Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Boquete

For one person, living is cheaper in Boquete: $1,473 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
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Boquete Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Boquete

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seattle, WA and in Boquete actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $1,473 in Boquete.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Boquete $1,473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $2,266 in Boquete.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Boquete $2,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $3,059 in Boquete.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Boquete $3,059

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 154% more expensive than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Boquete 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$6.46 PAB 6.46

280.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$39.90 PAB 39.90

149.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$7.58 PAB 7.58

101.85%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.88 PAB 3.88

70.62%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.34 PAB 1.34

142.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.21 PAB 1.21

157.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$2.26 PAB 2.26

243.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.08 PAB 5.08

56.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-32.40%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.08 PAB 2.08

137.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.14 PAB 2.14

188.32%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.54 PAB 2.54

95.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$9.20 PAB 9.20

106.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$7.77 PAB 7.77

140.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$15.16 PAB 15.16

52.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.39 PAB 4.39

35.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.97 PAB 0.97

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.49 PAB 4.49

15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$2.27 PAB 2.27

188.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.17 PAB 2.17

66.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.16 PAB 2.16

46.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.22 PAB 2.22

31.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.63 PAB 1.63

46.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$5.09 PAB 5.09

142.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$7.96 PAB 7.96

88.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.15 PAB 1.15

273.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.64 PAB 2.64

115.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.39 PAB 1.39

119.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$25.47 PAB 25.47

326.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.01 PAB 1.01

161.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.95 PAB 1.95

-10.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$29.64 PAB 29.64

1.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.18 PAB 1.18

23.73%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$25.1K PAB 25.1K

46.65%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$22.2K PAB 22.2K

15.75%

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

$299 $299

$58.7 PAB 58.7

410.09%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$26.10 PAB 26.10

166.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$43.09 PAB 43.09

109.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$81.3 PAB 81.3

-1.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$17.41 PAB 17.41

104.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$6.53 PAB 6.53

165.39%

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

$2,986 $2,986

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$6,039 PAB 6,039

418.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$24.55 PAB 24.55

216.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$25.25 PAB 25.25

117.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$44.67 PAB 44.67

181.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$841 PAB 841

186.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$701 PAB 701

180.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,562 PAB 1,562

206.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,309 PAB 1,309

172.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$1,163 PAB 1,163

538.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$1,151 PAB 1,151

335.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$799 PAB 799

685.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.5

5.38%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Boquete: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Boquete

$701 48.2% 64.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Boquete

$293 20.2% 45.9% $248

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Boquete

$128 8.8% 72.1% $331

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Boquete

$153 10.5% 62% $249

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Boquete

$43 * 2.9% 77.7% $148

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Boquete

$42 2.9% 68.4% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Boquete

$94 6.5% 17.7% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $841 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 686% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $40.00 in Boquete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $293 per month, with Boquete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

7,000

💱 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 →

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Seattle, WA Boquete 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Boquete

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

Seattle, WA vs Boquete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boquete is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 686% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $841 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,473 in Boquete – a 154% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,473 in Boquete versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Boquete but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Boquete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Boquete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Boquete are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Boquete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.