Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imperatriz and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Imperatriz: $896 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Imperatriz
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Imperatriz Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Imperatriz

🇧🇷 Brazil

$896

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $896 in Imperatriz versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Imperatriz $896
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Imperatriz versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Imperatriz $1,395
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,894 in Imperatriz versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Imperatriz $1,894
Panama City $3,773

Living in Imperatriz costs roughly 52% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Imperatriz is 34% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 R$30.38

$11.68 PAB 11.68

-48.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.01 R$172

$47.76 PAB 47.76

-28.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 R$39.76

$8.12 PAB 8.12

-3.45%

Cappuccino

$1.95 R$9.87

$4.23 PAB 4.23

-53.90%

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

$1.35 R$6.86

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 R$2.67

$1.58 PAB 1.58

-66.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 R$10.51

$3.31 PAB 3.31

-37.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 R$14.99

$3.98 PAB 3.98

-25.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-34.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 R$7.70

$2.63 PAB 2.63

-42.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.18

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-58.11%

Eggs

$2.06 R$10.42

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-22.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 R$45.69

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-26.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 R$21.89

$6.91 PAB 6.91

-37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 R$44.49

$10.58 PAB 10.58

-17.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 R$9.72

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-53.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-24.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.58

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-72.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.03

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-62.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.24

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-64.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.30

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-70.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.80

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-69.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.08

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-52.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$13.63

$5.83 PAB 5.83

-53.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 R$43.23

$11.43 PAB 11.43

-25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.92

$1.38 PAB 1.38

-15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.73

$2.76 PAB 2.76

-23.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.73

$0.33 PAB 0.33

181.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.50 R$226

$20.63 PAB 20.63

115.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R$6.99

$2.55 PAB 2.55

-45.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R$4.59

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-48.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R$42.82

$22.17 PAB 22.17

-61.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.24 PAB 1.24

0.81%

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

$20.7K R$105.2K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

-15.00%

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

$34.6K R$175.6K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

62.69%

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

$68.8 R$349

$131 PAB 131

-47.57%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$27.83 PAB 27.83

-61.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 R$106

$49.32 PAB 49.32

-57.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.81 R$131

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-43.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.36 R$154

$34.10 PAB 34.10

-10.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 R$38.93

$8.47 PAB 8.47

-9.33%

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

$288 R$1,459

$553 PAB 553

-48.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,514 R$38.1K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

-22.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 R$309

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-8.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 R$286

$47.39 PAB 47.39

19.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 R$424

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.2 R$326

$113 PAB 113

-42.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R$2,023

$1,322 PAB 1,322

-69.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 R$1,361

$874 PAB 874

-69.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 R$3,518

$2,153 PAB 2,153

-67.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 R$2,265

$1,580 PAB 1,580

-71.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,645

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-44.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,081 R$5,482

$1,698 PAB 1,698

-36.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

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 Imperatriz: October 19, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Imperatriz

$269 30%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 226% $606

Groceries & Markets

Imperatriz

$193 21.6%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 68.9% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Imperatriz

$119 13.3%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 21.5% $26

Eating Out

Imperatriz

$119 13.3%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 74.6% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Imperatriz

$100 11.2%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 107% $108

Getting Around

Imperatriz

$54 6.1%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 38.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Imperatriz

$41 4.6%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 52.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Imperatriz and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Imperatriz vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $327 per month, with Imperatriz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Imperatriz

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

17:39 5:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

2 h behind Imperatriz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,110

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 22, 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 22, 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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Between locations

Imperatriz Panama City 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Imperatriz
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

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

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,343 in Imperatriz and $2,786 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: $399 in Imperatriz versus $1,322 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $48.00 in Panama City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $896 in Imperatriz versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.