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
$1384
$1239
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3435
$3174
🏠 One person rent
$751
$555
🏘️ Family rent
$1474
$1038
🍽️ Food expenses
$444
$479
🚐 Transport expenses
$84.4
$75
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$914
$923
😷 Air quality
Good
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
7 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
42
60
😀 Quality of life
66
65
🏙️ Population
881K
342K

The cost of living in Panama City is 12% more expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 4139th and 4497th ($1384 vs $1239) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 5th 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 0.7 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 3919th and 4226th 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
$12.3
$10.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$55.2
$49.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$7.6
$9.49
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.94
$3.03
☕ Cappuccino
$4.25
$4.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.9
$1.91
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$827
$645
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$577
$417
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1757
$1229
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1198
$842
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$76.7
$47.5
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$118
$73.6
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$47.4
$44.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.12%
11.24%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2406
$1929
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1535
$1540
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$0.94
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$26.2
$40.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.9
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.02
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.78
$1.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.12
$2.27
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.08
$1.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.67
$3.34
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$10.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.23
$9.11
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.4
$14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.11
$3.89
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.54
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.09
$3.47
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.94
$2.75
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.19
$2.6
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.5
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.51
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.03
$16.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.14
$2.28
🚬 Cigarette pack
$5.89
$4.96
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.97
$6.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.12
$2.75
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.06
$3.91
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$43.8
$55.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.71
$8.01
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$49.1
$66.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$13.7
$12.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$54.3
$70.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$90.2
$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$437
$501
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9531
$12846

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Panama City

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Balboa
$1249
16 km or 9.9 mi Tocumen
$1231
26 km or 16 mi Pacora
$1249
34 km or 21 mi La Chorrera
$953
59 km or 37 mi Colon
$1182
108 km or 67 mi Penonome
$1098
154 km or 96 mi Chitre
$1091
190 km or 118 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1056
321 km or 199 mi Turbo
$634
329 km or 204 mi David
$833
398 km or 247 mi Monteria
$620
403 km or 250 mi Limon
$1201
406 km or 252 mi Santa Cruz de Lorica
$638
452 km or 281 mi Sincelejo
$506
463 km or 288 mi Cartagena
$748
483 km or 300 mi Quibdo
$661
494 km or 307 mi Cartago
$961
513 km or 319 mi San Jose
$1239
518 km or 322 mi Heredia
$1246
521 km or 324 mi Magangue
$582
526 km or 327 mi Bello
$789
529 km or 329 mi Alajuela
$1233
530 km or 329 mi Medellin
$873
534 km or 332 mi Envigado
$871
558 km or 347 mi Soledad
$840
559 km or 348 mi Barranquilla
$789
595 km or 370 mi Puntarenas
$1277
617 km or 383 mi Cartago
$619
617 km or 383 mi Cienaga
$831
623 km or 387 mi Manizales
$653
627 km or 390 mi Santa Teresa
$1310
627 km or 390 mi Pereira
$641
631 km or 392 mi Santa Marta
$979
632 km or 393 mi Buenaventura
$718
636 km or 395 mi Minca
$863
651 km or 404 mi Salento
$562
652 km or 405 mi Armenia
$541
657 km or 408 mi Tulua
$477
658 km or 409 mi Barrancabermeja
$573
675 km or 419 mi Liberia
$898

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1246
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1233
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$961
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$1277
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1201
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1310
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$898
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1687
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$890
246 km or 153 mi David
$833
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$664
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$697
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$712
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$774
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$550
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1056
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$457
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$639
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$593
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1098
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$638
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1091
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1182
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$953
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1249
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1384
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1231
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1249
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$829
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1081
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1088
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$715
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$734
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1192
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1173
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1161
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1145
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1202
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$650
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$883