Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Nova Iguacu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $736 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index

Jump to prices

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Nova Iguacu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Panama City versus $736 in Nova Iguacu.

Panama City $1,857
Nova Iguacu $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Panama City versus $1,212 in Nova Iguacu.

Panama City $2,815
Nova Iguacu $1,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Panama City versus $1,687 in Nova Iguacu.

Panama City $3,773
Nova Iguacu $1,687

Living in Panama City is roughly 152% more expensive than in Nova Iguacu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Panama City is 37% above, Nova Iguacu is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$3.54 R$17.92

229.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$30.13 R$153

58.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$7.87 R$39.92

3.18%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$1.89 R$9.59

123.81%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.20 R$6.11

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.58 R$2.94

172.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$1.68 R$8.50

97.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$1.61 R$8.15

147.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.23 R$6.25

56.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.62 R$8.19

62.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.13 R$5.71

200.00%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$1.97 R$9.96

35.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$8.24 R$41.75

48.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$2.82 R$14.31

145.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$7.08 R$35.90

49.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$1.37 R$6.95

203.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.41 R$7.15

39.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$0.95 R$4.82

327.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.74 R$8.84

140.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.02 R$5.19

240.20%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.03 R$5.22

313.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.41 R$2.08

495.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.42 R$2.13

302.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$1.82 R$9.25

220.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$5.80 R$29.41

97.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$0.97 R$4.92

42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$1.37 R$6.94

101.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.48 R$7.51

-77.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$50.1 R$254

-58.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.33 R$6.77

91.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$1.38 R$6.98

28.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$9.26 R$46.94

139.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.18 R$5.96

5.08%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$23.8K R$120.8K

2.40%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-37.29%

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

$131 PAB 131

$42.49 R$215

208.99%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$11.82 R$59.9

135.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$17.90 R$90.7

175.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$23.75 R$120

92.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$39.25 R$199

-13.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$6.08 R$30.80

39.31%

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

$553 PAB 553

$73.3 R$371

655.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$1,935 R$9,808

402.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$54.2 R$275

22.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$37.22 R$189

27.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$65.2 R$331

46.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$58.4 R$296

93.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$321 R$1,627

311.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$214 R$1,086

308.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$654 R$3,318

228.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$444 R$2,250

256.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$972 R$4,926

218.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

$244 R$1,238

274.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.12

-42.54%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nova Iguacu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Nova Iguacu

$214 29.1% 75.5% $660

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Nova Iguacu

$160 21.7% 51.1% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Nova Iguacu

$72 9.8% 65.4% $136

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Nova Iguacu

$93 12.7% 54.9% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Nova Iguacu

$97 13.1% 33.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Nova Iguacu

$36 4.9% 42.7% $27

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Nova Iguacu

$64 8.7% 92% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,322 in Panama City and $321 in Nova Iguacu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Panama City pays 274% 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 $30.00 in Nova Iguacu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $160 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

11:47 11:47 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

785,867

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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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Between locations

Panama City Nova Iguacu 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Nova Iguacu

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 Nova Iguacu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panama City and Nova Iguacu differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($1,857 vs $736 including rent). Nova Iguacu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 274% 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 $321 in Nova Iguacu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,857 per month in Panama City versus $736 in Nova Iguacu – a 152% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nova Iguacu runs roughly 143% less than in Panama City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $736 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,857 in Panama City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Panama City. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu 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.

Expats usually find Nova Iguacu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Panama City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.