Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Maldonado

For one person, living is cheaper in Maldonado: $1,371 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Panama City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $1,371 in Maldonado.

Panama City $1,855
Maldonado $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $2,178 in Maldonado.

Panama City $2,804
Maldonado $2,178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $2,985 in Maldonado.

Panama City $3,753
Maldonado $2,985

Living in Panama City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Maldonado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Panama City 37% above, Maldonado 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$14.94 UYU 600

-22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$54.8 UYU 2,198

-12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$13.58 UYU 545

-41.38%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$4.61 UYU 185

-8.46%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.64 UYU 106

-23.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$2.00 UYU 80.3

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.96 UYU 119

14.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.61 UYU 145

9.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.16 UYU 46.70

59.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.74 UYU 110

-6.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.69 UYU 68.0

105.92%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$4.14 UYU 166

-35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$14.00 UYU 562

-10.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$11.83 UYU 475

-42.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$11.89 UYU 477

-11.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.78 UYU 112

50.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.15 UYU 86.4

-14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.77 UYU 71.1

137.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$3.20 UYU 129

25.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.02 UYU 81.0

72.28%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.09 UYU 84.1

101.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$1.44 UYU 57.8

67.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.87 UYU 75.2

-9.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$5.56 UYU 223

10.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$7.99 UYU 320

41.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.32 UYU 93.1

-38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.71 UYU 109

0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.42 UYU 57.0

-76.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$50.1 UYU 2,011

-57.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$3.39 UYU 136

-25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.41 UYU 16.27

353.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$9.89 UYU 397

120.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$2.14 UYU 85.8

-41.59%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

-20.89%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$37.3K UYU 1.5M

-43.57%

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

$130 PAB 130

$113 UYU 4,548

14.58%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$19.05 UYU 765

47.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$44.11 UYU 1,770

9.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$48.11 UYU 1,931

-4.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$30.02 UYU 1,205

16.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$12.36 UYU 496

-29.85%

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

$544 PAB 544

$488 UYU 19.6K

11.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$6,539 UYU 262.4K

48.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$90.5 UYU 3,632

-26.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$36.90 UYU 1,481

33.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$123 UYU 4,931

-23.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$120 UYU 4,796

-6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$423 UYU 17.0K

197.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$318 UYU 12.8K

175.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$920 UYU 36.9K

134.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$590 UYU 23.7K

165.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,838 UYU 113.9K

10.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,546 UYU 62.0K

10.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$1,005 UYU 40.4K

-8.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

27.80%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Maldonado

$318 23.2% 63.7% $557

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Maldonado

$321 23.4% 1.4% $4.5

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Maldonado

$256 18.7% 24% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Maldonado

$176 12.9% 14.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Maldonado

$166 12.1% 15.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Maldonado

$73 5.3% 15.4% $9.7

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Maldonado

$61 4.5% 77.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Panama City and $423 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Panama City vs $55.0 in Maldonado. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $321, with Maldonado cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

01:59 1:59 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

62,592

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Maldonado 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Maldonado

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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Maldonado differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,855 vs $1,371 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Maldonado. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,257 in Panama City versus $423 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $544 in Panama City versus $488 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,371 in Maldonado versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado 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.

Safety-wise, Panama City and Maldonado 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 Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.