Cost of Living · Americas
Cost of living in Panama City
Panama · Updated May 2026
Mid-tier monthly
$1,830
all categories below
Best for: Central America nomads who want USD currency and a real megacity.
Monthly breakdown
- Rent1-bedroom, central, decent neighborhood$900
- Groceriescooking ~50% of meals at home$280
- Dining out~12 meals out per month$280
- Transportmonthly transit pass or scooter$40
- Utilitieselectricity, water, 100Mbps internet$130
- Coworkingmonthly hot-desk membership$200
- Total$1,830
How Panama City compares
Versus four reference nomad cities, mid-tier monthly totals.
- Lisbon+8%
$1,980/mo
- Berlin+39%
$2,540/mo
- Bangkok-22%
$1,430/mo
- Mexico City+8%
$1,970/mo
Climate at a glance
Climate FinderJan
26°C
72% humidity · 0 mm/day rain
Apr
28°C
72% humidity · 2 mm/day rain
Jul
27°C
85% humidity · 9 mm/day rain
Oct
27°C
87% humidity · 12 mm/day rain
Field notes
Uses the US dollar — no FX hassle. Skyline city with surprisingly good infrastructure. Casco Viejo is the historic anchor; El Cangrejo and San Francisco are the typical nomad neighborhoods. Panama has a Friendly Nations Visa and a short-stay nomad path.
Useful while you’re in Panama City
Travel insurance
Long-term, nomad-friendly cover that travels with you to Panama City
Multi-currency banking
Avoid the 4% conversion fees foreign cards rack up in Panama
eSIM data plan
Day-one connectivity in Panama without local-SIM friction
Coworking & coliving
Day passes, monthly memberships, and verified workspaces in Panama City
Flight deals
Cheapest routes in and out of Panama City
Cities at a similar price point
Editorial estimates aggregated from public data (Numbeo, expat surveys, recent nomad reports). Prices vary by neighborhood and lifestyle — treat the totals as an order-of-magnitude comparison, not a budget.