Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador despite lower rent and utilities.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,024

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $3,089 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,089

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $4,154 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,154

Panama City is about 9% cheaper than St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panama City and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$17.33 CA$24.66

-34.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$70.3 CA$99.9

-31.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$11.74 CA$16.70

-31.26%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$4.07 CA$5.79

-1.23%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$2.58 CA$3.66

-24.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$2.14 CA$3.04

-24.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$4.98 CA$7.08

-34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$5.23 CA$7.44

-23.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$3.02 CA$4.29

-39.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$3.00 CA$4.27

-14.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$4.14 CA$5.90

-19.57%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.79 CA$5.39

-29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$11.44 CA$16.27

7.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$13.05 CA$18.56

-48.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$11.78 CA$16.76

-11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$4.72 CA$6.71

-11.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$2.91 CA$4.14

-36.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$4.78 CA$6.80

-12.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$2.94 CA$4.17

38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$2.64 CA$3.76

32.58%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$2.17 CA$3.08

101.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$2.74 CA$3.89

-14.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.97 CA$2.80

-11.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$13.42 CA$19.09

-54.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$15.45 CA$21.98

-24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$4.09 CA$5.81

-66.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$4.18 CA$5.95

-32.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$1.78 CA$2.54

-79.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$54.4 CA$77.3

-61.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$3.07 CA$4.36

-17.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.77 CA$2.52

1.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$28.99 CA$41.23

-24.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.33 CA$1.90

-6.02%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$27.5K CA$39.1K

-21.71%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$21.5K CA$30.6K

-1.42%

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

$131 PAB 131

$177 CA$252

-25.96%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$40.72 CA$57.9

-32.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$75.4 CA$107

-35.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$66.0 CA$93.8

-30.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$18.35 CA$26.10

90.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$10.47 CA$14.89

-16.62%

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

$551 PAB 551

$530 CA$754

3.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$9,977 CA$14.2K

-4.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$65.3 CA$92.9

3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$49.72 CA$70.7

-3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$77.8 CA$111

21.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$93.3 CA$133

21.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$975 CA$1,387

26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$790 CA$1,124

10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$1,541 CA$2,192

42.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$1,369 CA$1,947

12.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$1,973 CA$2,807

57.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,531 CA$2,177

12.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$2,734 CA$3,889

-65.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

4.57

39.82%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$790 38.4% 9.5% $83

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$408 19.8% 25.9% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$293 14.3% 41.4% $86

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$277 13.5% 37.3% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$129 6.3% 11.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$87 4.2% 36.7% $23

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$73 3.6% 117% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $975 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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 193% higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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 $70.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $408 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

23:35 11:35 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

110,525

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Panama City and $3,036 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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 26% more in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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 $70.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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 $1,837, than in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador at $2,024. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.