Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Contagem

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $788 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$788

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $788 in Contagem, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Contagem $788

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,272 in Contagem, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Contagem $1,272

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,755 in Contagem, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Contagem $1,755

Panama City costs about 135% more than Contagem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Contagem is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$6.06 R$30.73

91.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$30.50 R$155

57.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$7.32 R$37.10

8.74%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.76 R$8.93

139.77%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.42 R$7.19

41.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.58 R$2.96

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.32 R$6.69

156.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$2.57 R$13.05

53.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.00 R$5.09

85.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.84 R$9.34

39.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.37 R$6.94

154.01%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$1.98 R$10.06

35.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.07 R$51.1

24.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$3.47 R$17.61

96.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$7.50 R$38.03

41.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.91 R$9.69

118.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.17 R$5.91

56.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$0.94 R$4.75

346.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.67 R$8.48

141.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.09 R$5.53

219.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$0.99 R$5.00

326.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.85 R$4.33

183.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.82 R$4.14

106.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$1.64 R$8.31

274.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$6.04 R$30.61

87.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.02 R$5.18

39.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.37 R$6.94

99.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.50 R$7.61

-78.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$80.1 R$406

-73.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.19 R$6.04

111.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.79 R$3.99

135.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$6.28 R$31.84

246.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.32 R$6.67

-5.30%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$23.5K R$119.3K

-9.73%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$31.6K R$160.4K

-33.54%

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

$130 PAB 130

$76.2 R$386

70.48%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$10.11 R$51.3

178.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$19.26 R$97.7

150.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$26.55 R$135

72.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$23.62 R$120

47.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$7.31 R$37.04

18.60%

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

$544 PAB 544

$144 R$732

277.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$2,630 R$13.3K

268.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$61.6 R$312

8.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$49.74 R$252

-1.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$68.6 R$348

36.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$48.25 R$245

131.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$232 R$1,174

442.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$158 R$798

455.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$488 R$2,475

341.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$334 R$1,693

368.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,991 R$10.1K

56.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,015 R$5,146

68.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$261 R$1,324

250.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.67

-40.11%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Contagem: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Contagem

$158 20% 82% $717

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Contagem

$179 22.7% 44.9% $146

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Contagem

$111 14.1% 46.1% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Contagem

$106 13.4% 48.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Contagem

$103 13% 29% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Contagem

$41 5.2% 34.8% $22

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Contagem

$91 11.6% 165% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $232 in Contagem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 251% higher in Panama City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $31.00 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $179 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Contagem

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

08:50 8:50 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

621,863

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Contagem 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Contagem

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 Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $1,183 in Contagem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 277% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $144 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $788, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Contagem. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Panama City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.