Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $4,319 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco, CA
Learn more

San Francisco, CA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index

Jump to prices

San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,319

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,319 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $4,319
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $6,503 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $6,503
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $8,686 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $8,686
Panama City $3,812

San Francisco, CA costs about 135% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Francisco, CA and Panama City sit above the global median – San Francisco, CA by 222%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 $26.68

$11.34 PAB 11.34

135.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$47.85 PAB 47.85

150.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$8.07 PAB 8.07

83.02%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$4.02 PAB 4.02

50.00%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$1.94 PAB 1.94

67.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.62 PAB 1.62

63.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.26 PAB 3.26

149.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.26 $9.26

$3.99 PAB 3.99

132.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-5.46%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.57 PAB 2.57

105.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.33 PAB 3.33

42.64%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$2.69 PAB 2.69

86.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$12.33 PAB 12.33

31.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$6.69 PAB 6.69

134.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 $22.18

$10.40 PAB 10.40

113.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.16 PAB 4.16

46.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.84 PAB 1.84

54.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.18 PAB 4.18

3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$4.08 PAB 4.08

70.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-16.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-17.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.34 PAB 2.34

24.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.75 PAB 1.75

56.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$6.06 PAB 6.06

100.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$11.72 PAB 11.72

25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.37 PAB 1.37

137.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.84 PAB 2.84

28.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.36 PAB 0.36

722.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 $93.4

$20.96 PAB 20.96

345.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.52 PAB 2.52

63.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 PAB 1.79

10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.24 $38.24

$22.01 PAB 22.01

73.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.25 PAB 1.25

24.80%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

72.03%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

22.35%

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

$213 $213

$131 PAB 131

62.20%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$27.68 PAB 27.68

120.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 $75.0

$48.59 PAB 48.59

54.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$46.11 PAB 46.11

159.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-42.47%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$8.73 PAB 8.73

109.39%

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

$2,918 $2,918

$551 PAB 551

430.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

341.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 $77.5

$67.6 PAB 67.6

14.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 $47.59

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$94.9 PAB 94.9

5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$113 PAB 113

23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,807 $3,807

$1,238 PAB 1,238

207.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$873 PAB 873

195.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,674 $5,674

$2,197 PAB 2,197

158.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,552 $4,552

$1,538 PAB 1,538

195.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,816 $9,816

$3,116 PAB 3,116

215.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,725 PAB 1,725

341.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,881 $6,881

$934 PAB 934

636.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.39

5.79%

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

Last update for San Francisco, 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 Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 66.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$516 12%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 37.1% $192

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$413 9.6%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 51.2% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$349 8.1%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 40.5% $141

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 11.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$156 3.6%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 59.3% $93

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$119 2.8%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 71.6% $85

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,807 in San Francisco, 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 636% higher in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $324 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

00:53 12:53 AM

02:53 2:53 AM

2 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Francisco, CA Panama City 5,350 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Francisco, CA is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,479 per month in San Francisco, 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 59% more in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, 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 Francisco, CA at $4,319. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Francisco, 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 Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.