Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Guarulhos

For one person, living is cheaper in Guarulhos: $974 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Guarulhos
Learn more

Guarulhos Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Guarulhos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $974 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Guarulhos $974

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,776 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Guarulhos $1,776

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,578 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Guarulhos $2,578

Panama City costs about 91% more than Guarulhos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Guarulhos is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$9.14 R$46.36

27.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$39.64 R$201

20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$8.79 R$44.57

-9.44%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.61 R$13.25

61.69%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.43 R$7.25

40.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.88 R$4.45

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.37 R$12.01

43.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$4.07 R$20.63

-3.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.02 R$5.18

81.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.86 R$9.42

37.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.33 R$6.72

161.65%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.57 R$13.04

4.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$12.52 R$63.5

0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$5.02 R$25.42

36.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.63 R$53.9

-0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.40 R$12.17

74.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.72 R$8.74

6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.60 R$8.12

162.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.53 R$7.74

163.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.26 R$6.39

176.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.25 R$6.34

237.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.92 R$4.67

161.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.86 R$4.37

96.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.48 R$12.55

147.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$9.84 R$49.87

14.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.56 R$7.92

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.54 R$12.89

7.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.21 R$6.15

-72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$102 R$519

-79.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.23 R$6.26

104.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.71 R$3.62

161.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$8.85 R$44.85

146.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.29 R$6.53

-3.10%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$24.0K R$121.6K

-11.45%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$34.6K R$175.4K

-39.25%

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

$130 PAB 130

$91.9 R$466

41.30%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$14.76 R$74.8

90.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$22.84 R$116

111.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$27.95 R$142

63.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$10.11 R$51.3

-14.24%

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

$544 PAB 544

$436 R$2,208

24.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$11.1K R$56.2K

-12.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$66.2 R$336

0.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$58.2 R$295

-15.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$95.1 R$482

-1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$80.5 R$408

38.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$349 R$1,767

260.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$161 R$814

445.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$990 R$5,017

117.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$768 R$3,891

103.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,980 R$10.0K

57.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,472 R$7,464

16.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$379 R$1,924

141.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.25

-43.20%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Guarulhos

$161 16.5% 81.7% $714

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Guarulhos

$228 23.4% 29.8% $97

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Guarulhos

$160 16.4% 22.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Guarulhos

$129 13.3% 37.2% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Guarulhos

$135 13.9% 6.6% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Guarulhos

$48 5% 23.7% $15

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Guarulhos

$112 11.5% 226% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $349 in Guarulhos. 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 141% 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 $40.00 in Guarulhos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $228 – making Guarulhos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Guarulhos

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

11:05 11:05 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

1,291,771

💱 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 Guarulhos 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Guarulhos

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 Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City costs about 91% more than Guarulhos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $1,460 in Guarulhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $40.00 in Guarulhos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,855 in Panama City and $974 in Guarulhos. That's a gap of about 91%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $974, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $974 versus $1,855 in Panama City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Guarulhos. 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.