Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $4,047 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

197

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

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,047

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,047 per month in San Diego, CA vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

San Diego, CA $4,047
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $6,129 per month in San Diego, CA vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

San Diego, CA $6,129
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $8,211 per month in San Diego, CA vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

San Diego, CA $8,211
Panama City $3,812

San Diego, CA costs about 120% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Diego, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – San Diego, CA by 202%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.60 $24.60

$11.34 PAB 11.34

116.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$47.85 PAB 47.85

109.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 $13.54

$8.07 PAB 8.07

67.78%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$4.02 PAB 4.02

49.75%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.94 PAB 1.94

56.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.62 PAB 1.62

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 $8.03

$3.26 PAB 3.26

146.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.95 $10.95

$3.99 PAB 3.99

174.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-27.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.57 PAB 2.57

115.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.33 PAB 3.33

48.35%

Eggs

$7.00 $7.00

$2.69 PAB 2.69

160.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 $17.47

$12.33 PAB 12.33

41.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.44 $14.44

$6.69 PAB 6.69

115.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.69 $20.69

$10.40 PAB 10.40

98.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.16 PAB 4.16

13.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.84 PAB 1.84

4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$4.18 PAB 4.18

6.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.08 PAB 4.08

25.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-9.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-40.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.75 PAB 1.75

18.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 $11.73

$6.06 PAB 6.06

93.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.61 $16.61

$11.72 PAB 11.72

41.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.37 PAB 1.37

57.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.84 PAB 2.84

13.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.36 PAB 0.36

588.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$20.96 PAB 20.96

238.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.52 PAB 2.52

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.79 PAB 1.79

14.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.65 $27.65

$22.01 PAB 22.01

25.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.25 PAB 1.25

30.40%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

71.80%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

21.08%

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

$255 $255

$131 PAB 131

94.37%

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

$74.5 $74.5

$27.68 PAB 27.68

169.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.3 $86.3

$48.59 PAB 48.59

77.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.3 $71.3

$46.11 PAB 46.11

54.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.19 $24.19

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-30.91%

Cinema Ticket

$19.86 $19.86

$8.73 PAB 8.73

127.49%

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

$1,938 $1,938

$551 PAB 551

252.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K $36.8K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

285.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 $55.0

$48.03 PAB 48.03

14.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$94.9 PAB 94.9

20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$113 PAB 113

30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,255 $3,255

$1,238 PAB 1,238

163.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,381 $2,381

$873 PAB 873

172.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,549 $5,549

$2,197 PAB 2,197

152.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,363 $4,363

$1,538 PAB 1,538

183.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,042 $8,042

$3,116 PAB 3,116

158.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,489 $6,489

$1,725 PAB 1,725

276.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,856 $4,856

$934 PAB 934

419.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.39

4.85%

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

Last update for San Diego, 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 Diego, CA

$2.4K 58.8%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 63.3% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$480 11.9%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 32.5% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$416 10.3%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 50.1% $208

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$395 9.8%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 48.9% $193

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$172 4.3%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 15.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$111 2.7%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 42.7% $47

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$94 2.3%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 64% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,255 in San Diego, 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 420% higher in San Diego, 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 $100 in San Diego, CA versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $324 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

02:55 2:55 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

2 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 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 Diego, CA Panama City 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Diego, CA is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,071 per month in San Diego, 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 48% more in San Diego, 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 $100 in San Diego, 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 Diego, CA at $4,047. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Diego, 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.

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 Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Diego, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.