Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Barretos

For one person, living is cheaper in Barretos: $845 a month against $1,855 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 Barretos
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Barretos Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Barretos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $845 in Barretos, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Barretos $845

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,367 in Barretos, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Barretos $1,367

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,889 in Barretos, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Barretos $1,889

Panama City costs about 119% more than Barretos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Barretos is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$7.01 R$35.52

65.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$23.95 R$121

100.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$6.09 R$30.86

30.71%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.57 R$7.98

168.79%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.34 R$6.81

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.57 R$2.89

173.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.48 R$12.56

36.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$2.96 R$15.02

33.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.03 R$5.22

79.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.07 R$10.52

23.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.38 R$7.00

152.17%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.58 R$13.10

4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.95 R$55.5

14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$4.92 R$24.93

38.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.63 R$53.9

-0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.41 R$12.21

73.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.72 R$8.74

6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.59 R$8.06

164.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.40 R$7.12

187.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.30 R$6.60

167.69%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.20 R$6.10

251.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.94 R$4.77

156.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.83 R$4.19

103.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.48 R$12.56

147.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$7.99 R$40.51

41.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.55 R$7.86

-8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.60 R$13.18

5.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.98 R$4.98

-66.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$46.46 R$236

-54.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.19 R$6.02

111.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.76 R$3.87

144.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$8.64 R$43.80

152.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.00 R$5.06

25.00%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$23.5K R$119.2K

-9.66%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$31.9K R$161.9K

-34.17%

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

$130 PAB 130

$30.25 R$153

329.22%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$6.04 R$30.62

365.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$15.91 R$80.7

203.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$24.93 R$126

83.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$28.30 R$143

23.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$8.01 R$40.60

8.24%

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

$544 PAB 544

$435 R$2,206

25.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$11.1K R$56.2K

-12.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$66.2 R$335

0.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$23.73 R$120

107.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$88.8 R$450

5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$69.8 R$354

59.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$343 R$1,739

266.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$245 R$1,242

257.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$715 R$3,625

201.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$492 R$2,494

217.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,620 R$8,215

92.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,235 R$6,259

38.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$569 R$2,883

61.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.81

-40.89%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Barretos: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Barretos

$245 29% 72% $630

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Barretos

$221 26.1% 32.1% $104

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Barretos

$119 14.1% 42.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Barretos

$52 6.2% 74.7% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Barretos

$112 13.2% 22.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Barretos

$41 4.8% 35.1% $22

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Barretos

$55 6.6% 61% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $343 in Barretos. 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 61% 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 $24.00 in Barretos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $221 – making Barretos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Barretos

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

122,485

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Barretos 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Barretos

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 Barretos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,855 in Panama City, $845 in Barretos – roughly 119% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $1,268 in Barretos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barretos, 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 $24.00 in Barretos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,855 in Panama City and $845 in Barretos. That's a gap of about 119%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barretos, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Barretos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $845 in Barretos to $1,855 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barretos. 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.