Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Franco da Rocha

For one person, living is cheaper in Franco da Rocha: $921 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Franco da Rocha
Learn more

Franco da Rocha Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Franco da Rocha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Franco da Rocha

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 Franco da Rocha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $921 in Franco da Rocha.

Panama City $1,857
Franco da Rocha $921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $1,501 in Franco da Rocha.

Panama City $2,815
Franco da Rocha $1,501

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $2,082 in Franco da Rocha.

Panama City $3,773
Franco da Rocha $2,082

Living in Panama City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Franco da Rocha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Franco da Rocha is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$7.14 R$36.22

63.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$40.83 R$207

16.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$8.99 R$45.58

-9.68%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$2.29 R$11.63

84.72%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.69 R$8.58

13.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$1.21 R$6.15

30.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$2.84 R$14.40

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$4.44 R$22.51

-10.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.21 R$6.13

58.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.99 R$10.08

32.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.16 R$5.87

192.24%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.69 R$13.64

-0.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$9.08 R$46.01

34.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$4.61 R$23.35

49.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.71 R$54.3

-1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.89 R$14.65

43.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.85 R$9.38

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$1.86 R$9.41

118.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.83 R$9.28

128.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.39 R$7.04

149.64%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.37 R$6.96

210.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.96 R$4.84

154.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.75 R$3.83

125.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$2.83 R$14.36

106.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$8.77 R$44.45

30.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.65 R$8.38

-16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$2.10 R$10.65

31.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.03 R$5.23

-67.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$43.86 R$222

-52.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.35 R$6.82

88.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.38 R$7.00

28.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$9.48 R$48.06

133.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.30 R$6.59

-4.62%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$24.1K R$122.3K

1.15%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$33.5K R$169.8K

-36.44%

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

$131 PAB 131

$44.25 R$224

196.70%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$14.27 R$72.3

95.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$18.69 R$94.8

163.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$25.88 R$131

76.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$28.11 R$142

21.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$8.10 R$41.08

4.57%

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

$553 PAB 553

$429 R$2,175

29.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$7,811 R$39.6K

24.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$55.8 R$283

19.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$59.9 R$304

-20.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$94.8 R$480

0.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$84.6 R$429

33.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$357 R$1,809

270.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$245 R$1,241

257.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$673 R$3,411

219.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$464 R$2,354

240.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,687 R$8,554

83.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,183 R$5,998

43.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.12

-42.54%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Franco da Rocha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Franco da Rocha

$245 26.6% 72% $630

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Franco da Rocha

$222 24.1% 32.1% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Franco da Rocha

$77 8.4% 63% $131

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Franco da Rocha

$146 15.9% 29.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Franco da Rocha

$133 14.4% 8.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Franco da Rocha

$42 4.6% 32.8% $21

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Franco da Rocha

$56 6.1% 68.2% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $357 in Franco da Rocha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $41.00 in Franco da Rocha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $222 per month, with Franco da Rocha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Franco da Rocha

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

10:55 10:55 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

144,849

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Franco da Rocha 5,060 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Franco da Rocha

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 Franco da Rocha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Franco da Rocha differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,857 vs $921 including rent). Franco da Rocha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,786 in Panama City and $1,382 in Franco da Rocha 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 $357 in Franco da Rocha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,857 per month in Panama City versus $921 in Franco da Rocha – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Franco da Rocha runs roughly 113% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $921 in Franco da Rocha versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Franco da Rocha but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Franco da Rocha 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 Franco da Rocha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.