Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $994 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$994

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $994 in Brasilia versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Brasilia $994
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,593 in Brasilia versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Brasilia $1,593
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,193 in Brasilia versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Brasilia $2,193
Panama City $3,812

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 46% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 26% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 R$46.05

$11.34 PAB 11.34

-19.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.43 R$203

$47.85 PAB 47.85

-15.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$42.34

$8.07 PAB 8.07

4.58%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R$13.69

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-32.09%

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

$1.51 R$7.59

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-22.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.62 PAB 1.62

-38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R$11.89

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-27.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 R$19.83

$3.99 PAB 3.99

-1.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.55

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-39.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 R$10.33

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-19.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.72

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-59.76%

Eggs

$2.56 R$12.86

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-4.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 R$58.2

$12.33 PAB 12.33

-5.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 R$20.80

$6.69 PAB 6.69

-37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.27 R$46.51

$10.40 PAB 10.40

-10.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 R$11.98

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-42.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.77

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-15.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.54

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-68.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.29

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-59.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.99

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-66.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.22

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-76.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.14

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-64.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.80

$1.75 PAB 1.75

-45.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.18

$6.06 PAB 6.06

-59.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 R$40.87

$11.72 PAB 11.72

-30.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.46

$1.37 PAB 1.37

-5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 R$12.56

$2.84 PAB 2.84

-11.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.35

$0.36 PAB 0.36

197.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.76 R$179

$20.96 PAB 20.96

70.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.52

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-56.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.34

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-51.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 R$32.90

$22.01 PAB 22.01

-70.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.47

$1.25 PAB 1.25

3.20%

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

$23.9K R$120.1K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

11.16%

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

$33.6K R$168.5K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

58.42%

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

$97.6 R$490

$131 PAB 131

-25.59%

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

$12.78 R$64.1

$27.68 PAB 27.68

-53.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 R$114

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-53.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.48 R$173

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.17 R$141

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-19.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$39.13

$8.73 PAB 8.73

-10.65%

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

$844 R$4,233

$551 PAB 551

53.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K R$84.1K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

75.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 R$285

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-16.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 R$220

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 R$433

$94.9 PAB 94.9

-9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 R$448

$113 PAB 113

-20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R$2,497

$1,238 PAB 1,238

-59.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 R$1,413

$873 PAB 873

-67.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$5,802

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-47.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 R$2,878

$1,538 PAB 1,538

-62.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 R$12.5K

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-19.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,735 R$8,705

$1,725 PAB 1,725

0.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$848 R$4,256

$934 PAB 934

-9.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

6.39

89.67%

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

Last update for Brasilia: 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

Brasilia

$282 27.9%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 210% $592

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$213 21.2%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 51.9% $111

Eating Out

Brasilia

$161 16%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 25.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$133 13.2%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 55.8% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$124 12.3%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 17.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$50 5%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 26.9% $13

Getting Around

Brasilia

$45 4.5%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 25.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Brasilia and $1,238 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $324 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

02:56 2:56 AM

00:56 12:56 AM

2 h behind Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 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 BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Panama City 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
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

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

Brasilia and Panama City differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($994 vs $1,837 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Brasilia versus $1,238 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $48.00 in Panama City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $994 per month in Brasilia versus $1,837 in Panama City – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $994 in Brasilia versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.