Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardino, CA and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,815 in San Bernardino, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardino, CA
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San Bernardino, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,815

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Bernardino, CA 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 San Bernardino, CA and in Panama City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,815 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $2,815
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $4,351 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $4,351
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $5,888 per month in San Bernardino, CA vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

San Bernardino, CA $5,888
Panama City $3,812

San Bernardino, CA costs about 53% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Bernardino, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – San Bernardino, CA by 110%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 $19.93

$11.34 PAB 11.34

75.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$47.85 PAB 47.85

58.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.81 $16.81

$8.07 PAB 8.07

108.30%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$4.02 PAB 4.02

48.01%

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

$3.41 $3.41

$1.94 PAB 1.94

75.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.62 PAB 1.62

45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.26 PAB 3.26

115.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.68 $9.68

$3.99 PAB 3.99

142.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-40.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.57 PAB 2.57

61.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.33 PAB 3.33

40.84%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$2.69 PAB 2.69

76.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$12.33 PAB 12.33

5.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 $8.97

$6.69 PAB 6.69

34.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$10.40 PAB 10.40

45.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$4.16 PAB 4.16

17.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.84 PAB 1.84

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$4.08 PAB 4.08

35.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.50 PAB 3.50

8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-48.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.75 PAB 1.75

4.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.70 $11.70

$6.06 PAB 6.06

93.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.72 PAB 11.72

25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.37 PAB 1.37

57.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.84 PAB 2.84

53.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.36 PAB 0.36

444.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.3 $58.3

$20.96 PAB 20.96

178.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 $9.99

$2.52 PAB 2.52

296.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.25 PAB 1.25

17.60%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

71.86%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

19.77%

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

$221 $221

$131 PAB 131

68.73%

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

$67.6 $67.6

$27.68 PAB 27.68

144.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$48.59 PAB 48.59

51.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 $40.32

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-12.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$8.73 PAB 8.73

74.46%

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

$1,171 $1,171

$551 PAB 551

112.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K $17.4K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

82.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-7.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.93 $47.93

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$94.9 PAB 94.9

11.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$113 PAB 113

30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 $1,819

$1,238 PAB 1,238

46.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$873 PAB 873

65.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 $2,589

$2,197 PAB 2,197

17.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 $2,754

$1,538 PAB 1,538

79.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,645 $3,645

$3,116 PAB 3,116

16.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,609 $3,609

$1,725 PAB 1,725

109.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,444 $3,444

$934 PAB 934

268.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for San Bernardino, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Bernardino, CA

$1.4K 50.4%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 39.7% $574

Groceries & Markets

San Bernardino, CA

$393 13.7%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 17.5% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Bernardino, CA

$362 12.6%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 42.8% $155

Eating Out

San Bernardino, CA

$359 12.5%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 43.8% $157

Clothing & Footwear

San Bernardino, CA

$164 5.7%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 11% $18

Getting Around

San Bernardino, CA

$76 * 2.7%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 55.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

San Bernardino, CA

$71 2.5%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 10.2% $7.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,819 in San Bernardino, CA versus $1,238 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 269% higher in San Bernardino, CA, 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 $76.0 in San Bernardino, CA versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $324 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Bernardino, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

23:01 11:01 PM

2 h ahead of San Bernardino, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

220,000

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 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 October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Bernardino, CA Panama City 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Bernardino, CA
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

San Bernardino, CA vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Bernardino, CA is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,222 per month in San Bernardino, CA and $2,756 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 21% more in San Bernardino, CA, 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 $76.0 in San Bernardino, CA 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 $1,837, than in San Bernardino, CA at $2,815. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Bernardino, CA 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, San Bernardino, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.