Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Anapolis

For one person, living is cheaper in Anapolis: $708 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Panama City
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,855
/mo nomad
Anapolis
🇧🇷 Brazil
$708
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Anapolis

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Panama City and in Anapolis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $708 in Anapolis.

  • Panama City $1,855
  • Anapolis $708

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $1,181 in Anapolis.

  • Panama City $2,804
  • Anapolis $1,181

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $1,655 in Anapolis.

  • Panama City $3,753
  • Anapolis $1,655

Living in Panama City is roughly 162% more expensive than in Anapolis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Anapolis is 48% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.63 PAB 11.63
$6.15 R$31.18
89.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.92 PAB 47.92
$39.37 R$200
21.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.96 PAB 7.96
$8.45 R$42.84
-5.80%
Cappuccino
$4.22 PAB 4.22
$2.73 R$13.85
54.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 PAB 2.01
$1.12 R$5.67
79.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 PAB 1.56
$0.78 R$3.95
100.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 PAB 3.39
$1.97 R$9.98
72.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 PAB 3.94
$3.57 R$18.09
10.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 PAB 1.85
$1.07 R$5.40
72.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.56 PAB 2.56
$1.96 R$9.92
30.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.48 PAB 3.48
$1.36 R$6.91
155.88%
Eggs
$2.69 PAB 2.69
$2.15 R$10.92
25.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 PAB 12.57
$9.28 R$47.03
35.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.83 PAB 6.83
$4.02 R$20.40
69.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.58 PAB 10.58
$7.30 R$37.00
44.93%
Apples (1kg)
$4.18 PAB 4.18
$2.06 R$10.42
102.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 PAB 1.83
$1.09 R$5.53
67.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.20 PAB 4.20
$1.23 R$6.23
241.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 PAB 4.03
$1.13 R$5.72
256.64%
Potato (1kg)
$3.48 PAB 3.48
$1.18 R$6.01
194.92%
Onion (1kg)
$4.22 PAB 4.22
$1.02 R$5.15
313.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 PAB 2.41
$0.73 R$3.69
230.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 PAB 1.69
$1.02 R$5.16
65.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.14 PAB 6.14
$1.96 R$9.96
213.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.30 PAB 11.30
$5.86 R$29.72
92.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 PAB 1.42
$1.30 R$6.60
9.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 PAB 2.73
$2.43 R$12.33
12.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
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)
$2.52 PAB 2.52
$1.11 R$5.60
127.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 PAB 1.86
$0.86 R$4.36
116.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.78 PAB 21.78
$6.53 R$33.08
233.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 PAB 1.25
$1.28 R$6.51
-2.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K PAB 21.2K
$23.5K R$119.4K
-9.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K PAB 21.0K
$33.4K R$169.2K
-37.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 PAB 130
$60.5 R$306
114.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.13 PAB 28.13
$9.95 R$50.4
182.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.21 PAB 48.21
$19.93 R$101
141.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.78 PAB 45.78
$23.62 R$120
93.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.92 PAB 34.92
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.67 PAB 8.67
$5.98 R$30.33
44.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$544 PAB 544
$821 R$4,160
-33.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,697 PAB 9,697
$17.4K R$88.4K
-44.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.8 PAB 66.8
$57.1 R$289
16.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.14 PAB 49.14
$40.71 R$206
20.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.9 PAB 93.9
$86.6 R$439
8.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 PAB 112
$40.39 R$205
176.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,257 PAB 1,257
$244 R$1,239
414.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$875 PAB 875
$158 R$802
452.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 PAB 2,155
$548 R$2,779
293.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,564 PAB 1,564
$366 R$1,857
326.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,122 PAB 3,122
$1,281 R$6,494
143.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,709 PAB 1,709
$968 R$4,906
76.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Panama City
Anapolis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$916 PAB 916
$539 R$2,732
69.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.39
12.12
-47.28%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Anapolis: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Panama City
$875
Anapolis
$158 81.9% $717
Groceries & Markets
Panama City
$325
Anapolis
$185 43% $140
Eating Out
Panama City
$207
Anapolis
$132 36.2% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Panama City
$206
Anapolis
$90 56.2% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Panama City
$145
Anapolis
$101 30% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Panama City
$63
Anapolis
$36 43.6% $28
Getting Around
Panama City
$34
Anapolis
$5.4 * 84.3% $29

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 $1,257 in Panama City and $244 in Anapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 70% 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: $48.00 in Panama City vs $39.00 in Anapolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $185 per month, with Anapolis cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇦 Panama City
🇧🇷 Anapolis
🕒 Local time
14:10 2:10 PM
16:10 4:10 PM
2 h ahead of Panama City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,086,990 Capital
398,869
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Panama City Anapolis 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Panama City
  • Anapolis

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
Panama City vs Anapolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Panama City or Anapolis?
Anapolis wins on cost – living expenses run 162% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Anapolis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Panama City or in Anapolis?
Average pay runs 70% higher in Panama City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Panama City compared to Anapolis?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,257 in Panama City versus $244 in Anapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Panama City or in Anapolis?
Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Panama City compared to Anapolis?
All in, you'll spend $1,855 per month in Panama City versus $708 in Anapolis – a 162% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Panama City or in Anapolis?
At $708 in Anapolis versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Anapolis but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Anapolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Panama City or Anapolis?
Both work as nomad bases, but Anapolis delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $708 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Anapolis hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Anapolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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