Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Criciuma and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Criciuma: $769 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Criciuma
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Criciuma Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Criciuma

🇧🇷 Brazil

$769

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $769 in Criciuma versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Criciuma $769
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in Criciuma versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Criciuma $1,146
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,523 in Criciuma versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Criciuma $1,523
Panama City $3,773

Living in Criciuma costs roughly 59% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Criciuma is 43% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 R$29.43

$11.68 PAB 11.68

-50.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.21 R$113

$47.76 PAB 47.76

-53.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 R$30.09

$8.12 PAB 8.12

-26.85%

Cappuccino

$1.39 R$7.05

$4.23 PAB 4.23

-67.14%

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

$1.09 R$5.52

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-43.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.71

$1.58 PAB 1.58

-53.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 R$7.90

$3.31 PAB 3.31

-52.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R$10.16

$3.98 PAB 3.98

-49.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.90

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-49.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 R$7.55

$2.63 PAB 2.63

-43.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.57

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-67.55%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.13

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R$42.12

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 R$17.78

$6.91 PAB 6.91

-49.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 R$44.15

$10.58 PAB 10.58

-17.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R$10.34

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-50.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-38.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.04

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-75.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.98

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-62.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-65.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.51

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-74.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 R$4.15

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-66.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.52

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-59.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 R$12.46

$5.83 PAB 5.83

-57.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R$23.97

$11.43 PAB 11.43

-58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$5.68

$1.38 PAB 1.38

-18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 R$7.10

$2.76 PAB 2.76

-49.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.08

$0.33 PAB 0.33

203.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.09 R$203

$20.63 PAB 20.63

94.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 R$2.54

$2.55 PAB 2.55

-80.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$4.01

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-55.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 R$11.84

$22.17 PAB 22.17

-89.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R$6.63

$1.24 PAB 1.24

5.65%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

-3.96%

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

$30.9K R$156.9K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

45.32%

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

$72.1 R$365

$131 PAB 131

-45.10%

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

$12.31 R$62.4

$27.83 PAB 27.83

-55.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.92 R$111

$49.32 PAB 49.32

-55.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.52 R$145

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-37.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.86 R$202

$34.10 PAB 34.10

16.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R$36.25

$8.47 PAB 8.47

-15.58%

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

$170 R$861

$553 PAB 553

-69.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,980 R$15.1K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

-69.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.26 R$250

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-25.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.58 R$150

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-37.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 R$414

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-14.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 R$215

$113 PAB 113

-62.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,227

$1,322 PAB 1,322

-81.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 R$1,063

$874 PAB 874

-76.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 R$2,072

$2,153 PAB 2,153

-81.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 R$1,370

$1,580 PAB 1,580

-82.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,194 R$6,054

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-61.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 R$3,209

$1,698 PAB 1,698

-62.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 R$1,606

$914 PAB 914

-65.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.74

6.39

68.08%

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

Last update for Criciuma: October 20, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Criciuma

$210 27.3%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 317% $665

Groceries & Markets

Criciuma

$170 22.1%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 92% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Criciuma

$106 13.8%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 96.1% $102

Eating Out

Criciuma

$100 13%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 107% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Criciuma

$91 11.9%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 58.8% $54

Getting Around

Criciuma

$49 6.3%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 31.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Criciuma

$43 5.6%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 46.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $242 in Criciuma and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 188% 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: $22.00 in Criciuma vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $327 per month, with Criciuma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Criciuma

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

2 h behind Criciuma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,493

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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Criciuma Panama City 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Criciuma
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

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

Criciuma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 188% 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: $242 in Criciuma versus $1,322 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Criciuma runs roughly 94% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $170 in Criciuma versus $553 in Panama City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $769 in Criciuma versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Criciuma but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Criciuma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Criciuma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.