Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,562 in San Dimas, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

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

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,562

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,562 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $2,562
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $3,689 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $3,689
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $4,816 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $4,816
Panama City $3,812

San Dimas, CA costs about 39% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Dimas, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – San Dimas, CA by 91%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.15 $12.15

$11.34 PAB 11.34

7.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 $50.7

$47.85 PAB 47.85

5.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 $9.15

$8.07 PAB 8.07

13.38%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$4.02 PAB 4.02

45.52%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$1.94 PAB 1.94

76.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.62 PAB 1.62

46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 $7.58

$3.26 PAB 3.26

132.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.99 PAB 3.99

102.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-43.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.57 PAB 2.57

55.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.33 PAB 3.33

45.65%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$2.69 PAB 2.69

72.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 $12.87

$12.33 PAB 12.33

4.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.05 $20.05

$6.69 PAB 6.69

199.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 $15.40

$10.40 PAB 10.40

48.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.16 PAB 4.16

18.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.18 PAB 4.18

30.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$4.08 PAB 4.08

44.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.50 PAB 3.50

6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-47.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-13.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.75 PAB 1.75

9.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$6.06 PAB 6.06

95.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$11.72 PAB 11.72

29.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.37 PAB 1.37

44.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.84 PAB 2.84

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.36 PAB 0.36

455.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.52 PAB 2.52

146.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-4.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.65 $33.65

$22.01 PAB 22.01

52.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.25 PAB 1.25

21.60%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

69.85%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

29.54%

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

$170 $170

$131 PAB 131

29.78%

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

$66.2 $66.2

$27.68 PAB 27.68

139.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$48.59 PAB 48.59

24.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.71 $41.71

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$8.73 PAB 8.73

71.36%

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

$1,917 $1,917

$551 PAB 551

248.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K $25.6K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

167.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 $39.64

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-17.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$94.9 PAB 94.9

-1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$113 PAB 113

27.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$1,238 PAB 1,238

28.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 $1,470

$873 PAB 873

68.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 $2,483

$2,197 PAB 2,197

13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 $2,341

$1,538 PAB 1,538

52.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 $2,666

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-14.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 $2,437

$1,725 PAB 1,725

41.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,989 $3,989

$934 PAB 934

326.94%

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 Dimas, CA: October 3, 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 Dimas, CA

$1.5K 53.6%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 40.6% $596

Groceries & Markets

San Dimas, CA

$455 16.6%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 28.8% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Dimas, CA

$297 10.8%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 30.1% $89

Eating Out

San Dimas, CA

$272 9.9%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 25.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

San Dimas, CA

$151 5.5%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 3.7% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.6%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 11.3% $8.1

Getting Around

San Dimas, CA

$23 * 0.8%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 48.9% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,593 in San Dimas, 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 327% higher in San Dimas, 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 $51.0 in San Dimas, CA versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $455 vs $324 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

22:44 10:44 PM

2 h ahead of San Dimas, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,714

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 Dimas, CA Panama City 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Dimas, CA is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,843 per month in San Dimas, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,562 in San Dimas, CA and $1,837 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 39%.

Kindergarten costs $1,917 per month in San Dimas, CA and $551 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing 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 Dimas, CA at $2,562. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Dimas, 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 Dimas, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.