Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Stanley

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,941 in Stanley, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Stanley
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Stanley Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Stanley

🇫🇰 Falkland Islands

$2,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Stanley

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $2,941 in Stanley, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Stanley $2,941

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $4,457 in Stanley, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Stanley $4,457

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $5,973 in Stanley, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Stanley $5,973

Panama City is about 38% cheaper than Stanley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Panama City and Stanley sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Stanley by 119%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$26.38 FKP 19.92

-57.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$80.6 FKP 60.9

-40.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$4.12 FKP 3.11

-2.43%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$2.20 FKP 1.66

-11.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$1.35 FKP 1.02

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$4.23 FKP 3.19

-22.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$2.58 FKP 1.95

54.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.29 FKP 1.73

-20.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.95 FKP 2.23

-12.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$0.90 FKP 0.68

270.00%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$6.99 FKP 5.28

-61.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$2.84 FKP 2.15

334.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$9.47 FKP 7.15

-29.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$11.99 FKP 9.06

-13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$9.40 FKP 7.09

-55.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$5.40 FKP 4.08

-65.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$10.50 FKP 7.93

-60.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$7.90 FKP 5.96

-48.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$3.22 FKP 2.43

8.70%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$0.76 FKP 0.58

475.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$4.26 FKP 3.22

-45.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$16.30 FKP 12.31

-62.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$12.01 FKP 9.07

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.45 FKP 1.85

15.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$6.54 FKP 4.94

-61.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.65 FKP 1.24

-24.24%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

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

$131 PAB 131

$380 FKP 287

-65.46%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$76.3 FKP 57.6

-63.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$449 FKP 339

-89.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$21.93 FKP 16.56

110.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$11.93 FKP 9.01

-26.82%

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

$551 PAB 551

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$113 FKP 85.2

-40.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$94.3 FKP 71.2

-49.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$162 FKP 122

-41.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$106 FKP 80.3

6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$1,445 FKP 1,091

-14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$1,073 FKP 810

-18.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$2,684 FKP 2,027

-18.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$2,426 FKP 1,832

-36.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$3,889 FKP 2,936

-75.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

7.75

-17.55%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Stanley: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Stanley

$1.1K 36.5% 22.8% $200

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Stanley

$394 * 13.4% 21.5% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Stanley

$905 30.8% 336% $697

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Stanley

$301 * 10.2% 49.2% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Stanley

$214 7.3% 46.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Stanley

$46 1.6% 28% $18

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Stanley

$6.5 * 0.2% 80.7% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $1,445 in Stanley. 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 316% higher in Stanley, 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 $81.0 in Stanley. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $394 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇫🇰 Stanley

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

08:19 8:19 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

2,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Falkland Islands Pound FKP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 FKP = 1.32 USD

1 FKP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FKP, 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).

Falkland Islands Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.755 FKP (1 FKP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.846 FKP (1 FKP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Stanley 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Stanley

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 Stanley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stanley is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Panama City and $4,411 in Stanley. 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 21% more in Stanley, 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 $81.0 in Stanley. 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 Stanley at $2,941. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stanley 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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