Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,595 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,595

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Sydney, NS vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Sydney, NS $1,595
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $2,519 per month in Sydney, NS vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Sydney, NS $2,519
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $3,443 per month in Sydney, NS vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Sydney, NS $3,443
Panama City $3,753

Sydney, NS is about 14% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sydney, NS and Panama City sit above the global median – Sydney, NS by 18%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 CA$15.57

$11.63 PAB 11.63

-5.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 CA$89.7

$47.92 PAB 47.92

32.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 CA$10.40

$7.96 PAB 7.96

-7.54%

Cappuccino

$2.84 CA$4.02

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-32.70%

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

$2.29 CA$3.23

$2.01 PAB 2.01

13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$1.56 PAB 1.56

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.85 PAB 1.85

21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-3.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-30.75%

Eggs

$3.19 CA$4.50

$2.69 PAB 2.69

18.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 CA$8.89

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 CA$11.36

$6.83 PAB 6.83

17.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 CA$18.47

$10.58 PAB 10.58

23.44%

Apples (1kg)

$7.04 CA$9.96

$4.18 PAB 4.18

68.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-34.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.02

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-64.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 CA$1.10

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-77.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CA$2.76

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-53.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.41 CA$9.06

$2.41 PAB 2.41

165.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.79 CA$25.15

$6.14 PAB 6.14

189.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$2.73 PAB 2.73

54.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 CA$1.53

$0.33 PAB 0.33

227.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.58 CA$67.3

$21.23 PAB 21.23

124.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 CA$5.80

$2.52 PAB 2.52

62.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.66

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-6.40%

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

$25.6K CA$36.2K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

20.58%

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

$19.0K CA$26.9K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

-9.49%

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

$88.1 CA$124

$130 PAB 130

-32.18%

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

$34.80 CA$49.20

$28.13 PAB 28.13

23.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 CA$104

$48.21 PAB 48.21

52.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.87 CA$67.7

$45.78 PAB 45.78

4.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.40 CA$4.80

$34.92 PAB 34.92

-90.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 CA$9.80

$8.67 PAB 8.67

-20.07%

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

$698 CA$987

$544 PAB 544

28.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 CA$95.6

$66.8 PAB 66.8

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 CA$93.6

$49.14 PAB 49.14

34.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 CA$140

$93.9 PAB 93.9

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$149

$112 PAB 112

-5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 CA$1,273

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 CA$1,002

$875 PAB 875

-18.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 CA$2,503

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-17.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 CA$1,932

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-12.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 CA$3,536

$916 PAB 916

173.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.8

6.39

-9.23%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 12, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney, NS

$709 44.5%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 23.4% $166

Groceries & Markets

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16.2%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 26.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney, NS

$196 12.3%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 5% $9.9

Eating Out

Sydney, NS

$162 * 10.1%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 27.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney, NS

$152 9.5%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 5% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney, NS

$62 3.9%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 2.2% $1.4

Getting Around

Sydney, NS

$56 * 3.5%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 38.6% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Sydney, NS versus $1,257 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 173% higher in Sydney, NS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Sydney, NS versus $48.00 in Panama City. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Sydney, NS vs $325 in Panama City – so Sydney, NS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

2 h behind Sydney, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,960

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sydney, NS Panama City 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney, NS
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

Sydney, NS vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,392 per month in Sydney, NS and $2,783 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sydney, NS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Panama City, 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 $63.0 in Sydney, NS and $48.00 in Panama City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sydney, NS – 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 Sydney, NS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.