Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castanhal and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Castanhal: $846 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Castanhal
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Castanhal Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Castanhal

🇧🇷 Brazil

$846

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $846 in Castanhal versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Castanhal $846
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,353 in Castanhal versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Castanhal $1,353
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,860 in Castanhal versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Castanhal $1,860
Panama City $3,812

Living in Castanhal costs roughly 54% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.62 R$28.07

$11.34 PAB 11.34

-50.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.48 R$152

$47.85 PAB 47.85

-36.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 R$36.62

$8.07 PAB 8.07

-9.05%

Cappuccino

$1.87 R$9.33

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-53.48%

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

$1.28 R$6.38

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-34.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.82

$1.62 PAB 1.62

-52.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 R$9.70

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-40.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$14.27

$3.99 PAB 3.99

-28.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.17

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-43.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 R$8.16

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-36.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.00

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-63.96%

Eggs

$2.16 R$10.78

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-19.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 R$46.14

$12.33 PAB 12.33

-25.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.26

$6.69 PAB 6.69

-39.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.17 R$40.80

$10.40 PAB 10.40

-21.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.65

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-48.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.35

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-30.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.62

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-72.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.53

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-62.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.95

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-66.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.13

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-76.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.80

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-67.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.67

$1.75 PAB 1.75

-58.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 R$12.05

$6.06 PAB 6.06

-60.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 R$38.11

$11.72 PAB 11.72

-34.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.95

$1.37 PAB 1.37

-13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R$10.11

$2.84 PAB 2.84

-28.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$4.98

$0.36 PAB 0.36

177.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.71 R$208

$20.96 PAB 20.96

99.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-49.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R$4.37

$1.79 PAB 1.79

-50.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 R$37.92

$22.01 PAB 22.01

-65.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.23

$1.25 PAB 1.25

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

$23.2K R$115.6K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

7.56%

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

$31.1K R$155.1K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

46.65%

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

$72.8 R$363

$131 PAB 131

-44.53%

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

$11.79 R$58.9

$27.68 PAB 27.68

-57.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.26 R$101

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-58.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.64 R$123

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.02 R$130

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-25.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 R$34.26

$8.73 PAB 8.73

-21.42%

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

$286 R$1,425

$551 PAB 551

-48.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,904 R$34.5K

$9,560 PAB 9,560

-27.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$263

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-22.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.01 R$240

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 R$463

$94.9 PAB 94.9

-2.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 R$345

$113 PAB 113

-38.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 R$1,721

$1,238 PAB 1,238

-72.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 R$1,164

$873 PAB 873

-73.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 R$3,220

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-70.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 R$2,303

$1,538 PAB 1,538

-70.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,571 R$7,844

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-49.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,125 R$5,617

$1,725 PAB 1,725

-34.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

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 Castanhal: 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

Castanhal

$233 27.6%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 274% $640

Groceries & Markets

Castanhal

$186 22%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 74.5% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Castanhal

$118 14%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 23.3% $27

Eating Out

Castanhal

$113 13.4%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 78.4% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castanhal

$105 12.4%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 97.9% $103

Getting Around

Castanhal

$51 6.1%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 34% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Castanhal

$38 4.5%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 65.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Castanhal and $1,238 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Castanhal vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $324 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Castanhal

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

08:45 8:45 AM

2 h behind Castanhal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

192,256

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

Castanhal Panama City 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Castanhal
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

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

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,269 in Castanhal and $2,756 in Panama City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $345 in Castanhal 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 Castanhal – a meal for two runs $30.00 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 $846 per month in Castanhal versus $1,837 in Panama City – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Castanhal versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $846 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.