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

Updated:

Livingcost

Panama City San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1583
$1454
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3567
$3624
🏠 One person rent
$976
$697
🏘️ Family rent
$1633
$1213
🍽️ Food expenses
$432
$527
🚐 Transport expenses
$69.1
$78.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$936
$935
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
42
60
😀 Quality of life
69
72
🏙️ Population
410K
335K

The cost of living in Panama City is 9% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 3744th and 4213th ($1583 vs $1454) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 2nd in Panama and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Panama vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.6 months in Panama City compared to 0.6 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 4400th and 3173rd among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Share this infographic!

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
$10.6
$11.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$45.3
$51
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.39
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.97
$2.9
☕ Cappuccino
$3.94
$4.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.71
$2.14
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1062
$821
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$794
$531
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1911
$1484
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1347
$973
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$82.5
$54.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$128
$83.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$45.4
$53.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.26%
9.69%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3048
$2465
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1725
$1757
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.2
$48.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17.4
$15.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.93
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.84
$2.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.23
$2.62
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.33
$2.38
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.26
$3.03
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.2
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.57
$8.94
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.64
$13.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.53
$4.34
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.62
$1.57
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.29
$4.35
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.03
$3.48
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.46
$3.75
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.74
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.16
$1.93
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.41
$3.28
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.6
$20.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.44
$2.64
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.04
$5.46
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.16
$8.15
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$9.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.96
$3.47
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.04
$4.31
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42.8
$59.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.3
$7.93
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$50.2
$96.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$14.5
$15.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$53.6
$67.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$91.3
$129
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$503
$704
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$13402
$14663

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Panama City

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Balboa
$1425
16 km or 9.9 mi Tocumen
$1403
26 km or 16 mi Pacora
$1395
34 km or 21 mi La Chorrera
$977
59 km or 37 mi Colon
$1179
108 km or 67 mi Penonome
$1153
154 km or 96 mi Chitre
$1154
190 km or 118 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
321 km or 199 mi Turbo
$764
329 km or 204 mi David
$922
398 km or 247 mi Monteria
$703
403 km or 250 mi Limon
$1332
406 km or 252 mi Santa Cruz de Lorica
$764
452 km or 281 mi Sincelejo
$572
463 km or 288 mi Cartagena
$1155
483 km or 300 mi Quibdo
$757
494 km or 307 mi Cartago
$1290
513 km or 319 mi San Jose
$1454
518 km or 322 mi Heredia
$1378
521 km or 324 mi Magangue
$707
526 km or 327 mi Bello
$915
529 km or 329 mi Alajuela
$1323
530 km or 329 mi Medellin
$1071
534 km or 332 mi Envigado
$992
558 km or 347 mi Soledad
$950
559 km or 348 mi Barranquilla
$909
595 km or 370 mi Puntarenas
$825
617 km or 383 mi Cartago
$738
617 km or 383 mi Cienaga
$874
623 km or 387 mi Manizales
$717
627 km or 390 mi Santa Teresa
$1273
627 km or 390 mi Pereira
$789
631 km or 392 mi Santa Marta
$971
632 km or 393 mi Buenaventura
$825
636 km or 395 mi Minca
$887
651 km or 404 mi Salento
$709
652 km or 405 mi Armenia
$719
657 km or 408 mi Tulua
$537
658 km or 409 mi Barrancabermeja
$1040
675 km or 419 mi Liberia
$957

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1378
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1323
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1290
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$825
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1332
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1273
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$957
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1832
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$840
246 km or 153 mi David
$922
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$782
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$699
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$812
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$796
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$679
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$470
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$754
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$687
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1153
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$787
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1154
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1179
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$977
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1425
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1583
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1403
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1395
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1120
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1109
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$705
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$737
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1274
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1246
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1237
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1221
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1178
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$626
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$804