Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama: $1,590 a month against $2,453 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Panama
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Panama Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index

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🇵🇦 Panama

$1,590

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama and in the United Kingdom

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Panama and in the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,590 per month in Panama vs $2,453 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Panama $1,590
United Kingdom $2,453

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Panama vs $3,548 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Panama $2,415
United Kingdom $3,548

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Panama vs $4,643 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Panama $3,241
United Kingdom $4,643

The cost of living in Panama is roughly 35% lower than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both Panama and the United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Panama by 18%, the United Kingdom by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 PAB 7.80

$20.82 £15.62

-62.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.15 PAB 44.15

$86.3 £64.7

-48.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 PAB 7.87

$10.76 £8.07

-26.86%

Cappuccino

$3.86 PAB 3.86

$4.87 £3.65

-20.74%

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

$1.60 PAB 1.60

$2.55 £1.91

-37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 PAB 1.40

$1.85 £1.39

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PAB 2.24

$6.75 £5.06

-66.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 PAB 3.96

$6.49 £4.87

-38.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 PAB 1.80

$1.64 £1.23

9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 PAB 2.29

$1.66 £1.24

37.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 PAB 2.91

$2.17 £1.63

34.10%

Eggs

$2.49 PAB 2.49

$4.02 £3.01

-38.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 PAB 12.07

$9.40 £7.05

28.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 PAB 7.22

$8.99 £6.74

-19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 PAB 10.43

$14.55 £10.92

-28.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.90 £2.17

44.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.60 £1.20

-11.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 PAB 3.61

$2.78 £2.08

29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 PAB 3.86

$3.39 £2.54

13.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 PAB 2.64

$1.78 £1.34

48.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 PAB 3.14

$1.62 £1.21

93.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 PAB 2.28

$1.23 £0.92

85.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 PAB 1.57

$1.66 £1.24

-5.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 PAB 5.87

$23.67 £17.76

-75.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 PAB 10.15

$10.67 £8.00

-4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 PAB 1.34

$3.06 £2.30

-56.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 PAB 2.40

$3.33 £2.50

-27.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 PAB 0.44

$3.34 £2.51

-86.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$103 £77.1

-79.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 PAB 2.49

$5.44 £4.08

-54.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$2.36 £1.77

-24.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.40 PAB 22.40

$26.17 £19.63

-14.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PAB 1.18

$1.95 £1.46

-39.49%

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

$21.6K PAB 21.6K

$38.0K £28.5K

-43.20%

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

$22.4K PAB 22.4K

$40.6K £30.5K

-44.75%

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

$118 PAB 118

$315 £236

-62.49%

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

$26.75 PAB 26.75

$17.88 £13.41

49.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.56 PAB 46.56

$42.77 £32.09

8.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 PAB 48.98

$44.93 £33.71

9.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.75 PAB 29.75

$17.98 £13.49

65.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 PAB 7.95

$13.06 £9.80

-39.13%

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

$553 PAB 553

$1,753 £1,315

-68.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,030 PAB 8,030

$22.5K £16.9K

-64.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 PAB 54.6

$90.4 £67.8

-39.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.81 PAB 42.81

$45.49 £34.13

-5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 PAB 89.0

$101 £75.9

-12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 PAB 105

$102 £76.4

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 PAB 939

$1,339 £1,005

-29.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 PAB 701

$1,096 £822

-36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$2,152 £1,615

-20.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 PAB 1,258

$1,699 £1,275

-25.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 PAB 2,911

$5,551 £4,165

-47.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,643 PAB 1,643

$4,374 £3,282

-62.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$831 PAB 831

$3,324 £2,494

-75.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.32

19.74%

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

Last update for Panama: October 11, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama

$701 44.1%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.7% 56.3% $395

Groceries & Markets

Panama

$303 19.1%

United Kingdom

$303 12.4% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama

$191 12%

United Kingdom

$375 15.3% 96.1% $184

Eating Out

Panama

$163 10.3%

United Kingdom

$322 13.1% 96.8% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Panama

$131 8.3%

United Kingdom

$153 6.2% 16.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Panama

$65 4.1%

United Kingdom

$71 2.9% 9.5% $6.2

Getting Around

Panama

$34 2.2%

United Kingdom

$133 5.4% 288% $99

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $336 in Panama vs $1,252 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,257 in Panama City and $2,869 in London.

Average salary: $686 in Panama vs $3,228 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 273% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 196% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 2800% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 371% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

04:25 4:25 AM

6 h ahead of Panama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,098,587

67,326,569

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama United Kingdom 8,500 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama
United Kingdom

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 vs United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 54% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,252 versus $336 in Panama.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Panama, adding to the overall 54% price gap.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Panama, but in the United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Panama is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.