Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Avaré

For one person, living is cheaper in Avaré: $845 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Avaré
Learn more

Avaré Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Avaré

🇧🇷 Brazil

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $845 in Avaré.

Panama City $1,857
Avaré $845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $1,408 in Avaré.

Panama City $2,815
Avaré $1,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $1,971 in Avaré.

Panama City $3,773
Avaré $1,971

Living in Panama City is roughly 120% more expensive than in Avaré, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Avaré is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$4.06 R$20.57

187.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$49.85 R$253

-4.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$5.15 R$26.08

57.67%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$1.96 R$9.96

115.82%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$0.58 R$2.96

231.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.42 R$2.12

276.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$1.36 R$6.89

143.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$1.94 R$9.85

105.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.23 R$6.25

56.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.90 R$9.65

38.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.45 R$7.35

133.79%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.23 R$11.29

19.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$7.74 R$39.22

57.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$3.33 R$16.90

107.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$7.07 R$35.83

49.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.82 R$14.32

47.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.85 R$9.35

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$1.56 R$7.90

160.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.99 R$10.07

110.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.24 R$6.26

179.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.27 R$6.41

235.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$1.27 R$6.43

92.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.58 R$2.92

191.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$2.98 R$15.13

95.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$10.20 R$51.7

12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$0.89 R$4.51

55.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$2.49 R$12.60

10.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.00 R$5.07

-67.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$44.96 R$228

-54.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.84 R$9.32

38.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.03 R$5.22

72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$10.16 R$51.5

118.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.09 R$5.51

13.76%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$23.8K R$120.8K

2.44%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$26.3K R$133.5K

-19.14%

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

$131 PAB 131

$50.5 R$256

160.19%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$9.89 R$50.2

181.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$19.82 R$100

148.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$25.84 R$131

76.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$27.79 R$141

22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$5.16 R$26.16

64.15%

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

$553 PAB 553

$574 R$2,908

-3.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$16.8K R$85.1K

-42.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$65.9 R$334

0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$62.7 R$318

-24.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$101 R$512

-5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$93.1 R$472

20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$353 R$1,788

274.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$244 R$1,239

257.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$662 R$3,354

225.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$474 R$2,403

233.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,692 R$8,577

83.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,205 R$6,109

40.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.68

-45.29%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Avaré: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Avaré

$244 29% 72% $630

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Avaré

$197 23.3% 39.8% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Avaré

$80 9.5% 61.5% $128

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Avaré

$86 10.2% 58.4% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Avaré

$145 17.2% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Avaré

$36 4.3% 42.3% $26

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Avaré

$56 6.6% 67.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $353 in Avaré. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $50.0 in Avaré. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $197, with Avaré cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Avaré

🕒 Local time

00:15 12:15 AM

02:15 2:15 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

92,805

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Avaré 4,880 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Avaré

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 Avaré: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Avaré differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,857 vs $845 including rent). Avaré is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,786 in Panama City and $1,267 in Avaré 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,322 in Panama City versus $353 in Avaré. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Avaré runs roughly 118% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $553 in Panama City versus $574 in Avaré. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $845 in Avaré versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Avaré but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Avaré 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 Avaré gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.