Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Itapema and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Itapema: $772 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Itapema
Learn more

Itapema Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index

Jump to prices

Itapema

🇧🇷 Brazil

$772

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in Itapema versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Itapema $772
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,233 in Itapema versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Itapema $1,233
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Itapema versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Itapema $1,694
Panama City $3,773

Living in Itapema costs roughly 58% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 R$28.13

$11.68 PAB 11.68

-52.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.67 R$140

$47.76 PAB 47.76

-42.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 R$32.69

$8.12 PAB 8.12

-20.57%

Cappuccino

$1.75 R$8.89

$4.23 PAB 4.23

-58.63%

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

$1.08 R$5.46

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.26

$1.58 PAB 1.58

-59.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 R$9.05

$3.31 PAB 3.31

-45.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 R$13.45

$3.98 PAB 3.98

-33.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-48.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 R$7.59

$2.63 PAB 2.63

-42.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.79

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-66.37%

Eggs

$2.03 R$10.28

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-23.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 R$42.52

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-31.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 R$18.52

$6.91 PAB 6.91

-47.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 R$36.90

$10.58 PAB 10.58

-31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 R$10.46

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-50.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.30

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.87

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-71.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.57

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-64.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.82

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-66.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.33

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-75.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.42

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-72.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-62.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 R$10.62

$5.83 PAB 5.83

-64.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.45 R$37.75

$11.43 PAB 11.43

-34.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.30

$1.38 PAB 1.38

-10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R$10.43

$2.76 PAB 2.76

-25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.67

$0.33 PAB 0.33

178.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.79 R$192

$20.63 PAB 20.63

83.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R$5.54

$2.55 PAB 2.55

-57.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 R$3.57

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-60.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 R$33.18

$22.17 PAB 22.17

-70.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.25

$1.24 PAB 1.24

-16.13%

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

$21.0K R$106.5K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

-13.95%

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

$28.1K R$142.6K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

32.14%

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

$59.5 R$302

$131 PAB 131

-54.68%

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

$13.32 R$67.5

$27.83 PAB 27.83

-52.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.44 R$93.5

$49.32 PAB 49.32

-62.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.93 R$116

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-49.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.84 R$111

$34.10 PAB 34.10

-35.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 R$32.89

$8.47 PAB 8.47

-23.38%

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

$278 R$1,410

$553 PAB 553

-49.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,357 R$32.2K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

-34.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.61 R$236

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-29.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 R$217

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-9.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 R$386

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-20.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 R$317

$113 PAB 113

-44.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 R$1,623

$1,322 PAB 1,322

-75.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 R$1,099

$874 PAB 874

-75.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 R$2,897

$2,153 PAB 2,153

-73.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 R$2,164

$1,580 PAB 1,580

-72.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,472 R$7,464

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-52.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,044 R$5,292

$1,698 PAB 1,698

-38.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

6.39

70.89%

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

Last update for Itapema: 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

Itapema

$217 28.1%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 303% $657

Groceries & Markets

Itapema

$174 22.5%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 88% $153

Eating Out

Itapema

$106 13.7%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 95.5% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Itapema

$103 13.3%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 41.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Itapema

$91 11.8%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 128% $117

Getting Around

Itapema

$46 6%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 27.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Itapema

$36 4.7%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 74.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $320 in Itapema and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Itapema vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $327 per month, with Itapema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Itapema

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

18:11 6:11 PM

2 h behind Itapema

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,940

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 21, 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 21, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Itapema Panama City 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Itapema
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

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

Itapema is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,159 in Itapema 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: $320 in Itapema versus $1,322 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $772 per month in Itapema versus $1,857 in Panama City – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Itapema runs roughly 83% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $772 in Itapema versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Itapema but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Itapema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Itapema 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.

Safety-wise, Itapema and Panama City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Itapema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.