Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Panama

Name: Panama
Address: PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama: $1,619 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Panama
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Panama Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Panama

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $1,619 in Panama, rent included.

Australia $2,626
Panama $1,619

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $2,502 in Panama, rent included.

Australia $3,810
Panama $2,502

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $3,384 in Panama, rent included.

Australia $4,994
Panama $3,384

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,068–$3,303, Panama $174–$1,932. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Australia is about 62% higher than in Panama on average.

Both Australia and Panama are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, Panama by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.07

$8.22 PAB 8.22

114.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$44.37 PAB 44.37

92.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.76

$8.18 PAB 8.18

35.57%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.53

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-2.99%

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

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.63 PAB 1.63

74.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$1.35 PAB 1.35

71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.70

$2.20 PAB 2.20

242.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.20

$4.06 PAB 4.06

111.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.87 PAB 1.87

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.43 PAB 2.43

15.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.18

$3.04 PAB 3.04

-26.32%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$2.47 PAB 2.47

103.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.02

$12.09 PAB 12.09

-18.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.24

$7.24 PAB 7.24

28.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.12

$10.09 PAB 10.09

47.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.42

$4.13 PAB 4.13

-7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.15

$1.50 PAB 1.50

94.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.45

$3.61 PAB 3.61

-13.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.83

$3.84 PAB 3.84

25.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$2.63 PAB 2.63

6.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-26.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$2.21 PAB 2.21

7.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.59 PAB 1.59

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.6

$5.96 PAB 5.96

556.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.79

$9.88 PAB 9.88

40.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.04

$1.39 PAB 1.39

256.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

$2.40 PAB 2.40

115.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$0.41 PAB 0.41

490.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$134

$21.33 PAB 21.33

343.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$2.56 PAB 2.56

36.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.6

$21.97 PAB 21.97

81.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.17 PAB 1.17

18.80%

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

$30.0K A$42.6K

$26.0K PAB 26.0K

15.43%

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

$25.8K A$36.6K

$22.9K PAB 22.9K

12.67%

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

$205 A$291

$116 PAB 116

76.29%

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

$28.33 A$40.26

$26.53 PAB 26.53

6.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.5

$46.36 PAB 46.36

26.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.1

$47.47 PAB 47.47

17.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.81

$30.48 PAB 30.48

-35.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.85

$7.77 PAB 7.77

97.94%

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

$2,145 A$3,048

$541 PAB 541

296.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$7,955 PAB 7,955

130.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$55.3 PAB 55.3

41.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$44.64 PAB 44.64

26.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$88.1 PAB 88.1

30.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$102 PAB 102

20.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,261

$994 PAB 994

60.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,837

$727 PAB 727

77.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,587

$1,830 PAB 1,830

37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,849

$1,390 PAB 1,390

44.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$3,036 PAB 3,036

188.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,895

$1,764 PAB 1,764

254.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,661

$821 PAB 821

385.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

6.37

-6.91%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Panama: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

Panama

$727 44.9% 43.7% $565

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

Panama

$305 18.8% 18.5% $69

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

Panama

$170 10.5% 42.8% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

Panama

$189 11.7% 35.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

Panama

$131 8.1% 22.1% $37

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

Panama

$35 2.2% 70% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

Panama

$63 3.9% 27.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $735 in Panama. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $1,407 in Panama City.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $692 in Panama. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 88% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 95% more in Australia.

Public transport is 265% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 5.6 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇵🇦 Panama

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

18:46 6:46 PM

16 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

4,098,587

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 PAB (1 PAB = 0.898 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Panama 14,290 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Panama

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

Australia vs Panama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 38% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $735 in Panama.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Panama – part of why living there is about 38% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Panama, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Panama is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.