Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Barreiras

For one person, living is cheaper in Barreiras: $825 a month against $1,837 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 Barreiras
Learn more

Barreiras Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Barreiras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $825 in Barreiras.

Panama City $1,837
Barreiras $825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $1,329 in Barreiras.

Panama City $2,825
Barreiras $1,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $1,833 in Barreiras.

Panama City $3,812
Barreiras $1,833

Living in Panama City is roughly 123% more expensive than in Barreiras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$5.88 R$29.37

92.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$30.82 R$154

55.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$6.98 R$34.82

15.62%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$1.97 R$9.81

104.06%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.23 R$6.15

57.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$0.72 R$3.61

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$2.00 R$10.00

63.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$2.83 R$14.14

40.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.04 R$5.19

75.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$1.59 R$7.92

61.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.19 R$5.94

179.83%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.14 R$10.70

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$9.29 R$46.39

32.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$4.04 R$20.15

65.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$8.25 R$41.20

26.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.11 R$10.53

97.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.24 R$6.18

48.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.12 R$5.58

273.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$1.56 R$7.76

161.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.16 R$5.78

201.72%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$1.07 R$5.35

308.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$0.75 R$3.74

212.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$0.81 R$4.03

116.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$2.37 R$11.83

155.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$7.72 R$38.53

51.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.19 R$5.93

15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.04 R$10.16

39.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$0.99 R$4.96

-63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$41.63 R$208

-49.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.23 R$6.13

104.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$0.82 R$4.09

118.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$7.53 R$37.57

192.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.21 R$6.02

3.31%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$23.0K R$114.7K

-6.30%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$31.7K R$158.4K

-33.21%

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

$131 PAB 131

$70.9 R$354

85.10%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$11.78 R$58.8

134.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$20.45 R$102

137.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$24.95 R$125

84.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$26.04 R$130

34.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$6.88 R$34.34

26.89%

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

$551 PAB 551

$287 R$1,434

91.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$6,899 R$34.4K

38.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$53.0 R$265

27.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$47.56 R$237

0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$89.1 R$445

6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$69.3 R$346

62.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$334 R$1,668

270.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$227 R$1,132

285.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$640 R$3,196

243.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$464 R$2,319

231.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$1,570 R$7,836

98.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,136 R$5,672

51.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-41.91%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Barreiras: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Barreiras

$227 27.1% 74% $646

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Barreiras

$186 22.3% 42.5% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Barreiras

$103 12.3% 50.3% $104

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Barreiras

$115 13.7% 42.9% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Barreiras

$117 13.9% 19.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Barreiras

$39 4.6% 39.1% $25

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Barreiras

$51 6.1% 50.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Panama City and $334 in Barreiras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $31.00 in Barreiras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $186 per month, with Barreiras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Barreiras

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

03:50 3:50 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

159,734

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Barreiras 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Barreiras

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 Barreiras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barreiras is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Panama City and $1,238 in Barreiras 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: $1,238 in Panama City versus $334 in Barreiras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $551 in Panama City versus $287 in Barreiras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $825 in Barreiras versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barreiras is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Panama City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.