Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Caruaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Caruaru: $665 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Caruaru
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Caruaru Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Caruaru

🇧🇷 Brazil

$665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $665 in Caruaru.

Panama City $1,837
Caruaru $665

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $1,106 in Caruaru.

Panama City $2,825
Caruaru $1,106

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $1,547 in Caruaru.

Panama City $3,812
Caruaru $1,547

Living in Panama City is roughly 176% more expensive than in Caruaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Caruaru is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$5.95 R$29.70

90.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$29.63 R$148

61.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$8.08 R$40.35

-0.12%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$1.53 R$7.62

162.75%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.06 R$5.27

83.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$0.70 R$3.50

131.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$1.74 R$8.71

87.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$2.33 R$11.63

71.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.23 R$6.13

48.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$1.12 R$5.62

129.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.38 R$6.88

141.30%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.09 R$10.43

28.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$4.54 R$22.65

171.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$5.07 R$25.31

31.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$7.68 R$38.34

35.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$1.38 R$6.89

201.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.02 R$5.07

80.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$0.86 R$4.27

386.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$1.13 R$5.63

261.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.64 R$8.20

113.41%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$1.24 R$6.19

252.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$0.76 R$3.78

207.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$0.89 R$4.45

96.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$3.05 R$15.23

98.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$7.83 R$39.10

49.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.53 R$7.66

-10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.44 R$12.18

16.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$0.93 R$4.62

-61.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$26.88 R$134

-22.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.22 R$6.09

106.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.94 R$9.69

-7.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$3.11 R$15.51

607.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.29 R$6.46

-3.10%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$23.6K R$118.0K

-8.90%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$33.1K R$165.1K

-35.91%

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

$131 PAB 131

$56.4 R$282

132.51%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$8.13 R$40.58

240.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$9.96 R$49.73

387.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$14.85 R$74.1

210.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$30.39 R$152

15.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$7.14 R$35.65

22.27%

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

$551 PAB 551

$109 R$545

403.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$6,766 R$33.8K

41.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$40.41 R$202

67.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$50.7 R$253

-5.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$89.4 R$446

6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$66.1 R$330

70.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$164 R$820

653.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$132 R$657

563.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$349 R$1,740

530.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$263 R$1,314

484.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$263 R$1,312

255.56%

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 Caruaru: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Caruaru

$132 19.7% 84.9% $742

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Caruaru

$171 25.5% 47.3% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Caruaru

$75 11.1% 64.1% $133

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Caruaru

$111 16.5% 45.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Caruaru

$111 16.6% 23.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Caruaru

$29 4.4% 54.2% $34

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Caruaru

$42 6.2% 22.5% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Panama City and $164 in Caruaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 256% 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 $30.00 in Caruaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $171 per month, with Caruaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Caruaru

🕒 Local time

06:39 6:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

377,911

💱 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 = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Caruaru 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Caruaru

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 Caruaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Caruaru differ by about 176% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $665 including rent). Caruaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 256% 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 $164 in Caruaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $551 in Panama City versus $109 in Caruaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $665 in Caruaru versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru 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 Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.