Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Aracaju

For one person, living is cheaper in Aracaju: $746 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Aracaju
Learn more

Aracaju Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Aracaju

🇧🇷 Brazil

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Aracaju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $746 in Aracaju.

Panama City $1,855
Aracaju $746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $1,168 in Aracaju.

Panama City $2,804
Aracaju $1,168

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $1,590 in Aracaju.

Panama City $3,753
Aracaju $1,590

Living in Panama City is roughly 149% more expensive than in Aracaju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Aracaju is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$4.94 R$24.81

135.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$24.53 R$123

95.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$6.17 R$30.96

29.01%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.74 R$8.72

142.53%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.18 R$5.90

70.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.67 R$3.36

132.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.95 R$9.78

73.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$2.82 R$14.17

39.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.05 R$5.27

76.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.53 R$7.69

67.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.21 R$6.09

187.60%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$1.68 R$8.45

60.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$7.70 R$38.65

63.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$3.79 R$19.01

80.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$7.42 R$37.23

42.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.15 R$10.78

94.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.31 R$6.59

39.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$0.73 R$3.65

475.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.02 R$5.13

295.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$0.97 R$4.89

258.76%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$0.91 R$4.58

363.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.51 R$2.57

372.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.76 R$3.81

122.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.34 R$11.75

162.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$6.12 R$30.70

84.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.28 R$6.44

10.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.03 R$10.20

34.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.94 R$4.70

-64.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$42.85 R$215

-50.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.68 R$8.44

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.22 R$6.10

52.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$6.92 R$34.70

214.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.27 R$6.36

-1.57%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$23.4K R$117.5K

-9.29%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$34.2K R$171.4K

-38.45%

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

$130 PAB 130

$96.5 R$484

34.51%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$9.68 R$48.55

190.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$17.43 R$87.5

176.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$22.93 R$115

99.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$27.44 R$138

27.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$6.45 R$32.35

34.42%

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

$544 PAB 544

$188 R$943

189.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$5,306 R$26.6K

82.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$58.9 R$295

13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$35.28 R$177

39.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$87.6 R$440

7.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$82.6 R$414

35.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$313 R$1,570

301.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$145 R$726

504.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$639 R$3,205

237.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$277 R$1,389

464.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,301 R$6,525

140.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$903 R$4,531

89.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$453 R$2,275

102.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-36.10%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Aracaju

$145 19.4% 83.5% $730

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Aracaju

$167 22.4% 48.6% $158

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Aracaju

$102 13.6% 50.8% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Aracaju

$124 16.6% 40% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Aracaju

$119 15.9% 17.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Aracaju

$36 4.8% 43.2% $27

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Aracaju

$54 7.3% 58% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $313 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 102% 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 $25.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $167 per month, with Aracaju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Aracaju

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

602,757

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

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).

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).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Aracaju 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Aracaju

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 Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Aracaju differ by about 149% in total monthly costs ($1,855 vs $746 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 102% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,257 in Panama City versus $313 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $544 in Panama City versus $188 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Aracaju versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.