Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Lelydorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $198 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 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

Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Panama City versus $198 in Lelydorp.

Panama City $1,837
Lelydorp $198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Panama City versus $403 in Lelydorp.

Panama City $2,825
Lelydorp $403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Panama City versus $608 in Lelydorp.

Panama City $3,812
Lelydorp $608

Living in Panama City is roughly 827% more expensive than in Lelydorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Lelydorp is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$4.91 SRD 184

130.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$34.61 SRD 1,297

38.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$6.11 SRD 229

32.08%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.28 SRD 47.84

51.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$0.47 SRD 17.44

244.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$2.05 SRD 76.9

59.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$2.91 SRD 109

37.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.22 SRD 45.86

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$1.01 SRD 37.87

154.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.21 SRD 45.46

175.21%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.76 SRD 103

-2.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$4.10 SRD 154

63.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$7.86 SRD 295

32.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.52 SRD 57.1

21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$0.98 SRD 36.77

257.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$0.97 SRD 36.52

350.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$0.82 SRD 30.90

113.41%

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

$1.97 SRD 73.9

-30.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$0.52 SRD 19.67

-30.77%

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

$0.89 SRD 33.33

40.45%

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-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

$301 SRD 11.3K

210.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-62.41%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lelydorp: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Lelydorp

–

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Lelydorp

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Lelydorp

–

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Lelydorp

–

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Lelydorp

–

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Lelydorp

–

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Lelydorp

–

Cost Breakdown

Panama City pays 211% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $35.00 in Lelydorp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $116 per month, with Lelydorp cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

05:34 5:34 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

19,000

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR 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).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 37.47 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 42.03 SRD (100 SRD = 2.38 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Lelydorp 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Lelydorp

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 Lelydorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 827% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 211% higher in Panama City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Panama City versus $198 in Lelydorp – a 827% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,837 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lelydorp delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $198 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lelydorp hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Panama City and Lelydorp 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 Lelydorp gentler on the wallet – expenses run 827% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.