Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Panama

Name: Panama
Address: PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama: $1,619 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Panama
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Panama Living Index

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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Panama

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

A single person spends $2,462 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,619 in Panama, rent included.

United Kingdom $2,462
Panama $1,619

A couple spends around $3,600 per month in the United Kingdom vs $2,502 in Panama, rent included.

United Kingdom $3,600
Panama $2,502

A family of three spends $4,738 per month in the United Kingdom vs $3,384 in Panama, rent included.

United Kingdom $4,738
Panama $3,384

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in Panama ($174–$1,932), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United Kingdom is about 52% higher than in Panama on average.

Both the United Kingdom and Panama are pricier than the global median – the United Kingdom by 81%, Panama by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 £16.04

$8.22 PAB 8.22

161.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 £64.0

$44.37 PAB 44.37

93.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.92

$8.18 PAB 8.18

29.71%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.67

$4.02 PAB 4.02

22.14%

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

$2.66 £1.99

$1.63 PAB 1.63

63.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.35 PAB 1.35

38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 £4.95

$2.20 PAB 2.20

201.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.11

$4.06 PAB 4.06

68.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.87 PAB 1.87

-10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.43 PAB 2.43

-29.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.62

$3.04 PAB 3.04

-28.62%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.99

$2.47 PAB 2.47

61.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 £7.03

$12.09 PAB 12.09

-22.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 £6.86

$7.24 PAB 7.24

26.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 £11.03

$10.09 PAB 10.09

46.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$4.13 PAB 4.13

-28.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.50 PAB 1.50

8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$3.61 PAB 3.61

-21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.63

$3.84 PAB 3.84

-8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$2.63 PAB 2.63

-30.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-50.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$2.21 PAB 2.21

-43.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.59 PAB 1.59

4.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.65 £17.66

$5.96 PAB 5.96

296.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 £7.84

$9.88 PAB 9.88

6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.23

$1.39 PAB 1.39

114.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.62

$2.40 PAB 2.40

46.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.97

$0.41 PAB 0.41

870.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £80.2

$21.33 PAB 21.33

403.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 £3.87

$2.56 PAB 2.56

102.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.84 PAB 1.84

27.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.84 £20.04

$21.97 PAB 21.97

22.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.17 PAB 1.17

70.09%

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

$39.4K £29.5K

$26.0K PAB 26.0K

51.76%

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

$40.5K £30.2K

$22.9K PAB 22.9K

77.11%

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

$327 £244

$116 PAB 116

181.30%

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

$18.21 £13.60

$26.53 PAB 26.53

-31.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.56

$46.36 PAB 46.36

-5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 £31.63

$47.47 PAB 47.47

-10.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 £13.60

$30.48 PAB 30.48

-40.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.34

$7.77 PAB 7.77

78.25%

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

$1,868 £1,395

$541 PAB 541

245.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.9K

$7,955 PAB 7,955

184.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 £69.4

$55.3 PAB 55.3

68.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.92 £34.29

$44.64 PAB 44.64

2.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$88.1 PAB 88.1

15.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.3

$102 PAB 102

-0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 £1,002

$994 PAB 994

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 £801

$727 PAB 727

47.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 £1,666

$1,830 PAB 1,830

21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 £1,301

$1,390 PAB 1,390

25.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,601 £4,182

$3,036 PAB 3,036

84.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,265 £3,185

$1,764 PAB 1,764

141.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,349 £2,501

$821 PAB 821

307.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

6.37

-16.48%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for Panama: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6%

Panama

$727 44.9% 32.2% $346

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United Kingdom

$389 15.8%

Panama

$189 11.7% 51.4% $200

Eating Out

United Kingdom

$328 13.3%

Panama

$170 10.5% 48.2% $158

Groceries & Markets

United Kingdom

$307 12.5%

Panama

$305 18.8% 0.8% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

United Kingdom

$154 6.3%

Panama

$131 8.1% 15.3% $24

Getting Around

United Kingdom

$140 5.7%

Panama

$35 2.2% 75.2% $106

Sport & Entertainment

United Kingdom

$70 2.9%

Panama

$63 3.9% 10% $7

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,287 in the United Kingdom vs $735 in Panama. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,811 in London and $1,407 in Panama City.

Average salary: $3,251 in the United Kingdom vs $692 in Panama. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 75% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 93% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 339% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 4.7 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇵🇦 Panama

🕒 Local time

14:23 2:23 PM

09:23 9:23 AM

5 h behind the United Kingdom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,326,569

4,098,587

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United Kingdom Panama 8,500 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

United Kingdom
Panama

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

United Kingdom vs Panama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 34% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 versus $735 in Panama.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Panama – part of why living there is about 34% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Panama, but in the United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Panama is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.