Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lelydorp and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $198 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$198

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,837 in Panama City.

Lelydorp $198
Panama City $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $403 in Lelydorp versus $2,825 in Panama City.

Lelydorp $403
Panama City $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $608 in Lelydorp versus $3,812 in Panama City.

Lelydorp $608
Panama City $3,812

Living in Lelydorp costs roughly 89% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lelydorp is 85% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.91 SRD 184

$11.34 PAB 11.34

-56.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.61 SRD 1,297

$47.85 PAB 47.85

-27.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 SRD 229

$8.07 PAB 8.07

-24.29%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

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

$1.28 SRD 47.84

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-34.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 SRD 17.44

$1.62 PAB 1.62

-70.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 SRD 76.9

$3.26 PAB 3.26

-37.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 SRD 109

$3.99 PAB 3.99

-27.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 SRD 45.86

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SRD 37.87

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-60.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 SRD 45.46

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-63.66%

Eggs

$2.76 SRD 103

$2.69 PAB 2.69

2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 SRD 154

$6.69 PAB 6.69

-38.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.86 SRD 295

$10.40 PAB 10.40

-24.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 SRD 57.1

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 SRD 36.77

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-72.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 SRD 36.52

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-77.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 SRD 30.90

$1.75 PAB 1.75

-53.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SRD 73.9

$1.37 PAB 1.37

43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 SRD 19.67

$0.36 PAB 0.36

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 SRD 33.33

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-28.80%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

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

$131 PAB 131

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

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

$551 PAB 551

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$301 SRD 11.3K

$934 PAB 934

-67.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

166.04%

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

Last update for Lelydorp: October 3, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lelydorp

–

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Groceries & Markets

Lelydorp

–

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lelydorp

–

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Eating Out

Lelydorp

–

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Lelydorp

–

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Lelydorp

–

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Getting Around

Lelydorp

–

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Cost Breakdown

Panama City pays 211% 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: $35.00 in Lelydorp vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $324 per month, with Lelydorp cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

02:38 2:38 AM

2 h behind Lelydorp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,000

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.38 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to SRD – Surinamese Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇷 Surinamese Dollar ($)

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 37.47 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 42.03 SRD (100 SRD = 2.38 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 SRD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lelydorp Panama City 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lelydorp
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

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

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 827% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 211% 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.

All in, you'll spend $198 per month in Lelydorp versus $1,837 in Panama City – a 827% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lelydorp delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $198 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lelydorp hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lelydorp 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 Lelydorp gentler on the wallet – expenses run 827% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.