Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Todos Santos

For one person, living is cheaper in Todos Santos: $1,398 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Todos Santos
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Todos Santos Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Todos Santos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Todos Santos

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

A single person spends $1,857 per month in Panama City vs $1,398 in Todos Santos, rent included.

Panama City $1,857
Todos Santos $1,398

A couple spends around $2,815 per month in Panama City vs $2,069 in Todos Santos, rent included.

Panama City $2,815
Todos Santos $2,069

A family of three spends $3,773 per month in Panama City vs $2,741 in Todos Santos, rent included.

Panama City $3,773
Todos Santos $2,741

Panama City costs about 33% more than Todos Santos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panama City and Todos Santos sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Todos Santos by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$10.97 MX$203

6.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$44.57 MX$824

7.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$8.31 MX$154

-2.29%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$3.54 MX$65.3

19.49%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.41 MX$26.01

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$1.06 MX$19.67

49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$2.44 MX$45.14

35.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$4.13 MX$76.3

-3.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.60 MX$29.60

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$2.68 MX$49.48

-1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.65 MX$30.44

105.45%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.53 MX$46.72

5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$8.01 MX$148

52.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$8.20 MX$151

-15.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$11.37 MX$210

-6.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.82 MX$52.1

47.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.57 MX$28.97

25.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$1.91 MX$35.22

112.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.83 MX$33.86

128.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.92 MX$35.53

80.73%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.80 MX$33.30

136.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$1.46 MX$26.92

67.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.13 MX$20.97

49.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$4.34 MX$80.3

34.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$10.44 MX$193

9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.75 MX$32.31

-21.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$3.23 MX$59.8

-14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.63 MX$11.61

-47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$2.58 MX$47.63

-1.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.95 MX$35.96

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$11.14 MX$206

99.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.48 MX$27.32

-16.22%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$20.9K MX$386.6K

16.69%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$23.7K MX$437.5K

-10.06%

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

$131 PAB 131

$58.6 MX$1,082

124.24%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$23.08 MX$426

20.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$29.66 MX$548

66.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$34.43 MX$636

32.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$20.26 MX$374

68.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$5.05 MX$93.4

67.72%

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

$553 PAB 553

$217 MX$4,006

155.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$4,567 MX$84.4K

112.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$54.0 MX$997

23.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$40.53 MX$749

16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$100 MX$1,853

-4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$90.2 MX$1,666

24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$993 MX$18.3K

33.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$650 MX$12.0K

34.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$1,880 MX$34.7K

14.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$979 MX$18.1K

61.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,910 MX$35.3K

62.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,134 MX$20.9K

49.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.3

-43.45%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Todos Santos

$650 46.5% 25.7% $225

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Todos Santos

$264 18.9% 19.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Todos Santos

$111 8% 46.6% $97

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Todos Santos

$185 13.3% 10.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Todos Santos

$128 9.2% 11.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Todos Santos

$45 3.2% 28.9% $18

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Todos Santos

$15 * 1.1% 55.7% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,322 in Panama City versus $993 in Todos Santos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $45.00 in Todos Santos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $264 – making Todos Santos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇲🇽 Todos Santos

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

12:41 12:41 PM

2 h behind Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

5,148

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Todos Santos 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Todos Santos

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 Todos Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,786 per month in Panama City and $2,097 in Todos Santos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Todos Santos, 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 $1,857 in Panama City and $1,398 in Todos Santos. That's a gap of about 33%.

Kindergarten costs $553 per month in Panama City and $217 in Todos Santos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Todos Santos, where all-in costs run around $1,398, than in Panama City at $1,857. In Todos Santos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Todos Santos – 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 Todos Santos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.