Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mercedes and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mercedes: $1,293 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Mercedes
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Mercedes Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Mercedes

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,293

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Mercedes vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Mercedes $1,293
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $1,970 per month in Mercedes vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Mercedes $1,970
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Mercedes vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Mercedes $2,647
Panama City $3,753

Mercedes is about 30% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Mercedes sits 4% below the global median, while Panama City is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 UYU 595

$11.63 PAB 11.63

27.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 UYU 2,501

$47.92 PAB 47.92

30.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.30 UYU 574

$7.96 PAB 7.96

79.65%

Cappuccino

$2.52 UYU 101

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-40.28%

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

$2.73 UYU 110

$2.01 PAB 2.01

35.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 UYU 37.27

$1.56 PAB 1.56

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 UYU 102

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 UYU 153

$3.94 PAB 3.94

-3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 UYU 53.2

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-28.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 UYU 116

$2.56 PAB 2.56

12.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 UYU 58.4

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-58.33%

Eggs

$2.79 UYU 112

$2.69 PAB 2.69

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 UYU 560

$12.57 PAB 12.57

10.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 UYU 477

$6.83 PAB 6.83

73.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.56 UYU 304

$10.58 PAB 10.58

-28.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 UYU 80.7

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 UYU 101

$1.83 PAB 1.83

37.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 UYU 43.65

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-74.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 UYU 119

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-26.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 UYU 79.4

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-43.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 UYU 86.0

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-49.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 UYU 54.0

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-44.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 UYU 68.8

$1.69 PAB 1.69

1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 UYU 203

$6.14 PAB 6.14

-17.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 UYU 359

$11.30 PAB 11.30

-20.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 UYU 92.8

$1.42 PAB 1.42

62.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 UYU 111

$2.73 PAB 2.73

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.2

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-27.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 UYU 17.54

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-76.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.48 UYU 421

$21.78 PAB 21.78

-51.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 UYU 89.3

$1.25 PAB 1.25

77.60%

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

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

26.02%

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

$37.1K UYU 1.5M

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

76.42%

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

$191 UYU 7,680

$130 PAB 130

47.37%

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

$21.03 UYU 844

$28.13 PAB 28.13

-25.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.67 UYU 1,793

$48.21 PAB 48.21

-7.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.15 UYU 488

$8.67 PAB 8.67

40.14%

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

$613 UYU 24.6K

$544 PAB 544

12.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K UYU 435.7K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

11.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 UYU 4,192

$66.8 PAB 66.8

56.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 UYU 2,250

$49.14 PAB 49.14

14.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,005

$93.9 PAB 93.9

32.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 UYU 5,255

$112 PAB 112

17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 UYU 23.3K

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-53.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 UYU 11.9K

$875 PAB 875

-66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 UYU 24.9K

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-71.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 UYU 17.9K

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-71.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,032 UYU 121.7K

$3,122 PAB 3,122

-2.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 UYU 80.5K

$1,709 PAB 1,709

17.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

6.39

-10.17%

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

Last update for Mercedes: October 10, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mercedes

$298 23.1%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 8.9% $27

Accommodation & Living

Mercedes

$296 22.9%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 196% $579

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mercedes

$257 19.9%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 19.8% $51

Eating Out

Mercedes

$227 17.5%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 8.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Mercedes

$187 14.5%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 22.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Mercedes

$24 * 1.9%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 160% $39

Getting Around

Mercedes

$4 * 0.3%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 758% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $581 in Mercedes versus $1,257 in Panama City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Mercedes versus $48.00 in Panama City. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Mercedes vs $325 in Panama City – so Mercedes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Mercedes

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

04:17 4:17 AM

02:17 2:17 AM

2 h behind Mercedes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,975

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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Highest

Between locations

Mercedes Panama City 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mercedes
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

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

Panama City costs about 43% more than Mercedes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Mercedes and $2,783 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mercedes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Mercedes and $48.00 in Panama City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Panama City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mercedes, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Mercedes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mercedes costs $1,293 versus $1,855 in Panama City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mercedes. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.