Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Mercedes

For one person, living is cheaper in Mercedes: $1,293 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Mercedes
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Mercedes Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Mercedes

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,293

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,293 in Mercedes, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Mercedes $1,293

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,970 in Mercedes, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Mercedes $1,970

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,647 in Mercedes, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Mercedes $2,647

Panama City costs about 43% more than Mercedes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Mercedes is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$14.84 UYU 595

-21.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$62.3 UYU 2,501

-23.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$14.30 UYU 574

-44.34%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.52 UYU 101

67.46%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.73 UYU 110

-26.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.93 UYU 37.27

67.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.53 UYU 102

33.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.81 UYU 153

3.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.32 UYU 53.2

40.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.89 UYU 116

-11.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.45 UYU 58.4

140.00%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.79 UYU 112

-3.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$13.95 UYU 560

-9.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$11.88 UYU 477

-42.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$7.56 UYU 304

39.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.01 UYU 80.7

107.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.51 UYU 101

-27.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.09 UYU 43.65

285.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.95 UYU 119

36.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.98 UYU 79.4

75.76%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.14 UYU 86.0

97.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$1.34 UYU 54.0

79.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.71 UYU 68.8

-1.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$5.06 UYU 203

21.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$8.96 UYU 359

26.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.31 UYU 92.8

-38.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.77 UYU 111

-1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.82 UYU 73.2

38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.44 UYU 17.54

322.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$10.48 UYU 421

107.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$2.22 UYU 89.3

-43.69%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$26.8K UYU 1.1M

-20.65%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$37.1K UYU 1.5M

-43.32%

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

$130 PAB 130

$191 UYU 7,680

-32.15%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$21.03 UYU 844

33.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$44.67 UYU 1,793

7.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$12.15 UYU 488

-28.64%

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

$544 PAB 544

$613 UYU 24.6K

-11.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$10.9K UYU 435.7K

-10.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$104 UYU 4,192

-36.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$56.1 UYU 2,250

-12.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$125 UYU 5,005

-24.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$131 UYU 5,255

-14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$581 UYU 23.3K

116.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$296 UYU 11.9K

196.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$619 UYU 24.9K

247.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$446 UYU 17.9K

250.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$3,032 UYU 121.7K

2.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$2,007 UYU 80.5K

-14.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

5.74

11.32%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mercedes: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Mercedes

$296 22.9% 66.2% $579

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Mercedes

$298 23.1% 8.2% $27

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Mercedes

$227 17.5% 9.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Mercedes

$257 19.9% 24.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Mercedes

$187 14.5% 29.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Mercedes

$24 * 1.9% 61.5% $39

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Mercedes

$4 * 0.3% 88.3% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $581 in Mercedes. 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 $62.0 in Mercedes. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Panama City vs $298 in Mercedes – so Mercedes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇾 Mercedes

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

03:29 3:29 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

41,975

💱 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 Mercedes 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Mercedes

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 Mercedes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City costs about 43% more than Mercedes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $1,940 in Mercedes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $62.0 in Mercedes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mercedes, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Mercedes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mercedes costs $1,293 versus $1,855 in Panama City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mercedes. 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.