Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Jaboatão dos Guararapes

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaboatão dos Guararapes: $857 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Jaboatão dos Guararapes
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Jaboatão dos Guararapes Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

🇧🇷 Brazil

$857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Jaboatão dos Guararapes

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 Jaboatão dos Guararapes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $857 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $857

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,319 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $1,319

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,780 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Jaboatão dos Guararapes $1,780

Panama City costs about 116% more than Jaboatão dos Guararapes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$6.04 R$30.28

92.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$30.46 R$153

57.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$8.04 R$40.35

-1.00%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.58 R$7.94

167.09%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.07 R$5.36

87.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.65 R$3.25

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.62 R$8.10

109.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.20 R$16.04

23.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.22 R$6.14

51.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.07 R$10.40

23.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.48 R$7.42

135.14%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.15 R$10.79

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$8.21 R$41.18

53.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$4.60 R$23.09

48.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$8.06 R$40.42

31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.37 R$6.86

205.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$0.93 R$4.68

96.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$0.80 R$4.02

425.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.23 R$6.16

227.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.49 R$7.49

133.56%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.13 R$5.67

273.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.52 R$2.61

363.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.83 R$4.17

103.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$3.04 R$15.25

101.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$7.85 R$39.37

43.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.19 R$5.95

19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.59 R$7.96

71.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.86 R$4.31

-61.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$44.84 R$225

-52.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.22 R$6.12

106.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.75 R$3.76

148.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$3.20 R$16.04

580.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.33 R$6.65

-6.02%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$23.6K R$118.5K

-10.05%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$33.5K R$167.9K

-37.19%

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

$130 PAB 130

$114 R$574

13.47%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$13.58 R$68.1

107.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$17.55 R$88.0

174.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$25.57 R$128

79.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$27.33 R$137

27.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$10.16 R$51.0

-14.67%

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

$544 PAB 544

$280 R$1,404

94.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$6,919 R$34.7K

40.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$45.16 R$227

47.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$49.78 R$250

-1.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$77.0 R$386

21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$77.8 R$390

43.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$354 R$1,774

255.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$203 R$1,016

332.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$665 R$3,334

224.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$347 R$1,741

350.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,949 R$9,780

60.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,106 R$5,551

54.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$317 R$1,588

189.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.75

-45.62%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jaboatão dos Guararapes: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$203 23.6% 76.9% $672

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$185 21.6% 43.2% $140

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$113 13.2% 45.5% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$146 17% 29.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$112 13.1% 22.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$46 5.4% 27.3% $17

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Jaboatão dos Guararapes

$53 6.2% 54.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $354 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. 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 189% 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 $30.00 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $185 – making Jaboatão dos Guararapes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Jaboatão dos Guararapes

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

644,037

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Jaboatão dos Guararapes 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Jaboatão dos Guararapes

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 Jaboatão dos Guararapes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $1,285 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,855 in Panama City and $857 in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. That's a gap of about 116%.

Public transport costs about 111% less in Jaboatão dos Guararapes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, where all-in costs run around $857, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Jaboatão dos Guararapes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jaboatão dos Guararapes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Jaboatão dos Guararapes. 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.