 PAB 44.53

$38.16 $38.16

16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 PAB 8.70

$13.01 $13.01

-33.13%

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

$537 PAB 537

$1,520 $1,520

-64.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

$19.6K $19.6K

4.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$51.8 $51.8

27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.45 PAB 48.45

$35.51 $35.51

36.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 PAB 95.4

$102 $102

-6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 PAB 114

$129 $129

-11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 PAB 1,405

$1,604 $1,604

-12.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 PAB 994

$1,371 $1,371

-27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 PAB 2,221

$2,767 $2,767

-19.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 PAB 1,714

$2,092 $2,092

-18.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 PAB 3,139

$3,091 $3,091

1.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 PAB 1,724

$2,344 $2,344

-26.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.59

-3.03%

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

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$994 50.4%

Mountain Home, ID

$1.4K 50.4% 37.9% $376

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$400 14.7% 22.9% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$209 10.6%

Mountain Home, ID

$327 12% 56.4% $118

Eating Out

Panama City

$203 10.3%

Mountain Home, ID

$330 12.2% 62.8% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.4%

Mountain Home, ID

$143 5.3% 1.7% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$62 3.1%

Mountain Home, ID

$64 2.4% 3.6% $2.3

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.7%

Mountain Home, ID

$85 3.1% 156% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,405 in Panama City and $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Panama City vs $86 in Mountain Home, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $400 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🕒 Local time

22:52 10:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

11,656

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.891 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.891 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Mountain Home, ID 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,958 in Panama City and $4,079 in Mountain Home, ID to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,405 in Panama City versus $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,972 per month in Panama City versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID – Panama City is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Panama City runs roughly 68% less than in Mountain Home, ID. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,972 in Panama City versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. 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 27% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.