Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and North Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $2,736 in North Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
134

Cost of Living Index in North Vancouver
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North Vancouver Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

North Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in North Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,736 in North Vancouver.

Panama City $1,855
North Vancouver $2,736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $4,277 in North Vancouver.

Panama City $2,804
North Vancouver $4,277

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $5,818 in North Vancouver.

Panama City $3,753
North Vancouver $5,818

Living in Panama City costs roughly 32% less than in North Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, North Vancouver 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$20.85 CA$29.48

-44.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$62.3 CA$88.1

-23.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$9.03 CA$12.76

-11.85%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$4.18 CA$5.90

0.96%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.23 CA$3.15

-9.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.74 CA$2.45

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$4.80 CA$6.79

-29.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$5.82 CA$8.22

-32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$2.00 CA$2.82

-7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.77 CA$3.92

-7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$3.37 CA$4.76

3.26%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.23 CA$4.57

-16.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$13.61 CA$19.23

-7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$13.55 CA$19.16

-49.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$15.52 CA$21.94

-31.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.07 CA$5.75

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.45 CA$2.05

26.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$4.23 CA$5.97

-0.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$3.97 CA$5.62

1.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.76 CA$3.91

26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.83 CA$4.00

49.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.68 CA$3.79

-10.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$2.11 CA$2.98

-19.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$14.04 CA$19.85

-56.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$14.06 CA$19.88

-19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.09 CA$2.95

-32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.79 CA$3.94

-2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.87 CA$4.05

-88.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$98.6 CA$139

-78.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.57 CA$3.63

-1.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.49 CA$2.10

24.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$27.23 CA$38.49

-20.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.29 CA$1.82

-3.10%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$28.3K CA$39.9K

-24.82%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

11.15%

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

$130 PAB 130

$128 CA$182

1.12%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$37.29 CA$52.7

-24.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$51.5 CA$72.8

-6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$29.86 CA$42.21

53.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$23.65 CA$33.43

47.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$11.85 CA$16.75

-26.84%

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

$544 PAB 544

$1,049 CA$1,483

-48.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$10.5K CA$14.8K

-7.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$62.3 CA$88.0

7.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$37.14 CA$52.5

32.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$80.3 CA$114

16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$110 CA$155

1.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$1,759 CA$2,487

-28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$1,530 CA$2,163

-42.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$3,049 CA$4,310

-29.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$3,089 CA$4,366

-49.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$8,065 CA$11.4K

-61.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$6,724 CA$9,506

-74.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$3,119 CA$4,409

-70.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.69

36.25%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for North Vancouver: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

North Vancouver

$1.5K 55.9% 74.9% $655

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

North Vancouver

$389 14.2% 19.7% $64

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

North Vancouver

$296 10.8% 43% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

North Vancouver

$217 7.9% 5.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

North Vancouver

$130 4.8% 9.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

North Vancouver

$54 2% 15.1% $9.5

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

North Vancouver

$120 4.4% 249% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $1,759 in North Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Vancouver pays 241% 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 $62.0 in North Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $389 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 North Vancouver

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

13:58 1:58 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

48,200

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City North Vancouver 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
North Vancouver

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 North Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and North Vancouver differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,855 vs $2,736 including rent). Panama City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 241% lower in North Vancouver. 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 $1,759 in North Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $62.0 in North Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,855 per month in Panama City versus $2,736 in North Vancouver – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,855 in Panama City versus $2,736 in North Vancouver, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in North Vancouver. 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.

Safety-wise, Panama City and North Vancouver are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in North Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.