Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Imbituba

For one person, living is cheaper in Imbituba: $852 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Imbituba
Learn more

Imbituba Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Imbituba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $852 in Imbituba.

Panama City $1,857
Imbituba $852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $1,353 in Imbituba.

Panama City $2,815
Imbituba $1,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $1,854 in Imbituba.

Panama City $3,773
Imbituba $1,854

Living in Panama City is roughly 118% more expensive than in Imbituba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$4.96 R$25.13

135.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$30.58 R$155

56.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$6.93 R$35.11

17.17%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$2.01 R$10.18

110.45%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.13 R$5.71

69.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.49 R$2.48

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$2.44 R$12.39

35.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$2.38 R$12.07

67.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$0.96 R$4.86

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.23 R$6.26

113.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$0.86 R$4.37

294.19%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.23 R$11.33

19.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$8.47 R$42.95

44.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$3.16 R$16.00

118.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$6.60 R$33.47

60.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$1.62 R$8.22

156.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$0.79 R$4.00

149.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$1.23 R$6.25

230.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$0.78 R$3.96

435.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$0.82 R$4.15

323.17%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.22 R$6.16

249.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$1.53 R$7.77

59.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.94 R$4.79

79.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$3.12 R$15.82

86.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$9.76 R$49.48

17.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.18 R$5.96

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$3.18 R$16.10

-13.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.04 R$5.26

-68.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$44.00 R$223

-53.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$2.02 R$10.26

26.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.62 R$8.23

9.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$10.13 R$51.3

118.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.27 R$6.42

-2.36%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$25.3K R$128.4K

-3.62%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$34.1K R$173.0K

-37.60%

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

$131 PAB 131

$61.5 R$312

113.41%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$11.31 R$57.4

146.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$20.89 R$106

136.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$26.13 R$132

74.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$28.12 R$143

21.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$8.68 R$43.98

-2.42%

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

$553 PAB 553

$318 R$1,614

73.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$6,577 R$33.3K

47.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$45.74 R$232

45.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$95.3 R$483

-50.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$89.9 R$456

6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$70.1 R$355

60.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$361 R$1,830

266.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$242 R$1,225

261.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$677 R$3,431

218.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$466 R$2,363

239.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,704 R$8,639

81.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,201 R$6,089

41.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.5

-39.14%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Imbituba

$242 28.4% 72.4% $633

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Imbituba

$171 20.1% 47.6% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Imbituba

$94 11% 55% $115

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Imbituba

$108 12.7% 47.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Imbituba

$135 15.9% 6.5% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Imbituba

$43 5.1% 30.6% $19

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Imbituba

$58 6.8% 74.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $361 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $31.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $171 per month, with Imbituba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Imbituba

🕒 Local time

17:39 5:39 PM

19:39 7:39 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

52,579

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Imbituba 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Imbituba

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 Imbituba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imbituba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,786 in Panama City and $1,278 in Imbituba 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 $361 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imbituba – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $48.00 in Panama City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Imbituba versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imbituba but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Imbituba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imbituba 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 Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.