Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguelito and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in San Miguelito: $962 a month against $1,972 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in San Miguelito
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San Miguelito Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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San Miguelito

🇵🇦 Panama

$962

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $962 per month in San Miguelito vs $1,972 in Panama City, rent included.

San Miguelito $962
Panama City $1,972

A couple spends around $1,540 per month in San Miguelito vs $2,930 in Panama City, rent included.

San Miguelito $1,540
Panama City $2,930

A family of three spends $2,118 per month in San Miguelito vs $3,888 in Panama City, rent included.

San Miguelito $2,118
Panama City $3,888

San Miguelito is about 51% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

San Miguelito sits 29% below the global median, while Panama City is 46% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.70 PAB 11.70

$11.37 PAB 11.37

2.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.12 PAB 48.12

$46.69 PAB 46.69

3.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 PAB 7.97

$7.98 PAB 7.98

-0.13%

Cappuccino

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$4.12 PAB 4.12

0.97%

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

$1.99 PAB 1.99

$2.01 PAB 2.01

-1.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$1.57 PAB 1.57

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 PAB 3.38

$3.28 PAB 3.28

3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PAB 4.04

$3.88 PAB 3.88

4.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PAB 1.91

$1.82 PAB 1.82

4.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.61 PAB 2.61

2.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 PAB 3.35

$3.45 PAB 3.45

-2.90%

Eggs

$2.81 PAB 2.81

$2.68 PAB 2.68

4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 PAB 12.22

$12.42 PAB 12.42

-1.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 PAB 6.67

$6.73 PAB 6.73

-0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 PAB 10.59

$10.44 PAB 10.44

1.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 PAB 4.07

$4.21 PAB 4.21

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 PAB 1.89

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 PAB 4.17

$4.07 PAB 4.07

2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 PAB 4.02

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 PAB 3.38

$3.46 PAB 3.46

-2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$4.42 PAB 4.42

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 PAB 2.42

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PAB 1.77

$1.72 PAB 1.72

2.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 PAB 6.07

$6.04 PAB 6.04

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.49 PAB 11.49

$11.68 PAB 11.68

-1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.41 PAB 1.41

0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 PAB 2.81

$2.74 PAB 2.74

2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 PAB 20.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 PAB 2.51

$2.45 PAB 2.45

2.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.76 PAB 1.76

1.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.36 PAB 22.36

$21.86 PAB 21.86

2.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 PAB 1.19

$1.20 PAB 1.20

-0.83%

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

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

0.10%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$20.9K PAB 20.9K

2.06%

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

$130 PAB 130

$132 PAB 132

-1.39%

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

$27.62 PAB 27.62

$27.89 PAB 27.89

-0.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.46 PAB 49.46

$49.10 PAB 49.10

0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 PAB 51.0

$44.53 PAB 44.53

14.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.01 PAB 34.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$8.70 PAB 8.70

-0.34%

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

$536 PAB 536

$537 PAB 537

-0.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,633 PAB 9,633

$20.5K PAB 20.5K

-53.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$65.8 PAB 65.8

2.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.43 PAB 47.43

$48.45 PAB 48.45

-2.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 PAB 92.7

$95.4 PAB 95.4

-2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 PAB 110

$114 PAB 114

-3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 PAB 1,405

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 PAB 994

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 PAB 2,221

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 PAB 1,714

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 PAB 3,139

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 PAB 1,724

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$936 PAB 936

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 Miguelito: November 2, 2026

Last update for Panama City: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San Miguelito

$326 33.9%

Panama City

$326 16.5% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Miguelito

$207 21.5%

Panama City

$209 10.6% 0.8% $1.7

Eating Out

San Miguelito

$207 21.5%

Panama City

$203 10.3% 1.9% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

San Miguelito

$143 14.9%

Panama City

$145 7.4% 1.7% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

San Miguelito

$68 7.1%

Panama City

$62 3.1% 9.3% $6.4

Getting Around

San Miguelito

$11 * 1.2%

Panama City

$33 1.7% 192% $22

Accommodation & Living

San Miguelito

- * 0%

Panama City

$994 50.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in San Miguelito versus $47 in Panama City. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in San Miguelito vs $326 in Panama City – so San Miguelito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 San Miguelito

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

Same time as San Miguelito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

375,409

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.888 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Miguelito Panama City 10 km

From you

San Miguelito
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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 Miguelito vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 105%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,444 per month in San Miguelito and $2,958 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $962 in San Miguelito and $1,972 in Panama City. That makes San Miguelito about 51% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $536 per month in San Miguelito and $537 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $962 in San Miguelito and $1,972 in Panama City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $962 in San Miguelito to $1,972 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.