---
title: "Panama City vs Phuket for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/panama-city-vs-phuket
description: "Under balanced weights Panama City edges it, 54 to 51, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Panama City is stronger on getting there & around, quality of life; Phuket on visa ease, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Panama City vs Phuket for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Panama City edges it, 54 to 51, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Panama City is stronger on getting there & around, quality of life; Phuket on visa ease, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Panama City | Phuket | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 43 | 55 | Phuket |
| Safety | 43 | 48 | Phuket |
| Healthcare | 77 | 74 | Panama City |
| Internet | 65 | 59 | Panama City |
| Visa ease | 52 | 65 | Phuket |
| Getting there & around | 28 | 10 | Panama City |
| Climate | 33 | 25 | Panama City |
| Air quality | 79 | 73 | Panama City |
| Quality of life | 61 | 49 | Panama City |

## Cost

| Metric | Panama City | Phuket | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,742 | $1,311 | Phuket |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,055 | $596 | Phuket |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Panama City | Phuket | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 20.3 | 4.4 | Phuket |
| Political stability (0–100) | 70.4 | 54.2 | Panama City |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 82 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 77.2 yrs | 75.3 yrs | Panama City |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Panama City | Phuket | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 43.6 Mbps | 28 Mbps | Panama City |
| Upload | 9.9 Mbps | 16.6 Mbps | Phuket |

## Visa

| Metric | Panama City | Phuket | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | Phuket |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 180 days | 60 days | Panama City |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 60 days | Panama City |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 60 days | Panama City |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Panama City | Phuket | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 93 | 67 | Panama City |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Panama City |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 1 | Panama City |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Panama City | Phuket | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 3 | Panama City |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 14.3 µg/m³ | 17 µg/m³ | Panama City |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Panama City or Phuket?

Phuket is cheaper: about $1,311 per month versus $1,742 for one person.

### Is Panama City or Phuket safer?

Phuket scores higher on safety (48 vs 43), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Panama City or Phuket?

Panama City: a measured median of 43.6 Mbps versus 28 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Panama City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/panama-city) · [Phuket](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/phuket). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/panama-city-vs-phuket