Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,972 a month against $2,673 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,673

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT and in Panama City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,673 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $2,673
Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $3,881 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $3,881
Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $5,090 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $5,090
Panama City $3,888

Salt Lake City, UT costs about 36% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Salt Lake City, UT and Panama City sit above the global median – Salt Lake City, UT by 98%, Panama City by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.80 $17.80

$11.37 PAB 11.37

56.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$46.69 PAB 46.69

57.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$7.98 PAB 7.98

24.44%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$4.12 PAB 4.12

21.84%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$2.01 PAB 2.01

10.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.57 PAB 1.57

5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.28 PAB 3.28

84.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$3.88 PAB 3.88

110.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-48.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.61 PAB 2.61

47.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.45 PAB 3.45

15.94%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.68 PAB 2.68

54.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$12.42 PAB 12.42

-5.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.16 $12.16

$6.73 PAB 6.73

80.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$10.44 PAB 10.44

68.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.21 PAB 4.21

-4.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-29.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.07 PAB 4.07

-12.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.02 PAB 4.02

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-33.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-43.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-23.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.72 PAB 1.72

9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.31 $10.31

$6.04 PAB 6.04

70.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$11.68 PAB 11.68

25.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.41 PAB 1.41

96.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.74 PAB 2.74

19.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.33 PAB 0.33

675.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.3 $85.3

$20.65 PAB 20.65

313.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.45 PAB 2.45

1.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.76 PAB 1.76

32.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$21.86 PAB 21.86

12.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-5.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

42.77%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

26.97%

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

$200 $200

$132 PAB 132

52.11%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$27.89 PAB 27.89

85.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$49.10 PAB 49.10

70.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.23 $34.23

$44.53 PAB 44.53

-23.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.29 $27.29

$34.01 PAB 34.01

-19.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$8.70 PAB 8.70

70.92%

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

$1,338 $1,338

$537 PAB 537

149.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K $26.2K

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

27.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$65.8 PAB 65.8

7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 $45.73

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$95.4 PAB 95.4

16.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$114 PAB 114

-4.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$1,405 PAB 1,405

10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 $1,334

$994 PAB 994

34.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$2,221 PAB 2,221

23.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$1,714 PAB 1,714

25.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,582 $4,582

$3,139 PAB 3,139

45.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,015 $3,015

$1,724 PAB 1,724

74.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,387 $4,387

$936 PAB 936

368.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.39

1.10%

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

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.3K 49.9%

Panama City

$994 50.4% 25.5% $340

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$384 14.4%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 15.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$336 12.6%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 37.9% $127

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$294 11%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 31.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$151 5.7%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 3.9% $5.9

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$110 4.1%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 69.7% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$64 2.4%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 3.2% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,556 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,405 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 in Salt Lake City, UT are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $47 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $326 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

20:15 8:15 PM

2 h ahead of Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.895 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Salt Lake City, UT Panama City 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Salt Lake City, UT
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

Salt Lake City, UT vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salt Lake City, UT is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,009 per month in Salt Lake City, UT and $2,958 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,405 there versus $1,556 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Salt Lake City, UT, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Salt Lake City, UT and $47 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 $1,972, than in Salt Lake City, UT at $2,673. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salt Lake City, UT 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salt Lake City, UT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.