Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barretos and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Barretos: $845 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Barretos
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Barretos Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Barretos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$845

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barretos 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 Barretos and in Panama City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $845 per month in Barretos vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Barretos $845
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $1,367 per month in Barretos vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Barretos $1,367
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $1,889 per month in Barretos vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Barretos $1,889
Panama City $3,753

Barretos is about 54% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Barretos sits 37% below the global median, while Panama City is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.01 R$35.52

$11.63 PAB 11.63

-39.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 R$121

$47.92 PAB 47.92

-50.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 R$30.86

$7.96 PAB 7.96

-23.49%

Cappuccino

$1.57 R$7.98

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-62.80%

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

$1.34 R$6.81

$2.01 PAB 2.01

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.89

$1.56 PAB 1.56

-63.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 R$12.56

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-26.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 R$15.02

$3.94 PAB 3.94

-24.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-44.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.52

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-19.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.00

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-60.34%

Eggs

$2.58 R$13.10

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-4.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 R$55.5

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-12.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 R$24.93

$6.83 PAB 6.83

-27.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 R$53.9

$10.58 PAB 10.58

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 R$12.21

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-42.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.74

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-6.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.06

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-62.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.12

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-65.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-62.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-71.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 R$4.77

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-61.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.19

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-50.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 R$12.56

$6.14 PAB 6.14

-59.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.51

$11.30 PAB 11.30

-29.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 R$7.86

$1.42 PAB 1.42

9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 R$13.18

$2.73 PAB 2.73

-4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.33 PAB 0.33

196.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.46 R$236

$21.23 PAB 21.23

118.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.02

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-52.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.87

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-59.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.64 R$43.80

$21.78 PAB 21.78

-60.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.06

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-20.00%

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

$23.5K R$119.2K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

10.69%

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

$31.9K R$161.9K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

51.90%

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

$30.25 R$153

$130 PAB 130

-76.70%

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

$6.04 R$30.62

$28.13 PAB 28.13

-78.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.91 R$80.7

$48.21 PAB 48.21

-67.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.93 R$126

$45.78 PAB 45.78

-45.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.30 R$143

$34.92 PAB 34.92

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 R$40.60

$8.67 PAB 8.67

-7.61%

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

$435 R$2,206

$544 PAB 544

-20.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K R$56.2K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

14.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 R$335

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-0.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.73 R$120

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-51.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 R$450

$93.9 PAB 93.9

-5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 R$354

$112 PAB 112

-37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,739

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-72.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 R$1,242

$875 PAB 875

-72.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$715 R$3,625

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-66.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 R$2,494

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-68.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,620 R$8,215

$3,122 PAB 3,122

-48.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,235 R$6,259

$1,709 PAB 1,709

-27.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$569 R$2,883

$916 PAB 916

-37.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

6.39

69.17%

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

Last update for Barretos: October 12, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barretos

$245 29%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 257% $630

Groceries & Markets

Barretos

$221 26.1%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 47.2% $104

Eating Out

Barretos

$119 14.1%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 73.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Barretos

$112 13.2%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 29.3% $33

Getting Around

Barretos

$55 6.6%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 37.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barretos

$52 6.2%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 295% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Barretos

$41 4.8%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 54.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Barretos versus $1,257 in Panama City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 61% higher in Panama City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Barretos versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $325 – making Barretos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Barretos

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

2 h behind Barretos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,485

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barretos Panama City 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Barretos
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $845 in Barretos, $1,855 in Panama City – roughly 119% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,268 per month in Barretos and $2,783 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barretos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Barretos and $48.00 in Panama City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $845 in Barretos and $1,855 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 119%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barretos, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Barretos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $845 in Barretos to $1,855 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barretos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.