Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Crato

For one person, living is cheaper in Crato: $879 a month against $1,857 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 Crato
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Crato Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Crato

🇧🇷 Brazil

$879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $879 in Crato.

Panama City $1,857
Crato $879

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $1,403 in Crato.

Panama City $2,815
Crato $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $1,926 in Crato.

Panama City $3,773
Crato $1,926

Living in Panama City is roughly 111% more expensive than in Crato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$5.99 R$30.38

94.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$31.52 R$160

51.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$7.84 R$39.77

3.57%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$2.01 R$10.21

110.45%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.32 R$6.71

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.77 R$3.93

105.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$2.03 R$10.29

63.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$2.98 R$15.13

33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.02 R$5.15

88.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.69 R$8.55

55.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.29 R$6.52

162.79%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.26 R$11.45

18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$9.37 R$47.49

30.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$4.31 R$21.84

60.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$8.66 R$43.90

22.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.24 R$11.37

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.31 R$6.65

50.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$1.18 R$5.97

244.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.59 R$8.05

162.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.22 R$6.21

184.43%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.08 R$5.49

294.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.83 R$4.22

193.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.82 R$4.13

106.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$2.57 R$13.04

126.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$8.10 R$41.06

41.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.33 R$6.72

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$2.11 R$10.72

30.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.04 R$5.27

-68.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$43.73 R$222

-52.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.28 R$6.48

99.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$0.92 R$4.67

93.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$8.22 R$41.69

169.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.31 R$6.62

-5.34%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$23.4K R$118.7K

4.24%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$32.7K R$165.6K

-34.83%

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

$131 PAB 131

$76.8 R$389

70.93%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$12.21 R$61.9

127.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$20.74 R$105

137.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$26.10 R$132

75.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$27.93 R$142

22.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$7.45 R$37.76

13.69%

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

$553 PAB 553

$280 R$1,420

97.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$7,310 R$37.1K

32.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$56.6 R$287

17.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$50.9 R$258

-6.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$88.6 R$449

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$72.6 R$368

55.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$354 R$1,794

273.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$239 R$1,210

266.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$677 R$3,430

218.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$476 R$2,411

232.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,689 R$8,565

83.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,182 R$5,991

43.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

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 20, 2026

Last update for Crato: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Crato

$239 27.2% 72.7% $636

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Crato

$195 22.1% 40.4% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Crato

$110 12.5% 47.3% $99

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Crato

$120 13.7% 42% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Crato

$121 13.8% 16.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Crato

$41 4.7% 34.5% $22

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Crato

$54 6.1% 60.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $354 in Crato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $32.00 in Crato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $195 per month, with Crato cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Crato

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

17:05 5:05 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

131,050

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Crato 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Crato

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 Crato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crato wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Crato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,786 in Panama City and $1,318 in Crato 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: $1,322 in Panama City versus $354 in Crato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Crato runs roughly 112% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $553 in Panama City versus $280 in Crato. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $879 in Crato versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Crato but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Crato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Crato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $879 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Crato hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Crato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.