Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Iguacu and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $736 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$736

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $736 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,857 in Panama City.

Nova Iguacu $736
Panama City $1,857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,212 in Nova Iguacu versus $2,815 in Panama City.

Nova Iguacu $1,212
Panama City $2,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,687 in Nova Iguacu versus $3,773 in Panama City.

Nova Iguacu $1,687
Panama City $3,773

Living in Nova Iguacu costs roughly 60% less than in Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nova Iguacu is 46% below, Panama City is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 R$17.92

$11.68 PAB 11.68

-69.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.13 R$153

$47.76 PAB 47.76

-36.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 R$39.92

$8.12 PAB 8.12

-3.08%

Cappuccino

$1.89 R$9.59

$4.23 PAB 4.23

-55.32%

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

$1.20 R$6.11

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.94

$1.58 PAB 1.58

-63.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 R$8.50

$3.31 PAB 3.31

-49.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R$8.15

$3.98 PAB 3.98

-59.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-35.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.19

$2.63 PAB 2.63

-38.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.71

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-66.67%

Eggs

$1.97 R$9.96

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-26.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 R$41.75

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-32.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.31

$6.91 PAB 6.91

-59.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 R$35.90

$10.58 PAB 10.58

-33.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.95

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-67.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.15

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-28.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.82

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-76.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R$8.84

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-58.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.19

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-70.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.22

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-75.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 R$2.08

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-83.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 R$2.13

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-75.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.82 R$9.25

$5.83 PAB 5.83

-68.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$11.43 PAB 11.43

-49.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$4.92

$1.38 PAB 1.38

-29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.94

$2.76 PAB 2.76

-50.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R$7.51

$0.33 PAB 0.33

348.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$20.63 PAB 20.63

142.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 R$6.77

$2.55 PAB 2.55

-47.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 R$6.98

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-22.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 R$46.94

$22.17 PAB 22.17

-58.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 R$5.96

$1.24 PAB 1.24

-4.84%

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

$23.8K R$120.8K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

-2.34%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

59.48%

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

$42.49 R$215

$131 PAB 131

-67.64%

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

$11.82 R$59.9

$27.83 PAB 27.83

-57.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.90 R$90.7

$49.32 PAB 49.32

-63.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.75 R$120

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-48.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.25 R$199

$34.10 PAB 34.10

15.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 R$30.80

$8.47 PAB 8.47

-28.22%

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

$73.3 R$371

$553 PAB 553

-86.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,935 R$9,808

$9,719 PAB 9,719

-80.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$275

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-18.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 R$189

$47.39 PAB 47.39

-21.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 R$331

$95.7 PAB 95.7

-31.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 R$296

$113 PAB 113

-48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 R$1,627

$1,322 PAB 1,322

-75.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 R$1,086

$874 PAB 874

-75.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,318

$2,153 PAB 2,153

-69.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 R$2,250

$1,580 PAB 1,580

-71.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$972 R$4,926

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-68.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 R$1,238

$914 PAB 914

-73.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

6.39

74.02%

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

Last update for Nova Iguacu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nova Iguacu

$214 29.1%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 308% $660

Groceries & Markets

Nova Iguacu

$160 21.7%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 104% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Nova Iguacu

$97 13.1%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 49.8% $48

Eating Out

Nova Iguacu

$93 12.7%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 122% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nova Iguacu

$72 9.8%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 189% $136

Getting Around

Nova Iguacu

$64 8.7%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 47.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Nova Iguacu

$36 4.9%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 74.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $321 in Nova Iguacu and $1,322 in Panama City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 274% 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 Iguacu vs $48.00 in Panama City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $327 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

2 h behind Nova Iguacu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

785,867

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 22, 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 22, 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

Nova Iguacu Panama City 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Nova Iguacu and Panama City differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($736 vs $1,857 including rent). Nova Iguacu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 274% 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: $321 in Nova Iguacu 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 $736 per month in Nova Iguacu versus $1,857 in Panama City – a 152% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nova Iguacu runs roughly 143% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $736 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu 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.

Expats usually find Nova Iguacu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.