Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Gramado

For one person, living is cheaper in Gramado: $913 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Gramado
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Gramado Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Gramado

🇧🇷 Brazil

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $913 in Gramado.

Panama City $1,855
Gramado $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $1,445 in Gramado.

Panama City $2,804
Gramado $1,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $1,977 in Gramado.

Panama City $3,753
Gramado $1,977

Living in Panama City is roughly 103% more expensive than in Gramado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$7.92 R$40.13

46.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$25.23 R$128

89.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$5.97 R$30.25

33.33%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.68 R$8.51

151.19%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.18 R$5.97

70.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.71 R$3.60

119.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.44 R$12.38

38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$1.95 R$9.91

102.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.03 R$5.22

79.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.44 R$7.30

77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.12 R$5.68

210.71%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.41 R$12.20

11.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.33 R$52.4

21.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$4.36 R$22.12

56.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$5.86 R$29.71

80.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.47 R$12.52

69.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.52 R$7.71

20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.42 R$7.20

195.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.67 R$8.45

141.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$0.99 R$5.04

251.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.09 R$5.52

287.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.60 R$3.02

301.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.71 R$3.62

138.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.44 R$12.38

151.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$5.95 R$30.16

89.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.18 R$6.00

20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.94 R$9.81

40.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.20 R$6.09

-72.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$68.1 R$345

-68.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.28 R$6.47

96.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.61 R$3.11

204.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$5.87 R$29.78

271.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.26 R$6.40

-0.79%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$20.0K R$101.6K

5.94%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$27.9K R$141.3K

-24.58%

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

$130 PAB 130

$62.1 R$315

109.01%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$12.32 R$62.5

128.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$21.78 R$110

121.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$25.81 R$131

77.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$27.98 R$142

24.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$6.45 R$32.69

34.42%

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

$544 PAB 544

$295 R$1,497

84.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$3,296 R$16.7K

194.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$50.3 R$255

32.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$34.64 R$176

41.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$70.9 R$360

32.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$48.80 R$247

128.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$505 R$2,560

148.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$301 R$1,527

190.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$927 R$4,702

132.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$601 R$3,044

160.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,599 R$13.2K

20.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,608 R$8,151

6.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$611 R$3,099

49.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-36.10%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gramado: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Gramado

$301 33% 65.6% $574

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Gramado

$182 20% 43.9% $143

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Gramado

$125 13.7% 39.5% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Gramado

$96 10.5% 53.3% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Gramado

$92 10.1% 36.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Gramado

$39 4.2% 38.7% $24

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Gramado

$77 8.5% 125% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $505 in Gramado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 50% 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 $25.00 in Gramado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $182 per month, with Gramado cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Gramado

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

40,134

💱 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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Between locations

Panama City Gramado 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Gramado

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 Gramado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gramado is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 50% 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 $505 in Gramado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $544 in Panama City versus $295 in Gramado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Gramado versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gramado but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Gramado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gramado is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Panama City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Gramado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.