Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Castanhal

For one person, living is cheaper in Castanhal: $846 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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 Castanhal
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Castanhal Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Castanhal

🇧🇷 Brazil

$846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $846 in Castanhal.

Panama City $1,837
Castanhal $846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $1,353 in Castanhal.

Panama City $2,825
Castanhal $1,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $1,860 in Castanhal.

Panama City $3,812
Castanhal $1,860

Living in Panama City is roughly 117% more expensive than in Castanhal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$5.62 R$28.07

101.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$30.48 R$152

56.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$7.34 R$36.62

9.95%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$1.87 R$9.33

114.97%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.28 R$6.38

51.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$0.77 R$3.82

110.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$1.94 R$9.70

68.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$2.86 R$14.27

39.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.04 R$5.17

75.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$1.63 R$8.16

57.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.20 R$6.00

177.50%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.16 R$10.78

24.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$9.24 R$46.14

33.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$4.06 R$20.26

64.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$8.17 R$40.80

27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.13 R$10.65

95.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.27 R$6.35

44.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.13 R$5.62

269.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$1.51 R$7.53

170.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.19 R$5.95

194.12%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$1.03 R$5.13

324.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$0.76 R$3.80

207.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$0.73 R$3.67

139.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$2.41 R$12.05

151.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$7.63 R$38.11

53.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.19 R$5.95

15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.02 R$10.11

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$1.00 R$4.98

-64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$41.71 R$208

-49.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.27 R$6.33

98.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$0.88 R$4.37

103.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$7.60 R$37.92

189.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.25 R$6.23

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$23.2K R$115.6K

-7.03%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$31.1K R$155.1K

-31.81%

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

$131 PAB 131

$72.8 R$363

80.27%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$11.79 R$58.9

134.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$20.26 R$101

139.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$24.64 R$123

87.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$26.02 R$130

34.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$6.86 R$34.26

27.26%

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

$551 PAB 551

$286 R$1,425

92.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$6,904 R$34.5K

38.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$52.6 R$263

28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$48.01 R$240

0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$92.7 R$463

2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$69.2 R$345

63.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$345 R$1,721

259.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$233 R$1,164

274.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$645 R$3,220

240.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$461 R$2,303

233.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$1,571 R$7,844

98.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,125 R$5,617

53.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

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 Castanhal: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Castanhal

$233 27.6% 73.3% $640

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Castanhal

$186 22% 42.7% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Castanhal

$105 12.4% 49.5% $103

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Castanhal

$113 13.4% 44% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Castanhal

$118 14% 18.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Castanhal

$38 4.5% 39.7% $25

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Castanhal

$51 6.1% 51.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Panama City and $345 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $30.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $186 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Castanhal

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

192,256

💱 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 Castanhal 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Castanhal

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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Panama City and $1,269 in Castanhal 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: $1,238 in Panama City versus $345 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $48.00 in Panama City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Panama City versus $846 in Castanhal – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Castanhal versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $846 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.