Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Artigas

For one person, living is cheaper in Artigas: $47.33 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 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

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Artigas

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$47.33

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $47.33 in Artigas.

Panama City $1,857
Artigas $47.33

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $71.0 in Artigas.

Panama City $2,815
Artigas $71.0

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $94.7 in Artigas.

Panama City $3,773
Artigas $94.7

Living in Panama City is roughly 3824% more expensive than in Artigas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Artigas is 97% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

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

$131 PAB 131

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$30.17 UYU 1,211

51.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$8.58 UYU 344

-1.28%

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

$553 PAB 553

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Artigas: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Artigas

–

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Artigas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Artigas

–

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Artigas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Artigas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Artigas

–

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Artigas

–

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇾 Artigas

🕒 Local time

21:28 9:28 PM

23:28 11:28 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

40,658

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Artigas 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Artigas

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 Artigas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Artigas wins on cost – living expenses run 3824% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Artigas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,786 in Panama City and $71.0 in Artigas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

At $47.33 in Artigas versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Artigas but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Artigas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Artigas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $47.33 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Artigas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Artigas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3824% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.