Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Maldonado: $1,371 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Panama City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,371

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Maldonado versus $1,855 in Panama City.

Maldonado $1,371
Panama City $1,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Maldonado versus $2,804 in Panama City.

Maldonado $2,178
Panama City $2,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,985 in Maldonado versus $3,753 in Panama City.

Maldonado $2,985
Panama City $3,753

Living in Maldonado costs roughly 26% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Maldonado 2% above, Panama City 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.94 UYU 600

$11.63 PAB 11.63

28.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 UYU 2,198

$47.92 PAB 47.92

14.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 UYU 545

$7.96 PAB 7.96

70.60%

Cappuccino

$4.61 UYU 185

$4.22 PAB 4.22

9.24%

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

$2.64 UYU 106

$2.01 PAB 2.01

31.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.3

$1.56 PAB 1.56

28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 UYU 119

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-12.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 UYU 145

$3.94 PAB 3.94

-8.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 UYU 46.70

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-37.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.56 PAB 2.56

7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 UYU 68.0

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-51.44%

Eggs

$4.14 UYU 166

$2.69 PAB 2.69

53.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 UYU 562

$12.57 PAB 12.57

11.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 UYU 475

$6.83 PAB 6.83

73.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.89 UYU 477

$10.58 PAB 10.58

12.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 112

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-33.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 UYU 86.4

$1.83 PAB 1.83

17.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.1

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-57.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 UYU 129

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-20.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 UYU 81.0

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-41.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 UYU 84.1

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-50.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 UYU 57.8

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-40.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 UYU 75.2

$1.69 PAB 1.69

10.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 UYU 223

$6.14 PAB 6.14

-9.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 UYU 320

$11.30 PAB 11.30

-29.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 UYU 93.1

$1.42 PAB 1.42

63.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 UYU 109

$2.73 PAB 2.73

-0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 UYU 57.0

$0.33 PAB 0.33

330.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 UYU 2,011

$21.23 PAB 21.23

135.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 UYU 136

$2.52 PAB 2.52

34.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 UYU 16.27

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-77.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.89 UYU 397

$21.78 PAB 21.78

-54.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 UYU 85.8

$1.25 PAB 1.25

71.20%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

26.41%

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

$37.3K UYU 1.5M

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

77.20%

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

$113 UYU 4,548

$130 PAB 130

-12.72%

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

$19.05 UYU 765

$28.13 PAB 28.13

-32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.11 UYU 1,770

$48.21 PAB 48.21

-8.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.11 UYU 1,931

$45.78 PAB 45.78

5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.02 UYU 1,205

$34.92 PAB 34.92

-14.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 UYU 496

$8.67 PAB 8.67

42.56%

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

$488 UYU 19.6K

$544 PAB 544

-10.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,539 UYU 262.4K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

-32.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 UYU 3,632

$66.8 PAB 66.8

35.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.90 UYU 1,481

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-24.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 UYU 4,931

$93.9 PAB 93.9

30.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 UYU 4,796

$112 PAB 112

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 UYU 17.0K

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-66.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 UYU 12.8K

$875 PAB 875

-63.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 UYU 36.9K

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-57.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 UYU 23.7K

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-62.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,838 UYU 113.9K

$3,122 PAB 3,122

-9.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,546 UYU 62.0K

$1,709 PAB 1,709

-9.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,005 UYU 40.4K

$916 PAB 916

9.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-21.75%

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

Last update for Maldonado: October 12, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maldonado

$321 23.4%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 1.4% $4.5

Accommodation & Living

Maldonado

$318 23.2%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 175% $557

Eating Out

Maldonado

$256 18.7%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 19.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maldonado

$176 12.9%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 16.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Maldonado

$166 12.1%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 13.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Maldonado

$73 5.3%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 13.3% $9.7

Getting Around

Maldonado

$61 4.5%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 43.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Maldonado and $1,257 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Maldonado vs $48.00 in Panama City. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $325, with Maldonado cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

23:38 11:38 PM

2 h behind Maldonado

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,592

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maldonado Panama City 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Maldonado
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

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

Maldonado and Panama City differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,371 vs $1,855 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Maldonado, 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: $423 in Maldonado versus $1,257 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $488 in Maldonado versus $544 in Panama City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,371 in Maldonado versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.