Costa Rica vs Panama: Average hourly earnings of employees

Costa Rica
9.73 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2024
Panama
10.32 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
25th
Panama rank
22nd

Average hourly earnings of employees over time

  • Costa Rica
  • Panama
24681012199020072024

How they compare

Panama currently reports 10.32 international-$ in 2021 prices against 9.73 international-$ in 2021 prices in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.59 international-$ in 2021 prices.

That makes Panama's figure about 1.1 times Costa Rica's.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 25 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Panama ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 25th and Panama ranks 22nd of 64 countries.

Panama has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Costa Rica Panama Difference Ahead
1990s 3.54 international-$ in 2021 prices 4.72 international-$ in 2021 prices 1.18 international-$ in 2021 prices Panama
2000s 4.76 international-$ in 2021 prices 4.99 international-$ in 2021 prices 0.2324 international-$ in 2021 prices Panama
2010s 7.45 international-$ in 2021 prices 8.08 international-$ in 2021 prices 0.6316 international-$ in 2021 prices Panama
2020s 9.72 international-$ in 2021 prices 10.67 international-$ in 2021 prices 0.9474 international-$ in 2021 prices Panama

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher average hourly earnings of employees, Costa Rica or Panama?
Panama, at 10.32 international-$ in 2021 prices against 9.73 international-$ in 2021 prices in Costa Rica as of 2024.
What is the difference in average hourly earnings of employees between Costa Rica and Panama?
0.59 international-$ in 2021 prices, with Panama ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Panama?
25 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2024.
How do Costa Rica and Panama rank globally for average hourly earnings of employees?
Costa Rica ranks 25th and Panama ranks 22nd of 64 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Average hourly earnings of employees. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Costa Rica vs Panama: Average hourly earnings of employees. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/average-hourly-earnings/costa-rica/panama/

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About this data

Indicator
Average hourly earnings of employees
Unit
international-$ in 2021 prices
Source
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
64 places, 923 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Gross remuneration for time worked or work done, vacation, and other types of paid leave.