Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Paramaribo

For one person, living is cheaper in Paramaribo: $984 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Paramaribo
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Paramaribo Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Paramaribo

🇸🇷 Suriname

$984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $984 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Paramaribo $984

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $1,657 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Paramaribo $1,657

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $2,331 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Paramaribo $2,331

Panama City costs about 87% more than Paramaribo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Paramaribo is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$13.44 SRD 504

-15.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$52.4 SRD 1,964

-8.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$10.99 SRD 412

-26.57%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$2.88 SRD 108

39.58%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.41 SRD 52.9

37.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$0.88 SRD 32.91

84.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$2.66 SRD 99.7

22.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$3.89 SRD 146

2.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.83 SRD 68.7

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$1.39 SRD 52.2

84.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.61 SRD 60.3

106.83%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.98 SRD 112

-9.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$11.84 SRD 444

4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$6.17 SRD 231

8.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$10.18 SRD 381

2.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$4.77 SRD 179

-12.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$3.11 SRD 116

-40.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.73 SRD 140

12.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$5.89 SRD 221

-30.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.33 SRD 49.77

163.16%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$2.02 SRD 75.6

116.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$1.48 SRD 55.6

58.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.51 SRD 56.4

15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$5.58 SRD 209

8.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$7.80 SRD 292

50.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$2.00 SRD 75.0

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$3.78 SRD 142

-24.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$0.77 SRD 28.90

-53.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.13 SRD 79.8

18.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$1.54 SRD 57.8

16.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$7.17 SRD 269

206.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.19 SRD 44.50

5.04%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$24.6K SRD 921.2K

-12.40%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$25.3K SRD 948.6K

-16.29%

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

$131 PAB 131

$37.31 SRD 1,398

251.59%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$25.70 SRD 963

7.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$30.67 SRD 1,149

58.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$13.84 SRD 518

233.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$20.32 SRD 761

72.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$4.96 SRD 186

76.01%

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

$551 PAB 551

$62.3 SRD 2,335

783.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$1,739 SRD 65.2K

449.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$33.84 SRD 1,268

99.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$20.87 SRD 782

130.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$67.4 SRD 2,525

40.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$104 SRD 3,903

8.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$487 SRD 18.3K

154.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$263 SRD 9,855

232.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$949 SRD 35.6K

131.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$508 SRD 19.0K

203.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$462 SRD 17.3K

573.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$400 SRD 15.0K

330.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$279 SRD 10.5K

234.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-60.06%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Paramaribo

$263 26.3% 69.9% $610

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Paramaribo

$300 30% 7.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Paramaribo

$94 9.4% 54.8% $114

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Paramaribo

$205 20.5% 1.8% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Paramaribo

$102 10.2% 30.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Paramaribo

$24 2.4% 62.6% $40

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Paramaribo

$13 * 1.3% 61.9% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $487 in Paramaribo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 235% higher in Panama City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $52.0 in Paramaribo. Groceries tell a different story – $324 in Panama City vs $300 in Paramaribo – so Paramaribo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇸🇷 Paramaribo

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

242,946 Capital

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 37.47 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 41.99 SRD (100 SRD = 2.38 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Paramaribo 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Paramaribo

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 Paramaribo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 87%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Panama City and $1,476 in Paramaribo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paramaribo, 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 $1,837 in Panama City and $984 in Paramaribo. That's a gap of about 87%.

Kindergarten costs $551 per month in Panama City and $62.3 in Paramaribo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paramaribo, where all-in costs run around $984, than in Panama City at $1,837. In Paramaribo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Paramaribo. 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.