Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Marilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Marilia: $676 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Marilia
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Marilia Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Marilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $676 in Marilia.

Panama City $1,857
Marilia $676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $1,045 in Marilia.

Panama City $2,815
Marilia $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $1,414 in Marilia.

Panama City $3,773
Marilia $1,414

Living in Panama City is roughly 175% more expensive than in Marilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Marilia is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$4.91 R$24.87

137.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$14.08 R$71.4

239.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$8.46 R$42.89

-4.02%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$1.94 R$9.81

118.04%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.17 R$5.91

64.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.80 R$4.05

97.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$1.00 R$5.08

231.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$2.65 R$13.44

50.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.13 R$5.73

69.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$2.20 R$11.14

19.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.02 R$5.17

232.35%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$1.98 R$10.02

34.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$7.73 R$39.20

57.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$4.12 R$20.87

67.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$6.90 R$34.96

53.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.04 R$10.33

103.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.04 R$5.27

89.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$0.81 R$4.11

401.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$0.77 R$3.90

442.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$0.85 R$4.30

308.24%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$0.98 R$4.95

334.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.62 R$3.16

293.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.42 R$2.12

302.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$1.99 R$10.11

192.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$8.97 R$45.46

27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$0.59 R$2.99

133.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$1.95 R$9.91

41.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.15 R$5.85

-71.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.26 R$6.40

102.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$0.91 R$4.64

95.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$3.93 R$19.92

464.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.05 R$5.34

18.10%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$35.0K R$177.6K

-30.33%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$26.0K R$131.7K

-18.05%

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

$131 PAB 131

$49.82 R$253

163.53%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$10.88 R$55.2

155.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$23.16 R$117

112.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$23.37 R$118

95.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$13.74 R$69.7

148.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$6.13 R$31.06

38.17%

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

$553 PAB 553

$207 R$1,048

167.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$7,543 R$38.2K

28.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$42.98 R$218

54.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$57.4 R$291

-17.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$87.0 R$441

9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$60.2 R$305

87.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$303 R$1,537

336.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$159 R$805

450.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$603 R$3,057

257.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$294 R$1,490

437.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$992 R$5,028

212.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$490 R$2,485

246.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

$394 R$1,995

132.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.5

-39.14%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Marilia: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Marilia

$159 23.5% 81.8% $716

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Marilia

$170 25.2% 47.9% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Marilia

$84 12.4% 59.8% $125

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Marilia

$106 15.7% 48.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Marilia

$111 16.5% 23.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Marilia

$36 5.3% 43.1% $27

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Marilia

$10 * 1.6% 68.7% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $303 in Marilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 132% 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 $14.00 in Marilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $170 per month, with Marilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Marilia

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

237,627

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Marilia 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Marilia

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 Marilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marilia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 175% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 132% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,322 in Panama City versus $303 in Marilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Panama City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,857 per month in Panama City versus $676 in Marilia – a 175% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $676 in Marilia versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Marilia but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Marilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Marilia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Panama City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Marilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.