Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Irati

For one person, living is cheaper in Irati: $784 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Irati
Learn more

Irati Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Irati

🇧🇷 Brazil

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $784 in Irati.

Panama City $1,857
Irati $784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $1,240 in Irati.

Panama City $2,815
Irati $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $1,695 in Irati.

Panama City $3,773
Irati $1,695

Living in Panama City is roughly 137% more expensive than in Irati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Irati is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$6.14 R$31.12

90.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$24.52 R$124

94.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$7.08 R$35.87

14.69%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$1.46 R$7.41

189.73%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$0.58 R$2.94

231.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.52 R$2.65

203.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$1.38 R$6.99

139.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$2.10 R$10.62

89.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$0.83 R$4.20

131.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.16 R$5.89

126.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$0.81 R$4.08

318.52%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$1.38 R$7.00

93.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$6.61 R$33.50

84.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$3.22 R$16.33

114.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$6.95 R$35.25

52.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$1.66 R$8.41

150.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$0.79 R$4.00

149.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$0.76 R$3.86

434.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.35 R$6.86

209.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$0.78 R$3.94

344.87%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$0.57 R$2.91

647.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.50 R$2.55

388.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.61 R$3.07

177.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$2.23 R$11.30

161.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$8.69 R$44.04

31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.12 R$5.66

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$1.55 R$7.88

78.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.00 R$5.09

-67.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$43.53 R$221

-52.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.37 R$6.93

86.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.56 R$7.93

14.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$5.49 R$27.83

303.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.31 R$6.63

-5.34%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$18.2K R$92.3K

33.99%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$26.1K R$132.1K

-18.28%

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

$131 PAB 131

$60.4 R$306

117.22%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$11.44 R$58.0

143.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$17.50 R$88.7

181.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$25.95 R$132

76.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$27.79 R$141

22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$7.04 R$35.70

20.31%

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

$553 PAB 553

$321 R$1,627

72.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$6,513 R$33.0K

49.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$46.12 R$234

44.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$47.86 R$243

-0.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$92.0 R$466

3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$59.0 R$299

90.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$355 R$1,800

272.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$237 R$1,202

268.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$686 R$3,476

213.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$464 R$2,352

240.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,735 R$8,796

78.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,194 R$6,053

42.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

$517 R$2,621

76.79%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Irati: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Irati

$237 30.2% 72.9% $637

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Irati

$147 18.8% 55% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Irati

$89 11.4% 57.1% $119

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Irati

$103 13.2% 50.1% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Irati

$110 14.1% 23.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Irati

$40 5.1% 36.1% $23

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Irati

$57 7.2% 69.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $355 in Irati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 77% 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 Irati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $147 per month, with Irati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Irati

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

22:21 10:21 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

59,250

💱 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 Irati 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Irati

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 Irati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irati wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $1,322 in Panama City versus $355 in Irati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Irati runs roughly 111% 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 $321 in Irati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $784 in Irati versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irati but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Irati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $784 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irati hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Irati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.