Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Lages

For one person, living is cheaper in Lages: $931 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Lages
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Lages Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Lages

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,857 per month in Panama City vs $931 in Lages, rent included.

Panama City $1,857
Lages $931

A couple spends around $2,815 per month in Panama City vs $1,494 in Lages, rent included.

Panama City $2,815
Lages $1,494

A family of three spends $3,773 per month in Panama City vs $2,058 in Lages, rent included.

Panama City $3,773
Lages $2,058

Panama City costs about 100% more than Lages, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Lages is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$7.95 R$40.28

46.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$39.35 R$199

21.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$6.90 R$34.96

17.68%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$2.52 R$12.77

67.86%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.42 R$7.22

35.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$1.06 R$5.39

49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$2.48 R$12.56

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$2.98 R$15.10

33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.00 R$5.07

92.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.68 R$8.52

56.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.09 R$5.51

211.01%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.46 R$12.45

8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$10.28 R$52.1

18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$4.88 R$24.73

41.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$9.90 R$50.2

6.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.45 R$12.42

69.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.52 R$7.69

29.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$1.41 R$7.16

187.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.62 R$8.20

158.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.25 R$6.34

177.60%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.08 R$5.47

294.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.94 R$4.79

159.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.81 R$4.11

108.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$2.54 R$12.87

129.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$8.22 R$41.66

39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.14 R$5.76

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$2.26 R$11.47

22.12%

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

$44.06 R$223

-53.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.28 R$6.51

99.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$0.81 R$4.12

119.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$8.29 R$42.05

167.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.34 R$6.77

-7.46%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$23.9K R$121.4K

1.94%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$33.4K R$169.4K

-36.26%

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

$131 PAB 131

$77.0 R$390

70.48%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$12.30 R$62.4

126.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$22.01 R$112

124.08%

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

$27.71 R$140

23.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$7.50 R$38.02

12.93%

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

$553 PAB 553

$282 R$1,428

96.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$7,318 R$37.1K

32.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$50.3 R$255

32.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$57.6 R$292

-17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$102 R$518

-6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$79.7 R$404

41.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$362 R$1,833

265.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$245 R$1,241

257.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$681 R$3,454

215.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$465 R$2,358

239.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,705 R$8,643

81.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,216 R$6,164

39.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.5

-44.43%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lages: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Lages

$245 26.3% 72% $629

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Lages

$207 22.3% 36.6% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Lages

$111 12% 46.6% $97

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Lages

$143 15.3% 31.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Lages

$130 14% 10.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Lages

$41 4.4% 34.6% $22

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Lages

$53 5.7% 59.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,322 in Panama City versus $362 in Lages. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $39.00 in Lages. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $207 – making Lages the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Lages

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

20:09 8:09 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

164,981

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Lages 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Lages

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 Lages: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,857 in Panama City, $931 in Lages – roughly 100% 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 $1,396 in Lages. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $553 per month in Panama City and $282 in Lages. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Panama City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lages, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Panama City at $1,857. In Lages 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 $931 in Lages to $1,857 in Panama City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lages. 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.