Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and San Miguelito

For one person, living is cheaper in San Miguelito: $962 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in San Miguelito
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San Miguelito Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

San Miguelito

🇵🇦 Panama

$962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in San Miguelito

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

A single person spends $2,683 per month in Vancouver vs $962 in San Miguelito, rent included.

Vancouver $2,683
San Miguelito $962

A couple spends around $3,963 per month in Vancouver vs $1,540 in San Miguelito, rent included.

Vancouver $3,963
San Miguelito $1,540

A family of three spends $5,244 per month in Vancouver vs $2,118 in San Miguelito, rent included.

Vancouver $5,244
San Miguelito $2,118

Vancouver costs about 179% more than San Miguelito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Vancouver sits 98% above the global median, while San Miguelito is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.45

$11.70 PAB 11.70

54.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.8

$48.12 PAB 48.12

47.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.86

$7.97 PAB 7.97

32.62%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.58

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-4.57%

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

$2.07 CA$2.91

$1.99 PAB 1.99

4.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.60

$1.58 PAB 1.58

17.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.97

$3.38 PAB 3.38

67.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 CA$9.30

$4.04 PAB 4.04

63.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.03

$1.91 PAB 1.91

13.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.63

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.04

$3.35 PAB 3.35

28.36%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.76

$2.81 PAB 2.81

45.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 CA$17.04

$12.22 PAB 12.22

-0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 CA$18.68

$6.67 PAB 6.67

99.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 CA$28.28

$10.59 PAB 10.59

89.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.58

$4.07 PAB 4.07

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.01

$1.89 PAB 1.89

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.21

$4.17 PAB 4.17

-11.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.52

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-2.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$3.38 PAB 3.38

-15.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.19

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-29.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.68

$2.42 PAB 2.42

7.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.30

$1.77 PAB 1.77

-7.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.42

$6.07 PAB 6.07

162.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.04

$11.49 PAB 11.49

24.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.55

$1.42 PAB 1.42

77.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.04

$2.81 PAB 2.81

2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.61

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.86

$2.51 PAB 2.51

9.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-8.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 CA$44.86

$22.36 PAB 22.36

42.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.19 PAB 1.19

22.69%

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

$26.7K CA$37.6K

$24.6K PAB 24.6K

8.68%

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

$21.0K CA$29.6K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

-1.36%

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

$88.2 CA$124

$130 PAB 130

-32.09%

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

$36.72 CA$51.6

$27.62 PAB 27.62

32.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 CA$70.1

$49.46 PAB 49.46

0.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 CA$63.8

$51.0 PAB 51.0

-11.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$17.06

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 CA$17.65

$8.67 PAB 8.67

44.75%

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

$1,055 CA$1,484

$536 PAB 536

96.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$40.1K

$9,633 PAB 9,633

195.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.3

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-16.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 CA$48.34

$47.43 PAB 47.43

-27.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$92.7 PAB 92.7

-3.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$133

$110 PAB 110

-14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,444

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,150

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 CA$4,369

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CA$3,582

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,540 CA$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,328 CA$8,899

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 CA$5,302

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

6.39

-33.65%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Miguelito: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

San Miguelito

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$398 14.9%

San Miguelito

$326 33.9% 18.2% $72

Eating Out

Vancouver

$281 10.5%

San Miguelito

$207 21.5% 26.5% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$175 6.5%

San Miguelito

$207 21.5% 18.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.6%

San Miguelito

$143 14.9% 15.6% $19

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 3.9%

San Miguelito

$11 * 1.2% 89.2% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

San Miguelito

$68 7.1% 3% $2.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Vancouver versus $48 in San Miguelito. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $326 – making San Miguelito the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇵🇦 San Miguelito

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

16:29 4:29 PM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

375,409

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.895 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver San Miguelito 6,020 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
San Miguelito

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

Vancouver vs San Miguelito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 179% more than San Miguelito, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,024 per month in Vancouver and $1,444 in San Miguelito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Vancouver and $48 in San Miguelito. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Vancouver, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,683 in Vancouver and $962 in San Miguelito. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. San Miguelito has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $962 in San Miguelito to $2,683 in Vancouver. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.