Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Mariano Roque Alonso

For one person, living is cheaper in Mariano Roque Alonso: $582 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Mariano Roque Alonso
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Mariano Roque Alonso Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Mariano Roque Alonso

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$582

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Mariano Roque Alonso

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 Mariano Roque Alonso actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,855 in Panama City versus $582 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Panama City $1,855
Mariano Roque Alonso $582

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,804 in Panama City versus $970 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Panama City $2,804
Mariano Roque Alonso $970

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in Panama City versus $1,357 in Mariano Roque Alonso.

Panama City $3,753
Mariano Roque Alonso $1,357

Living in Panama City is roughly 218% more expensive than in Mariano Roque Alonso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Mariano Roque Alonso is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$6.87 ₲39.0K

69.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$34.70 ₲197.3K

38.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$6.99 ₲39.8K

13.88%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.36 ₲19.1K

25.60%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.09 ₲6,226

84.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.61 ₲3,493

155.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.95 ₲11.1K

73.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$1.81 ₲10.3K

117.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.22 ₲6,925

51.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$0.86 ₲4,891

197.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.37 ₲7,786

154.01%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.51 ₲14.3K

7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.13 ₲51.9K

37.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$5.28 ₲30.0K

29.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$8.28 ₲47.1K

27.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.12 ₲12.1K

97.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$0.66 ₲3,776

177.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$0.92 ₲5,232

356.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.19 ₲12.4K

84.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.39 ₲7,913

150.36%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.31 ₲7,455

222.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.69 ₲3,911

249.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.72 ₲4,120

134.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.36 ₲13.4K

160.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$4.18 ₲23.8K

170.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$0.90 ₲5,103

57.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.79 ₲10.2K

52.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.64 ₲3,658

-48.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.50 ₲8,525

68.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.61 ₲9,140

15.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$10.73 ₲61.0K

102.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.24 ₲7,073

0.81%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$17.6K ₲99.9M

20.85%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$36.0K ₲204.5M

-41.54%

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

$130 PAB 130

$51.2 ₲291.4K

153.40%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$17.88 ₲101.7K

57.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$20.94 ₲119.1K

130.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$31.94 ₲181.6K

43.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$7.01 ₲39.8K

23.68%

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

$544 PAB 544

$190 ₲1.1M

186.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$1,261 ₲7.2M

668.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$44.40 ₲252.4K

50.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$58.9 ₲334.8K

-16.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$87.6 ₲498.3K

7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$73.7 ₲418.8K

51.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$878 ₲5.0M

4.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-29.00%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mariano Roque Alonso: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Mariano Roque Alonso

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Mariano Roque Alonso

$179 30.7% 45% $146

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Mariano Roque Alonso

$136 23.4% 34% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Mariano Roque Alonso

$90 15.5% 56.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Mariano Roque Alonso

$119 20.4% 17.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Mariano Roque Alonso

$46 7.9% 27.2% $17

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Mariano Roque Alonso

$12 * 2.1% 64.8% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Panama City pays 4% 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 Mariano Roque Alonso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $179 per month, with Mariano Roque Alonso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇵🇾 Mariano Roque Alonso

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

72,008

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Mariano Roque Alonso 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Mariano Roque Alonso

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 Mariano Roque Alonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mariano Roque Alonso wins on cost – living expenses run 218% lower than in Panama City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mariano Roque Alonso the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% 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.

Childcare runs $544 in Panama City versus $190 in Mariano Roque Alonso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mariano Roque Alonso – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $48.00 in Panama City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $582 in Mariano Roque Alonso versus $1,855 in Panama City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mariano Roque Alonso but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Mariano Roque Alonso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mariano Roque Alonso delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $582 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mariano Roque Alonso hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mariano Roque Alonso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.