Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Calama

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $595 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Calama
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Calama Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Calama

🇨🇱 Chile

$595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $595 in Calama.

Panama City $1,855
Calama $595

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $1,203 in Calama.

Panama City $2,804
Calama $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $1,812 in Calama.

Panama City $3,753
Calama $1,812

Living in Panama City is roughly 212% more expensive than in Calama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Calama is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$6.95 CLP 6,841

67.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$31.49 CLP 31.0K

52.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.05 CLP 2,018

105.85%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$0.93 CLP 916

116.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.94 CLP 929

65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.12 CLP 3,074

8.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$5.23 CLP 5,149

-24.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.10 CLP 1,087

68.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$0.84 CLP 825

204.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.62 CLP 2,575

32.82%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$4.95 CLP 4,876

-45.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.36 CLP 9,217

34.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$6.22 CLP 6,119

9.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$7.53 CLP 7,413

40.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.26 CLP 1,242

231.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.05 CLP 1,029

74.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.55 CLP 1,523

170.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.10 CLP 1,081

266.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$0.90 CLP 884

286.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$0.93 CLP 916

353.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$5.25 CLP 5,170

16.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$4.19 CLP 4,128

169.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.01 CLP 990

40.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.25 CLP 1,235

118.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.95 CLP 931

-65.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.43 CLP 1,412

30.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.44 CLP 1,415

-13.19%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

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

$130 PAB 130

$40.05 CLP 39.4K

224.19%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$13.28 CLP 13.1K

263.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

-11.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$20.74 CLP 20.4K

68.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$4.69 CLP 4,617

84.86%

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

$544 PAB 544

$306 CLP 301.6K

77.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$36.08 CLP 35.5K

85.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$28.38 CLP 27.9K

73.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$45.82 CLP 45.1K

104.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$61.8 CLP 60.9K

80.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$327 CLP 322.3K

283.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$102 CLP 100.6K

756.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$807 CLP 794.0K

167.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$608 CLP 599.0K

156.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,403 CLP 1.4M

122.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,229 CLP 1.2M

39.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$1,110 CLP 1.1M

-17.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

27.80%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Calama: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Calama

$102 17.2% 88.3% $773

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Calama

$176 * 29.6% 45.8% $149

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Calama

$114 * 19.1% 45% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Calama

$53 * 9% 74.1% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Calama

$77 13% 46.4% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Calama

$61 10.3% 3.2% $2

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Calama

$11 * 1.8% 68.2% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $327 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $31.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $176 per month, with Calama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇱 Calama

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

157,575

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Calama 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Calama

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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 212% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Calama. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,257 in Panama City versus $327 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,855 per month in Panama City versus $595 in Calama – a 212% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $595 in Calama versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $595 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.