Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and San Miguelito

For one person, living is cheaper in San Miguelito: $962 a month against $1,972 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
46

Cost of Living Index in San Miguelito
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San Miguelito Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

San Miguelito

🇵🇦 Panama

$962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in San Miguelito

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 San Miguelito actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,972 per month in Panama City vs $962 in San Miguelito, rent included.

Panama City $1,972
San Miguelito $962

A couple spends around $2,930 per month in Panama City vs $1,540 in San Miguelito, rent included.

Panama City $2,930
San Miguelito $1,540

A family of three spends $3,888 per month in Panama City vs $2,118 in San Miguelito, rent included.

Panama City $3,888
San Miguelito $2,118

Panama City costs about 105% more than San Miguelito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Panama City sits 46% above the global median, while San Miguelito is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 PAB 11.37

$11.70 PAB 11.70

-2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.69 PAB 46.69

$48.12 PAB 48.12

-2.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 PAB 7.98

$7.97 PAB 7.97

0.13%

Cappuccino

$4.12 PAB 4.12

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-0.96%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.99 PAB 1.99

1.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 PAB 1.57

$1.58 PAB 1.58

-0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 PAB 3.28

$3.38 PAB 3.38

-2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 PAB 3.88

$4.04 PAB 4.04

-3.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 PAB 1.82

$1.91 PAB 1.91

-4.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PAB 2.61

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-2.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 PAB 3.45

$3.35 PAB 3.35

2.99%

Eggs

$2.68 PAB 2.68

$2.81 PAB 2.81

-4.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 PAB 12.42

$12.22 PAB 12.22

1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 PAB 6.73

$6.67 PAB 6.67

0.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 PAB 10.44

$10.59 PAB 10.59

-1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 PAB 4.21

$4.07 PAB 4.07

3.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 PAB 1.95

$1.89 PAB 1.89

3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$4.17 PAB 4.17

-2.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PAB 4.02

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 PAB 3.46

$3.38 PAB 3.38

2.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 PAB 4.42

$4.22 PAB 4.22

4.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 PAB 2.43

$2.42 PAB 2.42

0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 PAB 1.72

$1.77 PAB 1.77

-2.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 PAB 6.04

$6.07 PAB 6.07

-0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$11.49 PAB 11.49

1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 PAB 1.41

$1.42 PAB 1.42

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 PAB 2.74

$2.81 PAB 2.81

-2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 PAB 2.45

$2.51 PAB 2.51

-2.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 PAB 1.76

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-1.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.86 PAB 21.86

$22.36 PAB 22.36

-2.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 PAB 1.20

$1.19 PAB 1.19

0.84%

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

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

-0.10%

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

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

-2.01%

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

$132 PAB 132

$130 PAB 130

1.41%

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

$27.89 PAB 27.89

$27.62 PAB 27.62

0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.10 PAB 49.10

$49.46 PAB 49.46

-0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 PAB 44.53

$51.0 PAB 51.0

-12.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 PAB 8.70

$8.67 PAB 8.67

0.35%

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

$537 PAB 537

$536 PAB 536

0.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

$9,633 PAB 9,633

112.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 PAB 65.8

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-2.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.45 PAB 48.45

$47.43 PAB 47.43

2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 PAB 95.4

$92.7 PAB 92.7

2.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 PAB 114

$110 PAB 110

3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 PAB 1,405

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 PAB 994

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 PAB 2,221

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 PAB 1,714

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 PAB 3,139

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 PAB 1,724

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Miguelito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$994 50.4%

San Miguelito

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$326 16.5%

San Miguelito

$326 33.9% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$209 10.6%

San Miguelito

$207 21.5% 0.8% $1.7

Eating Out

Panama City

$203 10.3%

San Miguelito

$207 21.5% 1.9% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.4%

San Miguelito

$143 14.9% 1.7% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$62 3.1%

San Miguelito

$68 7.1% 10.3% $6.4

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.7%

San Miguelito

$11 * 1.2% 65.7% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Panama City versus $48 in San Miguelito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $326 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇵🇦 San Miguelito

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

Same time as Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

375,409

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Panama City San Miguelito 10 km

From you

Panama City
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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 San Miguelito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 105%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,958 per month in Panama City and $1,444 in San Miguelito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,972 in Panama City and $962 in San Miguelito. That makes San Miguelito about 51% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Panama City and $536 in San Miguelito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,972 in Panama City and $962 in San Miguelito. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $962 in San Miguelito to $1,972 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.