Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altos and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $252 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index

Jump to prices

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$252

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Altos and in Panama City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Altos and in Panama City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $252 in Altos versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Altos $252
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $375 in Altos versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Altos $375
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $498 in Altos versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Altos $498
Panama City $3,812

Living in Altos costs roughly 86% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Altos is 81% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 PAB 1.94

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 ₲2,760

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-73.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ₲4,814

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-66.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₲5,610

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-70.27%

Eggs

$1.89 ₲10.7K

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.08 ₲34.5K

$12.33 PAB 12.33

-50.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 ₲20.0K

$6.69 PAB 6.69

-47.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 ₲30.8K

$10.40 PAB 10.40

-47.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 ₲13.3K

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-43.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₲7,217

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-30.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ₲7,738

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-67.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 ₲10.5K

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-54.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₲6,637

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-66.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₲7,629

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-69.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₲6,871

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-48.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₲4,924

$1.75 PAB 1.75

-50.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.96 ₲5,443

$6.06 PAB 6.06

-84.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₲44.8K

$11.72 PAB 11.72

-32.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₲3,908

$1.37 PAB 1.37

-49.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₲4,370

$2.84 PAB 2.84

-72.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₲2,163

$0.36 PAB 0.36

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.91 ₲67.6K

$20.96 PAB 20.96

-43.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ₲9,529

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₲4,140

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-59.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₲6,684

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-5.60%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.0K ₲108.1M

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

-11.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.2K ₲131.7M

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

9.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$35.18 ₲199.7K

$131 PAB 131

-73.18%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.84 ₲44.5K

$27.68 PAB 27.68

-71.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.12 ₲80.1K

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-70.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$3.49 ₲19.8K

$8.73 PAB 8.73

-60.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$551 PAB 551

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.94 ₲141.6K

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-63.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,524 ₲8.6M

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-51.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,014 ₲5.8M

$1,725 PAB 1,725

-41.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ₲2.9M

$934 PAB 934

-45.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

56.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Altos: October 5, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Altos

–

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Groceries & Markets

Altos

–

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altos

–

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Eating Out

Altos

–

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Altos

–

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Altos

–

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Getting Around

Altos

–

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Cost Breakdown

Panama City pays 84% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Altos

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

2 h behind Altos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,763

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,361 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Altos Panama City 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Altos
Panama City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Altos vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. The 628% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Panama City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 76% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $252 in Altos versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Altos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Altos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Panama City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Altos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 628% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.