Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caruaru and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Caruaru: $665 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Caruaru
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Caruaru Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

Jump to prices

Caruaru

🇧🇷 Brazil

$665

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $665 in Caruaru versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Caruaru $665
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,106 in Caruaru versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Caruaru $1,106
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,547 in Caruaru versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Caruaru $1,547
Panama City $3,812

Living in Caruaru costs roughly 64% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caruaru is 50% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 R$29.70

$11.34 PAB 11.34

-47.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.63 R$148

$47.85 PAB 47.85

-38.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 R$40.35

$8.07 PAB 8.07

0.12%

Cappuccino

$1.53 R$7.62

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-61.94%

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

$1.06 R$5.27

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-45.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.50

$1.62 PAB 1.62

-56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 R$8.71

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$11.63

$3.99 PAB 3.99

-41.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.13

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-32.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 R$5.62

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-56.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.88

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-58.56%

Eggs

$2.09 R$10.43

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-22.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 R$22.65

$12.33 PAB 12.33

-63.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 R$25.31

$6.69 PAB 6.69

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 R$38.34

$10.40 PAB 10.40

-26.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.89

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-66.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.07

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-44.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.27

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-79.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.63

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-72.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.20

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-53.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.19

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-71.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.78

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-67.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.45

$1.75 PAB 1.75

-49.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.23

$6.06 PAB 6.06

-49.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 R$39.10

$11.72 PAB 11.72

-33.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 R$7.66

$1.37 PAB 1.37

11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 R$12.18

$2.84 PAB 2.84

-14.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.62

$0.36 PAB 0.36

158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 R$134

$20.96 PAB 20.96

28.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.09

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-51.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 R$9.69

$1.79 PAB 1.79

8.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 R$15.51

$22.01 PAB 22.01

-85.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.46

$1.25 PAB 1.25

3.20%

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

$23.6K R$118.0K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

9.77%

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

$33.1K R$165.1K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

56.04%

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

$56.4 R$282

$131 PAB 131

-56.99%

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

$8.13 R$40.58

$27.68 PAB 27.68

-70.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.96 R$49.73

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-79.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.85 R$74.1

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-67.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.39 R$152

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-13.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.14 R$35.65

$8.73 PAB 8.73

-18.21%

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

$109 R$545

$551 PAB 551

-80.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,766 R$33.8K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

-29.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.41 R$202

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-40.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 R$253

$48.03 PAB 48.03

5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 R$446

$94.9 PAB 94.9

-5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 R$330

$113 PAB 113

-41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 R$820

$1,238 PAB 1,238

-86.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 R$657

$873 PAB 873

-84.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 R$1,740

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-84.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 R$1,314

$1,538 PAB 1,538

-82.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,312

$934 PAB 934

-71.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

72.14%

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

Last update for Caruaru: October 4, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Caruaru

$171 25.5%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 89.8% $153

Accommodation & Living

Caruaru

$132 19.7%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 564% $742

Clothing & Footwear

Caruaru

$111 16.6%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 31.1% $35

Eating Out

Caruaru

$111 16.5%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 82.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caruaru

$75 11.1%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 178% $133

Getting Around

Caruaru

$42 6.2%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 18.4% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Caruaru

$29 4.4%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 118% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $164 in Caruaru and $1,238 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 256% 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: $30.00 in Caruaru vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $324 per month, with Caruaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Caruaru

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

08:51 8:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

2 h behind Caruaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

377,911

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caruaru Panama City 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Caruaru
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

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

Caruaru and Panama City differ by about 176% in total monthly costs ($665 vs $1,837 including rent). Caruaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 256% 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: $164 in Caruaru versus $1,238 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $109 in Caruaru versus $551 in Panama City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $665 in Caruaru versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru 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 Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.