Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Prince Rupert, BC and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,855 a month against $1,967 in Prince Rupert, BC, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Prince Rupert, BC despite lower rent and utilities.

94

Cost of Living Index in Prince Rupert, BC
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Prince Rupert, BC Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Prince Rupert, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,967

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Prince Rupert, BC and in Panama City

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

A single person spends $1,967 per month in Prince Rupert, BC vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Prince Rupert, BC $1,967
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $3,109 per month in Prince Rupert, BC vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Prince Rupert, BC $3,109
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $4,251 per month in Prince Rupert, BC vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Prince Rupert, BC $4,251
Panama City $3,753

Prince Rupert, BC costs about 6% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Prince Rupert, BC and Panama City sit above the global median – Prince Rupert, BC by 46%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 CA$24.71

$11.63 PAB 11.63

50.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 CA$93.1

$47.92 PAB 47.92

37.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 CA$14.87

$7.96 PAB 7.96

32.16%

Cappuccino

$3.63 CA$5.13

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-13.98%

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

$2.02 CA$2.86

$2.01 PAB 2.01

0.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.18

$1.56 PAB 1.56

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 CA$7.63

$3.39 PAB 3.39

59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.88

$3.94 PAB 3.94

41.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$1.85 PAB 1.85

2.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 CA$3.47

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-8.33%

Eggs

$4.97 CA$7.03

$2.69 PAB 2.69

84.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 CA$13.61

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-23.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.32 CA$17.42

$6.83 PAB 6.83

80.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 CA$21.04

$10.58 PAB 10.58

40.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 CA$2.45

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-58.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 CA$1.45

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-43.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.86

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-1.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.38

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-5.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CA$3.39

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-31.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-46.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 CA$3.27

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-3.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.45

$1.69 PAB 1.69

2.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.86 CA$19.59

$6.14 PAB 6.14

125.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 CA$20.20

$11.30 PAB 11.30

26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.42 PAB 1.42

85.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CA$4.40

$2.73 PAB 2.73

13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.25

$0.33 PAB 0.33

596.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 CA$92.6

$21.23 PAB 21.23

208.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 CA$4.01

$2.52 PAB 2.52

12.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 CA$2.32

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.25 CA$35.69

$21.78 PAB 21.78

15.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$1.25 PAB 1.25

5.60%

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

$30.3K CA$42.8K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

42.51%

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

$18.3K CA$25.9K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

-12.96%

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

$150 CA$213

$130 PAB 130

15.80%

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

$39.36 CA$55.6

$28.13 PAB 28.13

39.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.50 CA$68.6

$48.21 PAB 48.21

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.18 CA$54.0

$45.78 PAB 45.78

-16.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.30 CA$24.45

$34.92 PAB 34.92

-50.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.85

$8.67 PAB 8.67

29.30%

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

$646 CA$913

$544 PAB 544

18.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K CA$19.0K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

38.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$75.6

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-19.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.39 CA$58.5

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 CA$118

$93.9 PAB 93.9

-10.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 CA$133

$112 PAB 112

-15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 CA$1,491

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 CA$1,188

$875 PAB 875

-3.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 CA$2,731

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-10.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 CA$2,423

$1,564 PAB 1,564

9.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,875 CA$5,478

$3,122 PAB 3,122

24.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,474 CA$4,912

$1,709 PAB 1,709

103.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,157 CA$4,463

$916 PAB 916

244.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

6.39

-27.07%

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

Last update for Prince Rupert, BC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Prince Rupert, BC

$841 42.7%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 4.1% $34

Groceries & Markets

Prince Rupert, BC

$351 17.9%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 7.5% $26

Eating Out

Prince Rupert, BC

$267 13.6%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 22.7% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Prince Rupert, BC

$238 12.1%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 13.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Prince Rupert, BC

$123 6.2%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 17.7% $22

Getting Around

Prince Rupert, BC

$86 4.4%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 59.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Prince Rupert, BC

$61 3.1%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 4.1% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,054 in Prince Rupert, BC versus $1,257 in Panama City. 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 245% higher in Prince Rupert, BC, 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 $66.0 in Prince Rupert, BC versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $325 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Prince Rupert, BC

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

2 h ahead of Prince Rupert, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,220

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Prince Rupert, BC Panama City 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Prince Rupert, BC
Panama City

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

Prince Rupert, BC vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Prince Rupert, BC is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,950 per month in Prince Rupert, BC and $2,783 in Panama City. 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 8% more in Prince Rupert, BC, 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 $66.0 in Prince Rupert, BC and $48.00 in Panama City. 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 $1,855, than in Prince Rupert, BC at $1,967. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Prince Rupert, BC 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, Prince Rupert, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.