Panama City at a glance
- Panama City is the most expensive of Panama's 3 priced cities: $1,507 a month in essentials, 53% above Santiago at $987.
- The average net salary of $931 covers that 0.6×.
- 99.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at province/comarca level.
- PM2.5 averages 8 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 3 Panama cities we track, so every row says whether Panama City is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,507 | $1,143 | 1.32× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $902 | $700 | 1.29× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,242 | $825 | 1.51× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $183 | $159 | $24 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $225 | $225 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $176 | $176 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $21 | $25 | $4 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $931 | $800 | $131 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,468 | $1,300 | $168 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,004 | $1,567 | 1.28× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Panama City, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.00 | $10.00 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $50.00 | $50.00 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $8.00 | $8.00 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.07 | $3.79 | $0.28 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.00 | $3.00 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.00 | $4.82 | $0.82 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.81 | $1.67 | $0.14 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.44 | $1.24 | $0.20 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.85 | $1.80 | $0.05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.34 | $2.10 | $0.24 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.11 | $2.20 | 1.41× as much |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.74 | $2.74 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $12.21 | $11.28 | $0.93 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.28 | $7.08 | $0.80 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.14 | $4.14 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.60 | $1.60 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.04 | $2.20 | 1.84× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.90 | $2.20 | 1.32× as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $4.03 | $2.20 | 1.83× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.75 | $1.67 | $0.08 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.35 | $0.86 | 2.46× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $21.00 | $25.00 | $4.00 |
| Taxi start | $2.50 | $1.00 | 2.50× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.81 | $1.81 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.16 | $1.16 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $128.35 | $128.35 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $47.43 | $42.50 | $4.93 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $29.95 | $26.18 | $3.77 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $45.24 | $45.24 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.25 | $7.71 | $0.54 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Panama City has 99.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (province/comarca level). That is the 4th-highest of 6 Panama cities we track. Panama's national figure is 102.4, so Panama City runs 3 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Panama City ranks against every city we track
Panama City sits ahead of 74% of the 898 cities we track on clean air. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 56% of 892. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 13% of 534.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Panama City sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Dronepicr, CC BY 3.0.
