Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Saint John, New Brunswick

For one person, living costs are similar in Panama City and in Saint John, New Brunswick: $1,855 and $1,934 a month, rent and utilities included.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
Learn more

Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Saint John, New Brunswick

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 Saint John, New Brunswick actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Saint John, New Brunswick $1,934

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $2,885 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Saint John, New Brunswick $2,885

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $3,836 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Saint John, New Brunswick $3,836

Panama City is about 4% cheaper than Saint John, New Brunswick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Panama City and Saint John, New Brunswick sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Saint John, New Brunswick by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$18.31 CA$25.89

-36.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$59.0 CA$83.5

-18.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$10.43 CA$14.75

-23.68%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.00 CA$4.25

40.67%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.69 CA$2.39

18.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.06 CA$1.50

47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$4.43 CA$6.26

-23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$5.01 CA$7.08

-21.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$2.17 CA$3.07

-14.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.67 CA$3.77

-4.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$3.12 CA$4.41

11.54%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.45 CA$4.88

-22.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$13.17 CA$18.61

-4.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$11.72 CA$16.56

-41.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$12.78 CA$18.06

-17.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.79 CA$6.77

-12.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.47 CA$2.08

24.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$4.18 CA$5.91

0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$3.90 CA$5.51

3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.00 CA$2.83

74.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.20 CA$3.11

91.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.47 CA$3.49

-2.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.41 CA$1.99

19.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$13.92 CA$19.67

-55.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$9.90 CA$13.99

14.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.79 CA$2.53

-20.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.12 CA$3.00

28.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$2.06 CA$2.92

-83.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$56.0 CA$79.2

-62.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.92 CA$4.13

-13.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.06 CA$1.50

75.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$17.34 CA$24.52

25.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.25 CA$1.76

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$24.3K CA$34.4K

-12.72%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$18.8K CA$26.6K

11.84%

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

$130 PAB 130

$120 CA$169

8.65%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$41.55 CA$58.7

-32.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$64.7 CA$91.4

-25.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$52.3 CA$73.9

-12.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$35.03 CA$49.52

-0.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$12.78 CA$18.07

-32.16%

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

$544 PAB 544

$378 CA$534

43.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$11.1K CA$15.7K

-12.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$48.34 CA$68.3

38.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$35.16 CA$49.71

39.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$103 CA$145

-8.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$106 CA$150

5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$990 CA$1,400

26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$819 CA$1,158

6.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,610 CA$2,277

33.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$1,304 CA$1,843

19.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,018 CA$2,854

54.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$2,093 CA$2,959

-18.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$2,402 CA$3,396

-61.87%

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 Saint John, New Brunswick: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$819 42.4% 6.4% $56

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$350 18.1% 7.7% $25

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$257 13.3% 24.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$226 11.7% 9.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$131 6.8% 9.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$78 4% 23.4% $15

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.8% 111% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $990 in Saint John, New Brunswick. 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 162% higher in Saint John, New Brunswick, 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 $59.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $350 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

17:30 5:30 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

70,063

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Saint John, New Brunswick 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Saint John, New Brunswick

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 Saint John, New Brunswick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint John, New Brunswick is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $2,901 in Saint John, New Brunswick. 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.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Saint John, New Brunswick, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $59.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,855, than in Saint John, New Brunswick at $1,934. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John, New Brunswick it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Panama City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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