Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Itu

For one person, living is cheaper in Itu: $747 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Itu
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Itu Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Itu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,857 per month in Panama City vs $747 in Itu, rent included.

Panama City $1,857
Itu $747

A couple spends around $2,815 per month in Panama City vs $1,375 in Itu, rent included.

Panama City $2,815
Itu $1,375

A family of three spends $3,773 per month in Panama City vs $2,003 in Itu, rent included.

Panama City $3,773
Itu $2,003

Panama City costs about 149% more than Itu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Itu is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$5.85 R$29.63

99.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$40.82 R$207

17.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$6.36 R$32.23

27.67%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$1.93 R$9.77

119.17%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$0.83 R$4.20

131.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.52 R$2.66

203.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$2.47 R$12.52

34.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$4.35 R$22.05

-8.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.13 R$5.73

69.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.47 R$7.43

78.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.14 R$5.79

197.37%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.70 R$13.71

-1.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$8.78 R$44.49

39.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$4.06 R$20.58

70.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$6.17 R$31.29

71.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$1.84 R$9.34

126.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.44 R$7.30

36.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$0.82 R$4.18

395.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.81 R$9.19

130.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.02 R$5.15

240.20%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.42 R$7.21

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.83 R$4.18

193.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.49 R$2.48

244.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$2.89 R$14.64

101.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$6.19 R$31.38

84.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.71 R$8.65

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$2.07 R$10.50

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.99 R$5.04

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$43.71 R$222

-52.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$0.97 R$4.94

162.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.02 R$5.15

74.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$9.46 R$47.96

134.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.02 R$5.18

21.57%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$24.1K R$122.2K

1.25%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$28.4K R$143.8K

-24.96%

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

$131 PAB 131

$43.68 R$221

200.57%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$12.01 R$60.9

131.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$17.17 R$87.1

187.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$25.62 R$130

78.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$28.11 R$142

21.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$5.07 R$25.72

67.06%

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

$553 PAB 553

$432 R$2,188

28.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$7,615 R$38.6K

27.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$50.4 R$256

31.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$40.38 R$205

17.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$69.3 R$351

38.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$49.27 R$250

128.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$323 R$1,639

309.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$198 R$1,003

341.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$814 R$4,125

164.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$659 R$3,339

139.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,739 R$8,813

78.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,190 R$6,031

42.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

$296 R$1,501

208.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.12

-42.54%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Itu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Itu

$198 26.5% 77.4% $676

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Itu

$177 23.7% 45.9% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Itu

$73 9.8% 65% $136

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Itu

$115 15.5% 44.3% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Itu

$94 12.6% 35% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Itu

$36 4.8% 42.9% $27

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Itu

$54 7.2% 60.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,322 in Panama City versus $323 in Itu. 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 209% 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 $41.00 in Itu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $177 – making Itu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Itu

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

05:39 5:39 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

168,240

💱 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 Itu 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Itu

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 Itu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,857 in Panama City, $747 in Itu – roughly 149% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,786 per month in Panama City and $1,120 in Itu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Itu, 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 $41.00 in Itu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,857 in Panama City and $747 in Itu. That's a gap of about 149%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Itu, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Panama City at $1,857. In Itu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Panama City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $747 in Itu to $1,857 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Itu. 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.