Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Friburgo and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Friburgo: $611 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Nova Friburgo
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Nova Friburgo Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Nova Friburgo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$611

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $611 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,855 in Panama City.

Nova Friburgo $611
Panama City $1,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,026 in Nova Friburgo versus $2,804 in Panama City.

Nova Friburgo $1,026
Panama City $2,804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,440 in Nova Friburgo versus $3,753 in Panama City.

Nova Friburgo $1,440
Panama City $3,753

Living in Nova Friburgo costs roughly 67% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nova Friburgo is 55% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 R$29.44

$11.63 PAB 11.63

-49.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.15 R$151

$47.92 PAB 47.92

-37.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 R$32.01

$7.96 PAB 7.96

-19.85%

Cappuccino

$1.76 R$8.84

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-58.29%

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

$0.88 R$4.42

$2.01 PAB 2.01

-56.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.89

$1.56 PAB 1.56

-62.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 R$5.95

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-64.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R$12.30

$3.94 PAB 3.94

-37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.85

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-47.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.58

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-41.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.94

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-60.34%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.75

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 R$46.22

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-26.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 R$17.16

$6.83 PAB 6.83

-49.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 R$47.79

$10.58 PAB 10.58

-10.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.14

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-61.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.04

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-34.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.65

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-77.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.43

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-68.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 R$3.25

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-81.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.04

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-80.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 R$2.82

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-76.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$3.83

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-55.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 R$7.94

$6.14 PAB 6.14

-74.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 R$30.43

$11.30 PAB 11.30

-46.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.07

$1.42 PAB 1.42

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 R$7.12

$2.73 PAB 2.73

-47.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$4.83

$0.33 PAB 0.33

190.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.11

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-51.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 R$2.79

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 R$34.45

$21.78 PAB 21.78

-68.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.27

$1.25 PAB 1.25

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

$20.0K R$100.3K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

-5.89%

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

$31.0K R$155.6K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

47.48%

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

$41.63 R$209

$130 PAB 130

-67.94%

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

$9.54 R$47.85

$28.13 PAB 28.13

-66.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.74 R$94.0

$48.21 PAB 48.21

-61.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.35 R$112

$45.78 PAB 45.78

-51.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 R$33.95

$8.67 PAB 8.67

-21.91%

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

$147 R$739

$544 PAB 544

-72.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,693 R$13.5K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

-72.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 R$357

$66.8 PAB 66.8

6.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$84.5 R$424

$49.14 PAB 49.14

71.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 R$342

$93.9 PAB 93.9

-27.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.77 R$240

$112 PAB 112

-57.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 R$809

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-87.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.3 R$498

$875 PAB 875

-88.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 R$1,987

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-81.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$243 R$1,221

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-84.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,604 R$8,050

$3,122 PAB 3,122

-48.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$810 R$4,062

$1,709 PAB 1,709

-52.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$521 R$2,613

$916 PAB 916

-43.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

6.39

66.98%

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

Last update for Nova Friburgo: 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

Nova Friburgo

$172 28.1%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 89.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Nova Friburgo

$122 20%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 18.4% $22

Eating Out

Nova Friburgo

$104 17%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 98.9% $103

Accommodation & Living

Nova Friburgo

$99 16.3%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 782% $776

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nova Friburgo

$70 11.5%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 195% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Nova Friburgo

$36 5.9%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 75.9% $27

Getting Around

Nova Friburgo

$7.9 * 1.3%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 338% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $161 in Nova Friburgo and $1,257 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 76% 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: $30.00 in Nova Friburgo vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $325 per month, with Nova Friburgo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Nova Friburgo

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

14:26 2:26 PM

2 h behind Nova Friburgo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

189,939

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nova Friburgo Panama City 5,330 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nova Friburgo
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

Nova Friburgo vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nova Friburgo wins on cost – living expenses run 204% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nova Friburgo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $161 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,257 in Panama City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $611 per month in Nova Friburgo versus $1,855 in Panama City – a 204% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $611 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nova Friburgo but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Friburgo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nova Friburgo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $611 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nova Friburgo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nova Friburgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.