Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Palm Springs, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,874 in Palm Springs, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
Learn more

Palm Springs, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Palm Springs, CA

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 Palm Springs, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $2,874 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Palm Springs, CA $2,874

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $4,597 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Palm Springs, CA $4,597

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $6,321 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Palm Springs, CA $6,321

Panama City is about 36% cheaper than Palm Springs, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Panama City and Palm Springs, CA sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Palm Springs, CA by 114%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$30.47 $30.47

-62.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$76.1 $76.1

-37.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$9.87 $9.87

-18.24%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$5.51 $5.51

-27.04%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$2.88 $2.88

-32.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$1.54 $1.54

5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$4.85 $4.85

-32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$5.70 $5.70

-30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.33 $1.33

37.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$3.93 $3.93

-34.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$2.90 $2.90

14.83%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$5.78 $5.78

-53.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$14.17 $14.17

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$13.76 $13.76

-51.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$12.56 $12.56

-17.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$5.06 $5.06

-17.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$2.16 $2.16

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.39 $4.39

-4.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$4.96 $4.96

-17.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$4.60 $4.60

-23.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$4.38 $4.38

-0.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$2.20 $2.20

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$2.21 $2.21

-20.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$11.83 $11.83

-48.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$13.70 $13.70

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.61 $1.61

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.68 $2.68

5.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$1.72 $1.72

-79.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$34.67 $34.67

-39.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$3.41 $3.41

-26.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.91 $1.91

-6.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$23.59 $23.59

-6.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.37 $1.37

-8.76%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$33.7K $33.7K

-36.13%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

-18.11%

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

$131 PAB 131

$244 $244

-46.22%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$82.3 $82.3

-66.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$64.9 $64.9

-25.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$32.30 $32.30

42.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$49.52 $49.52

-29.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$12.06 $12.06

-27.61%

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

$551 PAB 551

$536 $536

2.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$8,541 $8,541

11.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$31.77 $31.77

112.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$34.63 $34.63

38.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$73.3 $73.3

29.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$140 $140

-19.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$1,831 $1,831

-32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$1,519 $1,519

-42.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$3,700 $3,700

-40.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$3,215 $3,215

-52.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$5,072 $5,072

-38.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$3,350 $3,350

-48.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$4,790 $4,790

-80.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.68

-4.34%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Palm Springs, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Palm Springs, CA

$1.5K 51.4% 74% $646

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Palm Springs, CA

$416 14.1% 28.2% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Palm Springs, CA

$391 13.2% 88.5% $184

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Palm Springs, CA

$393 13.3% 94.8% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Palm Springs, CA

$126 4.3% 13.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Palm Springs, CA

$56 1.9% 11.2% $7.1

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Palm Springs, CA

$54 1.8% 60.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $1,831 in Palm Springs, CA. 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 413% higher in Palm Springs, CA, 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 $76.0 in Palm Springs, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $416 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

06:53 6:53 AM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

44,575

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Palm Springs, CA 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Palm Springs, CA

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 Palm Springs, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palm Springs, CA costs about 56% 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 $2,756 per month in Panama City and $4,311 in Palm Springs, CA. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Panama City and $2,874 in Palm Springs, CA. That's a gap of about 56%.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Panama City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Palm Springs, CA at $2,874. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Palm Springs, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panama City costs $1,837 versus $2,874 in Palm Springs, CA. 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, Palm Springs, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.