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
$1590
$1574
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3556
$3920
🏠 One person rent
$946
$747
🏘️ Family rent
$1545
$1276
🍽️ Food expenses
$439
$579
🚐 Transport expenses
$100
$85.8
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$973
$1063
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
42
60
😀 Quality of life
71
73
🏙️ Population
1.54M
335K

The cost of living in Panama City is 1% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 3634th and 3714th ($1590 vs $1574) 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 0.7 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 3213th and 2425th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$9.69
$12.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$45.4
$49.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.03
$11.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.93
$3.36
☕ Cappuccino
$4.3
$5.2
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.82
$2.34
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1068
$821
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$747
$585
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1913
$1456
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1223
$1048
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$90.4
$58.3
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$140
$89.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$44.6
$56.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.27%
9.32%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3111
$2299
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1732
$1800
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$1.09
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.5
$56.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$14.7
$16
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.98
$1.45
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.83
$2.43
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.17
$3.01
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$2.56
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.11
$3.5
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.1
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.11
$9.83
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.6
$13.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.56
$5.01
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.54
$1.73
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.7
$4.77
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.36
$3.76
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.62
$4.11
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.19
$3.66
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.24
$2.1
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.37
$3.6
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.1
$23.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.35
$2.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.95
$5.9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.08
$9.27
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.95
$9.95
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.92
$3.95
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.05
$4.6
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$41.9
$68.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.52
$8.55
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$42.9
$104
💇 Haircut, simple
$14.5
$16
👖 Brand Jeans
$58.4
$70.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$90.7
$140
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$505
$814
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$11486
$16872

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Cities near Panama City

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Balboa
$1396
16 km or 9.9 mi Tocumen
$1373
26 km or 16 mi Pacora
$1361
34 km or 21 mi La Chorrera
$982
59 km or 37 mi Colon
$1185
108 km or 67 mi Penonome
$1147
154 km or 96 mi Chitre
$1144
190 km or 118 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1112
321 km or 199 mi Turbo
$797
329 km or 204 mi David
$909
398 km or 247 mi Monteria
$733
403 km or 250 mi Limon
$1228
406 km or 252 mi Santa Cruz de Lorica
$789
452 km or 281 mi Sincelejo
$586
463 km or 288 mi Cartagena
$1186
483 km or 300 mi Quibdo
$802
494 km or 307 mi Cartago
$1361
513 km or 319 mi San Jose
$1574
518 km or 322 mi Heredia
$1471
521 km or 324 mi Magangue
$727
526 km or 327 mi Bello
$1012
529 km or 329 mi Alajuela
$1362
530 km or 329 mi Medellin
$1162
534 km or 332 mi Envigado
$1041
558 km or 347 mi Soledad
$967
559 km or 348 mi Barranquilla
$931
595 km or 370 mi Puntarenas
$872
617 km or 383 mi Cartago
$769
617 km or 383 mi Cienaga
$882
623 km or 387 mi Manizales
$737
627 km or 390 mi Santa Teresa
$1325
627 km or 390 mi Pereira
$862
631 km or 392 mi Santa Marta
$973
632 km or 393 mi Buenaventura
$856
636 km or 395 mi Minca
$891
651 km or 404 mi Salento
$749
652 km or 405 mi Armenia
$749
657 km or 408 mi Tulua
$563
658 km or 409 mi Barrancabermeja
$1001
675 km or 419 mi Liberia
$1024

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1471
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1362
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1361
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$872
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1228
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1325
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$1024
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1929
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$844
246 km or 153 mi David
$909
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$796
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$706
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$817
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$788
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$665
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1112
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$503
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$759
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$716
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1147
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$791
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1144
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1185
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$982
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1396
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1590
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1373
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1361
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$909
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1132
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1123
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$678
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$756
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1291
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1261
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1254
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1231
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1183
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$619
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$832