Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Atlantida

For one person, living is cheaper in Atlantida: $1,452 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Panama City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Atlantida
Learn more

Atlantida Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Atlantida

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $1,452 in Atlantida, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Atlantida $1,452

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $2,264 in Atlantida, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Atlantida $2,264

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $3,076 in Atlantida, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Atlantida $3,076

Panama City costs about 27% more than Atlantida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Panama City and Atlantida sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Atlantida by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$12.86 UYU 517

-11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$44.01 UYU 1,770

8.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$12.23 UYU 492

-34.01%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$3.03 UYU 122

32.67%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.83 UYU 73.7

6.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$1.13 UYU 45.45

43.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$2.78 UYU 112

17.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$3.55 UYU 143

12.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.34 UYU 54.1

36.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.62 UYU 105

-1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.49 UYU 59.7

123.49%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$4.39 UYU 177

-38.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$11.94 UYU 480

3.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$8.14 UYU 327

-17.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$10.65 UYU 428

-2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.72 UYU 109

52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$2.16 UYU 87.0

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.13 UYU 45.58

269.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$2.96 UYU 119

37.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.69 UYU 68.2

107.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$2.09 UYU 84.1

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$1.28 UYU 51.5

82.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.83 UYU 73.4

-4.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$5.07 UYU 204

19.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$6.84 UYU 275

71.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.88 UYU 75.5

-27.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.49 UYU 100

14.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$2.18 UYU 87.8

-83.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$48.54 UYU 1,952

-56.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.43 UYU 97.9

3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$3.43 UYU 138

-47.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$10.01 UYU 403

119.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.92 UYU 77.3

-34.90%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$35.8K UYU 1.4M

-39.88%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$37.1K UYU 1.5M

-42.95%

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

$131 PAB 131

$87.2 UYU 3,504

50.52%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$23.54 UYU 946

17.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$32.26 UYU 1,297

50.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$60.9 UYU 2,449

-24.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$17.65 UYU 710

98.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$11.78 UYU 474

-25.89%

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

$551 PAB 551

$486 UYU 19.5K

13.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$6,689 UYU 269.0K

42.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$74.2 UYU 2,982

-8.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$75.7 UYU 3,045

-36.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$166 UYU 6,674

-42.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$118 UYU 4,752

-4.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$666 UYU 26.8K

85.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$479 UYU 19.3K

82.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$1,261 UYU 50.7K

74.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$869 UYU 34.9K

77.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$2,033 UYU 81.7K

53.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,496 UYU 60.1K

15.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$521 UYU 21.0K

79.32%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Atlantida: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Atlantida

$479 32.6% 45.1% $394

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Atlantida

$282 19.2% 13.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Atlantida

$143 9.7% 31.1% $65

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Atlantida

$209 14.2% 3.5% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Atlantida

$195 13.3% 34.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Atlantida

$84 5.8% 32.9% $21

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Atlantida

$77 5.2% 127% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $666 in Atlantida. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 79% higher in Panama City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $44.00 in Atlantida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $282 – making Atlantida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇾 Atlantida

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

6,000

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.06 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Atlantida 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Atlantida

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 Atlantida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Panama City and $2,177 in Atlantida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atlantida, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $44.00 in Atlantida. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Panama City and $1,452 in Atlantida. That's a gap of about 27%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Atlantida, where all-in costs run around $1,452, than in Panama City at $1,837. In Atlantida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Atlantida – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Atlantida. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.