Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Panama City, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City, FL: $2,409 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Panama City, FL
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Panama City, FL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Panama City, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Panama City, FL

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 Panama City, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,409 in Panama City, FL.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Panama City, FL $2,409

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,287 in Panama City, FL.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Panama City, FL $3,287

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,165 in Panama City, FL.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Panama City, FL $4,165

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 57% more expensive than in Panama City, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Panama City, FL 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.74 $18.74

35.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$54.0 $54.0

86.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.11 $12.11

21.88%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.60 $5.60

16.07%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.89 $2.89

11.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.70 $1.70

84.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.10 $5.10

56.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.12 $7.12

14.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.46 $3.46

53.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.66 $2.66

140.60%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.30 $3.30

53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.78 $10.78

73.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.61 $11.61

61.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$14.64 $14.64

56.28%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.10 $4.10

47.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.49 $1.49

30.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.73 $2.73

101.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.30 $4.30

51.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.11 $3.11

12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.84 $2.84

15.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.09 $2.09

33.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.22 $2.22

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.31 $9.31

34.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.15 $12.15

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.70 $1.70

146.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.86 $3.86

50.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.46 $1.46

108.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$35.52 $35.52

198.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.55 $2.55

1.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.51 $1.51

8.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$26.17 $26.17

15.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.98 $0.98

43.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

33.82%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.47%

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

$308 $308

$169 $169

81.64%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$44.38 $44.38

55.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$59.5 $59.5

44.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$24.35 $24.35

213.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.87 $12.87

40.02%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$618 $618

344.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$13.9K $13.9K

120.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$48.26 $48.26

64.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$40.43 $40.43

34.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$84.5 $84.5

50.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$95.9 $95.9

65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$921 $921

172.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,248 $1,248

55.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,673 $1,673

205.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,662 $1,662

113.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,269 $3,269

125.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,694 $2,694

85.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,980 $3,980

62.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.54

5.35%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Panama City, FL: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Panama City, FL

$1.2K 51.8% 35.6% $691

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Panama City, FL

$354 14.7% 35.3% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Panama City, FL

$273 11.3% 41% $190

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Panama City, FL

$312 12.9% 23.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Panama City, FL

$121 5% 35.8% $68

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Panama City, FL

$51 2.1% 60.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Panama City, FL

$50 2.1% 55.5% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $921 in Panama City, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $54 in Panama City, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $354 per month, with Panama City, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Panama City, FL

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

36,484

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Panama City, FL 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Panama City, FL

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 Panama City, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City, FL wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Panama City, FL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $921 in Panama City, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $618 in Panama City, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Panama City, FL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Panama City, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.