Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Itapema

For one person, living is cheaper in Itapema: $772 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Itapema
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Itapema Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Itapema

🇧🇷 Brazil

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $772 in Itapema.

Panama City $1,857
Itapema $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $1,233 in Itapema.

Panama City $2,815
Itapema $1,233

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $1,694 in Itapema.

Panama City $3,773
Itapema $1,694

Living in Panama City is roughly 140% more expensive than in Itapema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Itapema is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$5.55 R$28.13

110.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$27.67 R$140

72.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$6.45 R$32.69

25.89%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$1.75 R$8.89

141.71%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.08 R$5.46

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.64 R$3.26

146.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$1.79 R$9.05

84.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$2.65 R$13.45

50.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$0.99 R$5.03

93.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.50 R$7.59

75.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.14 R$5.79

197.37%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.03 R$10.28

31.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$8.39 R$42.52

45.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$3.65 R$18.52

89.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$7.28 R$36.90

45.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.06 R$10.46

101.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.24 R$6.30

58.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$1.16 R$5.87

250.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.49 R$7.57

180.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.15 R$5.82

201.74%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.05 R$5.33

305.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.68 R$3.42

258.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.63 R$3.19

168.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$2.09 R$10.62

178.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$7.45 R$37.75

53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.24 R$6.30

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$2.06 R$10.43

33.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.92 R$4.67

-64.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$37.79 R$192

-45.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.09 R$5.54

133.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$0.70 R$3.57

154.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$6.54 R$33.18

238.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.04 R$5.25

19.23%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$21.0K R$106.5K

16.21%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$28.1K R$142.6K

-24.32%

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

$131 PAB 131

$59.5 R$302

120.66%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$13.32 R$67.5

108.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$18.44 R$93.5

167.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$22.93 R$116

99.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$21.84 R$111

56.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$6.49 R$32.89

30.51%

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

$553 PAB 553

$278 R$1,410

98.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$6,357 R$32.2K

52.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$46.61 R$236

42.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$42.86 R$217

10.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$76.2 R$386

25.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$62.5 R$317

80.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$320 R$1,623

313.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$217 R$1,099

303.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$571 R$2,897

276.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$427 R$2,164

270.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,472 R$7,464

110.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,044 R$5,292

62.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.92

-41.48%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Itapema: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Itapema

$217 28.1% 75.2% $657

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Itapema

$174 22.5% 46.8% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Itapema

$91 11.8% 56.2% $117

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Itapema

$106 13.7% 48.9% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Itapema

$103 13.3% 29.2% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Itapema

$36 4.7% 42.7% $27

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Itapema

$46 6% 37.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $320 in Itapema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $28.00 in Itapema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $174 per month, with Itapema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Itapema

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

20:44 8:44 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

75,940

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Itapema 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Itapema

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 Itapema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Itapema is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,786 in Panama City and $1,159 in Itapema 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 $320 in Itapema. 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 $772 in Itapema – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Itapema runs roughly 83% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $772 in Itapema versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Itapema but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Itapema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Itapema 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.

Safety-wise, Panama City and Itapema are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Itapema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.