Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Belem

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $937 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Belem
Learn more

Belem Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $937 in Belem.

Panama City $1,837
Belem $937

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $1,424 in Belem.

Panama City $2,825
Belem $1,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $1,911 in Belem.

Panama City $3,812
Belem $1,911

Living in Panama City is roughly 96% more expensive than in Belem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Belem is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$4.94 R$24.66

129.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$20.41 R$102

134.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$6.80 R$33.96

18.68%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$1.90 R$9.48

111.58%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.06 R$5.28

83.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$0.51 R$2.56

217.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$1.59 R$7.91

105.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$2.36 R$11.80

69.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.40 R$7.01

30.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.48 R$12.40

3.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.32 R$6.59

152.27%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.14 R$10.71

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$9.20 R$45.91

34.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$4.53 R$22.64

47.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$7.55 R$37.70

37.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.30 R$11.49

80.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.43 R$7.15

28.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.49 R$7.42

180.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$1.75 R$8.73

133.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.09 R$5.45

221.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$0.63 R$3.14

593.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$1.29 R$6.45

81.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.43 R$7.13

22.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$2.65 R$13.21

128.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$9.94 R$49.60

17.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.45 R$7.25

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$5.07 R$25.31

-43.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$0.97 R$4.82

-62.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$34.73 R$173

-39.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.17 R$5.86

115.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.17 R$5.83

52.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$8.36 R$41.71

163.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.32 R$6.57

-5.30%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$23.9K R$119.3K

-9.87%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$32.5K R$162.3K

-34.83%

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

$131 PAB 131

$98.6 R$492

33.10%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$11.52 R$57.5

140.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$31.16 R$156

55.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$21.62 R$108

113.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$39.31 R$196

-10.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$7.82 R$39.04

11.64%

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

$551 PAB 551

$111 R$556

394.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$3,464 R$17.3K

175.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$32.02 R$160

111.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$45.64 R$228

5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$83.2 R$415

14.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$66.9 R$334

68.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$529 R$2,642

133.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$290 R$1,450

200.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$889 R$4,436

147.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$538 R$2,684

186.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$2,003 R$9,997

55.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,403 R$7,005

22.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$422 R$2,105

121.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.48

-44.34%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Belem: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Belem

$290 30.8% 66.7% $583

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Belem

$225 23.8% 30.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Belem

$141 15% 31.9% $66

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Belem

$102 10.8% 49.6% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Belem

$103 10.9% 29.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Belem

$37 4% 41.4% $26

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Belem

$46 4.8% 34.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Panama City and $529 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 122% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $20.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $225 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Belem

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

1,303,403

💱 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 Belem 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Belem

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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Panama City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,238 in Panama City versus $529 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 66% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $551 in Panama City versus $111 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Belem versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem 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 Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.