Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Canoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Canoas: $825 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Canoas
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Canoas Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Canoas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $825 in Canoas.

Panama City $1,855
Canoas $825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $1,267 in Canoas.

Panama City $2,804
Canoas $1,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $1,708 in Canoas.

Panama City $3,753
Canoas $1,708

Living in Panama City is roughly 125% more expensive than in Canoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Canoas is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$6.16 R$30.92

88.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$20.24 R$102

136.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$6.81 R$34.18

16.89%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.86 R$9.33

126.88%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.09 R$5.48

84.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.49 R$2.44

218.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.18 R$5.93

187.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$1.56 R$7.83

152.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$0.89 R$4.49

107.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.32 R$6.62

93.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$0.74 R$3.70

370.27%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.15 R$10.77

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.86 R$49.48

27.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$4.08 R$20.45

67.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$9.76 R$48.98

8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.39 R$6.96

200.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.18 R$5.94

55.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$0.61 R$3.07

588.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.32 R$6.63

205.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.21 R$6.07

187.60%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.10 R$5.50

283.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.88 R$4.43

173.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.62 R$3.12

172.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.57 R$12.89

138.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$7.86 R$39.45

43.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$0.76 R$3.83

86.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.15 R$10.81

26.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.98 R$4.93

-66.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$34.50 R$173

-38.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.28 R$6.43

96.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.87 R$4.36

113.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$8.45 R$42.39

157.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.20 R$6.01

4.17%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$21.7K R$109.1K

-2.29%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$27.3K R$137.0K

-23.02%

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

$130 PAB 130

$77.2 R$388

68.10%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$12.75 R$64.0

120.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$21.67 R$109

122.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$28.32 R$142

61.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$25.28 R$127

38.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$6.06 R$30.39

43.07%

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

$544 PAB 544

$555 R$2,783

-1.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$7,151 R$35.9K

35.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$49.77 R$250

34.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$58.5 R$293

-15.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$59.4 R$298

58.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$61.1 R$306

82.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$323 R$1,620

289.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$242 R$1,215

261.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$550 R$2,759

291.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$433 R$2,172

261.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,611 R$8,084

93.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,354 R$6,792

26.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.5

-44.43%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Canoas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Canoas

$242 29.3% 72.3% $633

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Canoas

$177 21.4% 45.7% $148

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Canoas

$107 13% 48% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Canoas

$112 13.5% 45.8% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Canoas

$103 12.5% 28.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Canoas

$40 4.9% 35.9% $23

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Canoas

$44 5.3% 28.1% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $323 in Canoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $20.00 in Canoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $177 per month, with Canoas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Canoas

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

13:58 1:58 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

347,657

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Canoas 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Canoas

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 Canoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Canoas differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($1,855 vs $825 including rent). Canoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,783 in Panama City and $1,238 in Canoas 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: $1,257 in Panama City versus $323 in Canoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Canoas runs roughly 63% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $544 in Panama City versus $555 in Canoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $825 in Canoas versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Canoas but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Canoas 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 Canoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.