Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sierra Vista, AZ and Panama City

For one person, living costs are similar in Sierra Vista, AZ and in Panama City: $1,949 and $1,857 a month, rent and utilities included.

Sierra Vista, AZ
🇺🇸 United States
$1,949
/mo nomad
Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,857
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in Sierra Vista, AZ vs $1,857 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Sierra Vista, AZ $1,949
  • Panama City $1,857

A couple spends around $2,894 per month in Sierra Vista, AZ vs $2,815 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Sierra Vista, AZ $2,894
  • Panama City $2,815

A family of three spends $3,840 per month in Sierra Vista, AZ vs $3,773 in Panama City, rent included.

  • Sierra Vista, AZ $3,840
  • Panama City $3,773

Sierra Vista, AZ costs about 5% more than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sierra Vista, AZ and Panama City sit above the global median – Sierra Vista, AZ by 44%, Panama City by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.17 $17.17
$11.68 PAB 11.68
47.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.5 $65.5
$47.76 PAB 47.76
37.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.59 $14.59
$8.12 PAB 8.12
79.68%
Cappuccino
$6.23 $6.23
$4.23 PAB 4.23
47.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 $2.17
$1.92 PAB 1.92
13.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 $1.55
$1.58 PAB 1.58
-1.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.44 $5.44
$3.31 PAB 3.31
64.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.18 $8.18
$3.98 PAB 3.98
105.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.79 $0.79
$1.92 PAB 1.92
-58.85%
White Bread (500g)
$3.24 $3.24
$2.63 PAB 2.63
23.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 $2.10
$3.39 PAB 3.39
-38.05%
Eggs
$4.36 $4.36
$2.67 PAB 2.67
63.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.18 $14.18
$12.21 PAB 12.21
16.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.30 $13.30
$6.91 PAB 6.91
92.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.84 $14.84
$10.58 PAB 10.58
40.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$4.16 PAB 4.16
-35.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.97 PAB 1.97
-26.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.11 $4.11
$4.06 PAB 4.06
1.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 $2.20
$4.18 PAB 4.18
-47.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$3.47 PAB 3.47
-43.80%
Onion (1kg)
$2.99 $2.99
$4.26 PAB 4.26
-29.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.31 $2.31
$2.44 PAB 2.44
-5.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 $2.64
$1.69 PAB 1.69
56.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.15 $11.15
$5.83 PAB 5.83
91.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$11.43 PAB 11.43
28.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.38 PAB 1.38
75.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 $3.22
$2.76 PAB 2.76
16.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.33 PAB 0.33
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$20.63 PAB 20.63
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.70 $2.70
$2.55 PAB 2.55
5.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.78 PAB 1.78
-23.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.81 $35.81
$22.17 PAB 22.17
61.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.24 PAB 1.24
-12.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$24.4K PAB 24.4K
47.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$21.3K PAB 21.3K
21.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 $134
$131 PAB 131
2.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.4 $50.4
$27.83 PAB 27.83
81.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.2 $77.2
$49.32 PAB 49.32
56.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$45.69 PAB 45.69
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.10 PAB 34.10
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.22 $12.22
$8.47 PAB 8.47
44.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$981 $981
$553 PAB 553
77.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K $22.8K
$9,719 PAB 9,719
134.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.9 $60.9
$66.4 PAB 66.4
-8.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.79 $43.79
$47.39 PAB 47.39
-7.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 $109
$95.7 PAB 95.7
13.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 $134
$113 PAB 113
18.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$913 $913
$1,322 PAB 1,322
-30.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$812 $812
$874 PAB 874
-7.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,332 $1,332
$2,153 PAB 2,153
-38.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,313 $1,313
$1,580 PAB 1,580
-16.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,008 $2,008
$3,097 PAB 3,097
-35.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,971 $1,971
$1,698 PAB 1,698
16.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sierra Vista, AZ
Panama City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,182 $4,182
$914 PAB 914
357.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.38
6.39
-0.16%

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

Last update for Sierra Vista, AZ: October 19, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sierra Vista, AZ
$812
Panama City
$874 7.7% $62
Groceries & Markets
Sierra Vista, AZ
$370
Panama City
$327 11.7% $43
Eating Out
Sierra Vista, AZ
$314
Panama City
$207 34.1% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sierra Vista, AZ
$262
Panama City
$208 20.5% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Sierra Vista, AZ
$156
Panama City
$145 7.3% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Sierra Vista, AZ
$24 *
Panama City
$63 156% $38
Getting Around
Sierra Vista, AZ
$9.5 *
Panama City
$33 252% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 in Sierra Vista, AZ versus $1,322 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 358% higher in Sierra Vista, AZ, 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 $66.0 in Sierra Vista, AZ versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $327 – making Panama City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Sierra Vista, AZ
🇵🇦 Panama City
🕒 Local time
01:11 1:11 AM
03:11 3:11 AM
2 h ahead of Sierra Vista, AZ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,308
1,086,990 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sierra Vista, AZ Panama City 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sierra Vista, AZ
  • 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
Sierra Vista, AZ vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Panama City cheaper than Sierra Vista, AZ?
Yes – Sierra Vista, AZ is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,923 per month in Sierra Vista, AZ and $2,786 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Sierra Vista, AZ and in Panama City?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,949 in Sierra Vista, AZ and $1,857 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 5%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $981 per month in Sierra Vista, AZ and $553 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Sierra Vista, AZ or in Panama City?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Panama City, where all-in costs run around $1,857, than in Sierra Vista, AZ at $1,949. In Panama City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sierra Vista, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sierra Vista, AZ or Panama City more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Panama City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sierra Vista, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Sierra Vista, AZ vs other spots: cost of living compared

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