Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Pando

For one person, living is cheaper in Pando: $997 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Pando
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Pando Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Pando

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,857 per month in Panama City vs $997 in Pando, rent included.

Panama City $1,857
Pando $997

A couple spends around $2,815 per month in Panama City vs $1,900 in Pando, rent included.

Panama City $2,815
Pando $1,900

A family of three spends $3,773 per month in Panama City vs $2,802 in Pando, rent included.

Panama City $3,773
Pando $2,802

Panama City costs about 86% more than Pando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Pando is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$12.97 UYU 521

-9.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$43.80 UYU 1,758

9.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$13.92 UYU 559

-41.67%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$5.07 UYU 203

-16.57%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$2.35 UYU 94.2

-18.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$2.26 UYU 90.8

-30.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$2.93 UYU 117

12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$3.61 UYU 145

10.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.13 UYU 45.54

69.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$2.82 UYU 113

-6.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.69 UYU 67.8

100.59%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$4.32 UYU 173

-38.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$12.35 UYU 496

-1.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$11.88 UYU 477

-41.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$12.07 UYU 485

-12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$3.04 UYU 122

36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$3.34 UYU 134

-41.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$2.30 UYU 92.3

76.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.97 UYU 159

5.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$2.07 UYU 83.1

67.63%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$2.08 UYU 83.5

104.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$1.57 UYU 63.2

55.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.91 UYU 76.6

-11.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$9.96 UYU 400

-41.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$7.97 UYU 320

43.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$3.02 UYU 121

-54.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$3.36 UYU 135

-17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$3.59 UYU 144

-28.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$3.44 UYU 138

-48.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$9.78 UYU 393

126.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$2.15 UYU 86.3

-42.33%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$35.9K UYU 1.4M

-31.92%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$40.2K UYU 1.6M

-47.05%

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

$131 PAB 131

$113 UYU 4,536

16.16%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$24.04 UYU 965

15.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$46.87 UYU 1,881

5.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$12.53 UYU 503

-32.40%

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

$553 PAB 553

$492 UYU 19.7K

12.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$6,713 UYU 269.4K

44.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$88.1 UYU 3,535

-24.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$37.69 UYU 1,513

25.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$163 UYU 6,545

-41.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$117 UYU 4,714

-4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$346 UYU 13.9K

282.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$740 UYU 29.7K

191.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$606 UYU 24.3K

160.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

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 20, 2026

Last update for Pando: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Pando

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Pando

$338 33.9% 3.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Pando

$184 18.5% 11.8% $25

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Pando

$247 24.7% 19.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Pando

$183 18.3% 26.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Pando

$25 * 2.5% 60% $38

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Pando

$21 * 2.1% 37.8% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,322 in Panama City versus $346 in Pando. 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 $44.00 in Pando. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Panama City vs $338 in Pando – so Panama City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇺🇾 Pando

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

13:26 1:26 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

25,949

💱 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 24, 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 24, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Pando 5,460 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Pando

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 Pando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,786 per month in Panama City and $1,496 in Pando. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,857 in Panama City and $997 in Pando. That's a gap of about 86%.

Kindergarten costs $553 per month in Panama City and $492 in Pando. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pando, where all-in costs run around $997, than in Panama City at $1,857. In Pando it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pando – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Pando. 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.