Panama City vs San Jose, Costa Rica - Cost of Living Comparison

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Livingcost

Panama City San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1316
$1169
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3171
$3119
🏠 One person rent
$709
$496
🏘️ Family rent
$1291
$1078
🍽️ Food expenses
$426
$471
🚐 Transport expenses
$78
$71.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$901
$877
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
42
60
😀 Quality of life
67
67
🏙️ Population
881K
342K

The cost of living in Panama City is 13% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 4138th and 4518th ($1316 vs $1169) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 3rd in Panama and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Panama vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.7 months in Panama City compared to 0.8 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Panama City ranked 1st best city to live in Panama vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 3926th and 4043rd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Panama City vs San Jose, Costa Rica infographic

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Prices in Panama City vs San Jose, Costa Rica

Prices for goods and services in Panama City and San Jose are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Panama City San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$11.5
$10.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$51.8
$51.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.97
$9.47
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.6
$3.31
☕ Cappuccino
$4.35
$4.21
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.75
$1.78
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$836
$597
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$520
$368
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1703
$1266
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$980
$901
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$78.2
$42.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$119
$64.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$47.6
$40
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.97%
8.83%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2399
$1778
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1457
$1310
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$0.88
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$25.9
$40.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$12
$13.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.76
$1.96
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.11
$2.32
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.71
$2.15
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.63
$3.59
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.9
$9.52
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.45
$9.16
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.87
$13.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.91
$4.79
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.37
$1.38
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.8
$2.62
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.81
$2.58
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.1
$2.45
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.02
$2.21
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.98
$1.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.59
$3.02
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.98
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.14
$2.25
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.88
$4.81
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$9.43
$6.97
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.05
$8.01
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.43
$3.06
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.7
$3.18
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42
$57.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.85
$7.43
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$48.6
$62.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$13.5
$13.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$54.3
$84.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$86.9
$113
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$408
$369
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9581
$9894

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Cities near Panama City

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Balboa
$1189
16 km or 9.9 mi Tocumen
$1171
26 km or 16 mi Pacora
$1182
34 km or 21 mi La Chorrera
$917
59 km or 37 mi Colon
$1157
108 km or 67 mi Penonome
$940
154 km or 96 mi Chitre
$980
190 km or 118 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$961
321 km or 199 mi Turbo
$624
329 km or 204 mi David
$789
398 km or 247 mi Monteria
$633
403 km or 250 mi Limon
$1147
406 km or 252 mi Santa Cruz de Lorica
$573
452 km or 281 mi Sincelejo
$536
463 km or 288 mi Cartagena
$877
483 km or 300 mi Quibdo
$649
494 km or 307 mi Cartago
$1009
513 km or 319 mi San Jose
$1169
518 km or 322 mi Heredia
$1040
521 km or 324 mi Magangue
$582
526 km or 327 mi Bello
$778
529 km or 329 mi Alajuela
$1163
530 km or 329 mi Medellin
$867
534 km or 332 mi Envigado
$812
558 km or 347 mi Soledad
$851
559 km or 348 mi Barranquilla
$780
595 km or 370 mi Puntarenas
$1024
617 km or 383 mi Cartago
$639
617 km or 383 mi Cienaga
$661
623 km or 387 mi Manizales
$727
627 km or 390 mi Santa Teresa
$1114
627 km or 390 mi Pereira
$639
631 km or 392 mi Santa Marta
$705
632 km or 393 mi Buenaventura
$552
636 km or 395 mi Minca
$655
651 km or 404 mi Salento
$567
652 km or 405 mi Armenia
$551
657 km or 408 mi Tulua
$493
658 km or 409 mi Barrancabermeja
$592
675 km or 419 mi Liberia
$1220

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1040
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1163
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1009
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1024
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1147
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1114
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1220
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1473
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$805
246 km or 153 mi David
$789
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$647
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$680
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$699
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$787
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$548
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$961
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$458
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$614
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$940
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$627
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$980
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1157
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$917
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1189
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1316
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1171
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1182
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1107
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1031
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$702
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$738
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1147
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1117
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1112
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1093
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1153
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$676
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$892