Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayenne and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Panama City: $1,837 a month against $2,348 in Cayenne, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Cayenne
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Cayenne Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Cayenne

🇬🇫 French Guiana

$2,348

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,348 in Cayenne versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Cayenne $2,348
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,903 in Cayenne versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Cayenne $3,903
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,458 in Cayenne versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Cayenne $5,458
Panama City $3,812

Living in Cayenne is roughly 28% more expensive than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cayenne 75% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 €11.64

$11.34 PAB 11.34

15.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €102

$47.85 PAB 47.85

138.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 €9.65

$8.07 PAB 8.07

33.95%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.58

$4.02 PAB 4.02

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

$3.48 €3.11

$1.94 PAB 1.94

79.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.69

$1.62 PAB 1.62

85.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 €3.37

$3.26 PAB 3.26

15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.16

$3.99 PAB 3.99

16.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 €2.77

$1.83 PAB 1.83

69.95%

White Bread (500g)

$5.27 €4.70

$2.57 PAB 2.57

105.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-7.51%

Eggs

$7.72 €6.89

$2.69 PAB 2.69

186.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.46 €25.40

$12.33 PAB 12.33

130.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.80 €14.99

$6.69 PAB 6.69

151.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.69 €30.07

$10.40 PAB 10.40

223.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 €4.32

$4.16 PAB 4.16

16.35%

Banana (1kg)

$5.25 €4.68

$1.84 PAB 1.84

185.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.53 €4.93

$4.18 PAB 4.18

32.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.96 €8.89

$4.08 PAB 4.08

144.12%

Potato (1kg)

$5.23 €4.67

$3.50 PAB 3.50

49.43%

Onion (1kg)

$6.55 €5.84

$4.37 PAB 4.37

49.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.87 €3.45

$2.34 PAB 2.34

65.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.75 PAB 1.75

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 €8.33

$6.06 PAB 6.06

53.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.26

$11.72 PAB 11.72

-30.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 €2.47

$1.37 PAB 1.37

102.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.84 PAB 2.84

-19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €2.02

$0.36 PAB 0.36

527.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.55 €29.94

$20.96 PAB 20.96

60.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €5.20

$2.52 PAB 2.52

130.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.98 €3.55

$1.79 PAB 1.79

122.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 €7.31

$22.01 PAB 22.01

-62.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.25 PAB 1.25

80.00%

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

$44.6K €39.8K

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

107.26%

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

$45.3K €40.5K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

113.92%

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

$222 €198

$131 PAB 131

68.89%

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

$45.27 €40.40

$27.68 PAB 27.68

63.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 €61.7

$48.59 PAB 48.59

42.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.52 €38.84

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.32

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-18.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 €9.21

$8.73 PAB 8.73

18.21%

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

$674 €601

$551 PAB 551

22.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,395

$9,560 PAB 9,560

10.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$67.6 PAB 67.6

50.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.3 €61.0

$48.03 PAB 48.03

42.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 €115

$94.9 PAB 94.9

36.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €90.2

$113 PAB 113

-10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 €790

$1,238 PAB 1,238

-28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 €774

$873 PAB 873

-0.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 €1,375

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-29.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 €1,646

$1,538 PAB 1,538

19.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,109 €2,774

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-0.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,523 €3,144

$1,725 PAB 1,725

104.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,261 €2,018

$934 PAB 934

142.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

6.39

-29.58%

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

Last update for Cayenne: October 4, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cayenne

$867 36.4%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 0.7% $6.4

Groceries & Markets

Cayenne

$626 26.3%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 48.2% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cayenne

$336 14.1%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 38.2% $128

Eating Out

Cayenne

$239 10.1%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 15.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Cayenne

$180 7.6%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 19.2% $35

Getting Around

Cayenne

$68 2.9%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 50.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Cayenne

$64 2.7%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 0.9% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Cayenne and $1,238 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cayenne pays 142% 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: $114 in Cayenne vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $626 vs $324 per month, with Panama City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇫 Cayenne

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

2 h behind Cayenne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,493 Capital

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cayenne Panama City 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cayenne
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

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

Panama City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 142% higher in Cayenne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Cayenne 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 Panama City – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $114 in Cayenne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,348 per month in Cayenne versus $1,837 in Panama City – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Panama City versus $2,348 in Cayenne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Panama City but tight or insufficient in Cayenne. The gap between the two cities makes Panama City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Panama City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cayenne, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Panama City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Cayenne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.