Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Pergamino

For one person, living is cheaper in Pergamino: $1,373 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Pergamino
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Pergamino Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Pergamino

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,373 in Pergamino, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Pergamino $1,373

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $2,093 in Pergamino, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Pergamino $2,093

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,813 in Pergamino, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Pergamino $2,813

Panama City costs about 35% more than Pergamino, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panama City and Pergamino sit above the global median – Panama City by 37%, Pergamino by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$14.87 ARS 22.6K

-21.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$30.45 ARS 46.2K

57.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$13.18 ARS 20.0K

-39.61%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.84 ARS 5,823

9.90%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.03 ARS 3,074

-0.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.47 ARS 2,231

6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.89 ARS 5,898

-12.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$2.04 ARS 3,088

93.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.42 ARS 2,151

30.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.52 ARS 3,815

1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.66 ARS 2,523

109.64%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.39 ARS 3,618

12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.62 ARS 16.1K

18.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$3.05 ARS 4,620

123.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$11.84 ARS 17.9K

-10.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.86 ARS 4,331

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.16 ARS 3,273

-15.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.41 ARS 2,135

197.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.98 ARS 2,998

103.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.21 ARS 1,829

187.60%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.25 ARS 1,899

237.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$1.68 ARS 2,544

43.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.69 ARS 2,566

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$4.32 ARS 6,548

42.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$5.63 ARS 8,536

100.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.94 ARS 2,943

-26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.83 ARS 4,287

-3.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.13 ARS 1,720

-70.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.64 ARS 2,485

53.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.82 ARS 1,243

126.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$8.04 ARS 12.2K

170.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.13 ARS 1,719

10.62%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$20.2K ARS 30.7M

5.00%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$24.8K ARS 37.6M

-15.21%

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

$130 PAB 130

$197 ARS 298.9K

-34.12%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$25.68 ARS 38.9K

9.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$31.01 ARS 47.0K

55.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$31.68 ARS 48.0K

44.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$10.27 ARS 15.6K

-15.58%

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

$544 PAB 544

$462 ARS 700.6K

17.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$8,795 ARS 13.3M

10.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$119 ARS 180.9K

-44.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$95.6 ARS 145.0K

-48.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$117 ARS 178.0K

-20.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$137 ARS 207.2K

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$486 ARS 736.6K

158.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$363 ARS 550.3K

141.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$885 ARS 1.3M

143.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$747 ARS 1.1M

109.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

57.25

-88.84%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pergamino: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Pergamino

$363 26.4% 58.5% $512

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Pergamino

$241 17.5% 26% $85

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Pergamino

$242 17.6% 17.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Pergamino

$254 18.5% 23.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Pergamino

$211 15.4% 46% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Pergamino

$52 3.8% 17.3% $11

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Pergamino

$10 * 0.8% 70.1% $24

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 $486 in Pergamino. 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 $30.00 in Pergamino. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $241 – making Pergamino the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇦🇷 Pergamino

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

13:02 1:02 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

104,086

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Pergamino 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Pergamino

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 Pergamino: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,783 per month in Panama City and $2,059 in Pergamino. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pergamino, 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 $1,855 in Panama City and $1,373 in Pergamino. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $462 in Pergamino. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pergamino, where all-in costs run around $1,373, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Pergamino it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pergamino – 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 Pergamino. 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.