Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vasto and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Vasto: $1,683 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Panama City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Vasto
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Vasto Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Vasto

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,683

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,683 per month in Vasto vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Vasto $1,683
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $2,547 per month in Vasto vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Vasto $2,547
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $3,412 per month in Vasto vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Vasto $3,412
Panama City $3,753

Vasto is about 9% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vasto and Panama City sit above the global median – Vasto by 25%, Panama City by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 €15.14

$11.63 PAB 11.63

46.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.0

$47.92 PAB 47.92

40.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 €9.94

$7.96 PAB 7.96

40.45%

Cappuccino

$2.01 €1.79

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-52.37%

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

$2.97 €2.64

$2.01 PAB 2.01

47.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.56 PAB 1.56

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$3.39 PAB 3.39

65.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 €6.11

$3.94 PAB 3.94

74.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-7.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.95

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-14.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-14.37%

Eggs

$4.51 €4.01

$2.69 PAB 2.69

67.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 €13.08

$12.57 PAB 12.57

17.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.36 €10.99

$6.83 PAB 6.83

80.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.88 €17.68

$10.58 PAB 10.58

87.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-39.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.02

$1.83 PAB 1.83

24.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-42.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-40.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.28

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-58.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.45

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-61.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-42.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 €0.31

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-79.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 €6.49

$6.14 PAB 6.14

18.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €5.08

$11.30 PAB 11.30

-49.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.42 PAB 1.42

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.73 PAB 2.73

-8.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 €1.31

$0.33 PAB 0.33

345.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €41.66

$21.23 PAB 21.23

120.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 €5.80

$2.52 PAB 2.52

158.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-9.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.42 €29.73

$21.78 PAB 21.78

53.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.25 PAB 1.25

72.00%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

66.80%

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

$35.4K €31.5K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

68.56%

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

$208 €185

$130 PAB 130

60.18%

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

$11.50 €10.23

$28.13 PAB 28.13

-59.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.01 €28.47

$48.21 PAB 48.21

-33.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.86

$45.78 PAB 45.78

15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 €19.46

$34.92 PAB 34.92

-37.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 €10.07

$8.67 PAB 8.67

30.57%

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

$493 €439

$544 PAB 544

-9.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.1K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

74.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 €64.0

$66.8 PAB 66.8

7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.66 €32.61

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-25.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 €73.8

$93.9 PAB 93.9

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €107

$112 PAB 112

8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 €657

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-41.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 €507

$875 PAB 875

-34.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €1,022

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-46.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 €805

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-42.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,931 €2,607

$3,122 PAB 3,122

-6.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,996 €1,775

$1,709 PAB 1,709

16.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

6.39

-44.91%

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

Last update for Vasto: October 13, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vasto

$570 33.9%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 53.5% $305

Groceries & Markets

Vasto

$324 19.3%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 0.2% $0.7

Eating Out

Vasto

$253 15.1%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 18.4% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vasto

$251 15%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 18% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Vasto

$140 8.4%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 2.9% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Vasto

$75 4.5%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 16.2% $12

Getting Around

Vasto

$68 4%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 49.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $739 in Vasto 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Vasto versus $48.00 in Panama City. Groceries tell a different story – $324 in Vasto vs $325 in Panama City – so Vasto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Vasto

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

11:17 11:17 AM

7 h behind Vasto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,087

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vasto Panama City 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Vasto
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

Vasto vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,524 per month in Vasto 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 Vasto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% 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 $67.0 in Vasto and $48.00 in Panama City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Vasto, where all-in costs run around $1,683, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Vasto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vasto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Vasto. 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.