Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Paulo Afonso

For one person, living is cheaper in Paulo Afonso: $873 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Paulo Afonso
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Paulo Afonso Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Paulo Afonso

🇧🇷 Brazil

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Paulo Afonso

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

A single person spends $1,857 per month in Panama City vs $873 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

Panama City $1,857
Paulo Afonso $873

A couple spends around $2,815 per month in Panama City vs $1,396 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

Panama City $2,815
Paulo Afonso $1,396

A family of three spends $3,773 per month in Panama City vs $1,919 in Paulo Afonso, rent included.

Panama City $3,773
Paulo Afonso $1,919

Panama City costs about 113% more than Paulo Afonso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Paulo Afonso is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 PAB 11.68

$5.94 R$30.13

96.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PAB 47.76

$32.67 R$166

46.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 PAB 8.12

$7.90 R$40.03

2.78%

Cappuccino

$4.23 PAB 4.23

$2.01 R$10.18

110.45%

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

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.28 R$6.50

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 PAB 1.58

$0.81 R$4.11

95.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 PAB 3.31

$1.98 R$10.01

67.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PAB 3.98

$2.96 R$14.98

34.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 PAB 1.92

$1.05 R$5.34

82.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 PAB 2.63

$1.71 R$8.67

53.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.26 R$6.39

169.05%

Eggs

$2.67 PAB 2.67

$2.25 R$11.40

18.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 PAB 12.21

$9.21 R$46.71

32.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 PAB 6.91

$4.34 R$21.98

59.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$8.70 R$44.09

21.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.18 R$11.04

90.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 PAB 1.97

$1.27 R$6.45

55.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 PAB 4.06

$1.23 R$6.25

230.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.55 R$7.84

169.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 PAB 3.47

$1.27 R$6.43

173.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 PAB 4.26

$1.08 R$5.47

294.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 PAB 2.44

$0.78 R$3.98

212.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.78 R$3.94

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 PAB 5.83

$2.55 R$12.93

128.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 PAB 11.43

$8.08 R$40.96

41.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PAB 1.38

$1.27 R$6.44

8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PAB 2.76

$2.13 R$10.80

29.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.00 R$5.09

-67.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.63 PAB 20.63

$43.24 R$219

-52.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 PAB 2.55

$1.29 R$6.52

97.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 PAB 1.78

$0.86 R$4.35

106.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 PAB 22.17

$7.85 R$39.79

182.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 PAB 1.24

$1.31 R$6.66

-5.34%

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

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

$23.7K R$120.3K

2.82%

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

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

$32.8K R$166.4K

-35.14%

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

$131 PAB 131

$74.6 R$378

75.92%

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

$27.83 PAB 27.83

$12.23 R$62.0

127.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 PAB 49.32

$21.33 R$108

131.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 PAB 45.69

$25.69 R$130

77.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.10 PAB 34.10

$28.25 R$143

20.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 PAB 8.47

$7.44 R$37.73

13.84%

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

$553 PAB 553

$286 R$1,451

93.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,719 PAB 9,719

$7,108 R$36.0K

36.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 PAB 66.4

$55.5 R$281

19.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.39 PAB 47.39

$49.85 R$253

-4.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 PAB 95.7

$91.9 R$466

4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$74.3 R$377

51.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 PAB 1,322

$349 R$1,769

278.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 PAB 874

$236 R$1,197

270.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 PAB 2,153

$679 R$3,442

217.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 PAB 1,580

$467 R$2,366

238.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,097 PAB 3,097

$1,695 R$8,594

82.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 PAB 1,698

$1,202 R$6,093

41.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$914 PAB 914

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-41.91%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Paulo Afonso: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$874 47.1%

Paulo Afonso

$236 27.1% 73% $638

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$327 17.6%

Paulo Afonso

$193 22.2% 40.8% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$208 11.2%

Paulo Afonso

$108 12.4% 48.1% $100

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Paulo Afonso

$120 13.7% 42.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Paulo Afonso

$122 14% 15.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Paulo Afonso

$41 4.7% 35.2% $22

Getting Around

Panama City

$33 1.8%

Paulo Afonso

$53 6.1% 58% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,322 in Panama City versus $349 in Paulo Afonso. 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 $33.00 in Paulo Afonso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $193 – making Paulo Afonso the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Paulo Afonso

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

16:27 4:27 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

112,870

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Paulo Afonso 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Paulo Afonso

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 Paulo Afonso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,786 per month in Panama City and $1,309 in Paulo Afonso. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 69% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $33.00 in Paulo Afonso. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paulo Afonso, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Panama City at $1,857. In Paulo Afonso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paulo Afonso – 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 Paulo Afonso. 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.