Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Kourou

For one person, living is cheaper in Kourou: $177 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Kourou

🇬🇫 French Guiana

$177

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $177 in Kourou.

Panama City $1,837
Kourou $177

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $304 in Kourou.

Panama City $2,825
Kourou $304

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $432 in Kourou.

Panama City $3,812
Kourou $432

Living in Panama City is roughly 938% more expensive than in Kourou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Kourou is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$1.98 €1.76

29.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$6.74 €6.01

-60.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$4.33 €3.87

-3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$2.32 €2.07

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$7.83 €6.99

-47.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$2.45 €2.19

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$7.00 €6.24

-37.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$2.24 €2.00

4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.95 €1.74

-10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

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

$131 PAB 131

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

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

$551 PAB 551

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$1,491 €1,330

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Kourou: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Kourou

–

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Kourou

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Kourou

–

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Kourou

–

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Kourou

–

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Kourou

–

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Kourou

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Panama City and $1,491 in Kourou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇬🇫 Kourou

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

24,903

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Kourou 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Kourou

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 Kourou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Kourou differ by about 938% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $177 including rent). Kourou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Panama City and $265 in Kourou 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: $1,238 in Panama City versus $1,491 in Kourou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Panama City versus $177 in Kourou – a 938% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $177 in Kourou versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kourou but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Kourou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kourou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 938% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.