Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Chillan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chillan: $876 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Chillan
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Chillan Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Chillan

🇨🇱 Chile

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $876 in Chillan.

Panama City $1,855
Chillan $876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $1,321 in Chillan.

Panama City $2,804
Chillan $1,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $1,766 in Chillan.

Panama City $3,753
Chillan $1,766

Living in Panama City is roughly 112% more expensive than in Chillan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Chillan is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$5.24 CLP 5,162

121.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$46.84 CLP 46.1K

2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$5.85 CLP 5,761

36.07%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.65 CLP 3,592

15.62%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$0.92 CLP 909

118.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.99 CLP 970

57.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.52 CLP 3,467

-3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$4.55 CLP 4,477

-13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.06 CLP 1,043

74.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.62 CLP 1,593

58.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.83 CLP 1,804

90.16%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.70 CLP 3,640

-27.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$7.08 CLP 6,974

77.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$2.51 CLP 2,473

172.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$8.12 CLP 7,998

30.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.48 CLP 1,454

182.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.64 CLP 1,616

11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.25 CLP 1,234

236.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.03 CLP 1,018

291.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.44 CLP 1,415

141.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.26 CLP 1,236

234.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$1.03 CLP 1,009

133.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.19 CLP 1,176

42.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$4.58 CLP 4,507

34.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$3.37 CLP 3,320

235.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.25 CLP 1,234

13.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.03 CLP 1,996

34.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.58 CLP 571

-43.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$36.06 CLP 35.5K

-41.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$0.60 CLP 590

320.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.15 CLP 1,133

61.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$12.29 CLP 12.1K

77.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.34 CLP 1,316

-6.72%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$11.9K CLP 11.7M

78.38%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$14.7K CLP 14.5M

42.54%

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

$130 PAB 130

$127 CLP 125.4K

1.89%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$10.30 CLP 10.1K

173.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$23.07 CLP 22.7K

108.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$15.49 CLP 15.3K

195.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$16.60 CLP 16.3K

110.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

-21.75%

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

$544 PAB 544

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$35.58 CLP 35.0K

87.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$18.16 CLP 17.9K

170.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$48.07 CLP 47.3K

95.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$64.8 CLP 63.7K

72.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$302 CLP 297.5K

315.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$243 CLP 239.7K

259.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$445 CLP 437.9K

384.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$330 CLP 324.8K

373.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,415 CLP 2.4M

29.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$2,414 CLP 2.4M

-29.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$664 CLP 653.6K

37.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chillan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Chillan

$243 27.8% 72.2% $631

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Chillan

$177 20.2% 45.6% $148

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Chillan

$138 15.7% 33.4% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Chillan

$161 18.4% 22% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Chillan

$75 8.6% 48.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Chillan

$38 4.3% 40.3% $25

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Chillan

$45 5.1% 30.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $302 in Chillan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 38% 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 $47.00 in Chillan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $177 per month, with Chillan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇱 Chillan

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

23:53 11:53 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

164,270

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Between locations

Panama City Chillan 5,130 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Chillan

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 Chillan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Chillan differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($1,855 vs $876 including rent). Chillan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,257 in Panama City versus $302 in Chillan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% 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 $876 in Chillan – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $876 in Chillan versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chillan but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Chillan 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 Chillan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.