Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Porto Seguro

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Seguro: $775 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Porto Seguro
Learn more

Porto Seguro Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Porto Seguro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Porto Seguro

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $775 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Porto Seguro $775

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $1,327 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Porto Seguro $1,327

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $1,879 in Porto Seguro, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Porto Seguro $1,879

Panama City costs about 137% more than Porto Seguro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Porto Seguro is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$6.15 R$30.72

84.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$19.86 R$99.1

140.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$7.28 R$36.36

10.85%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$2.19 R$10.93

83.56%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.21 R$6.05

60.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$0.63 R$3.14

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$1.76 R$8.76

85.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$3.18 R$15.88

25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.43 R$7.14

27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$1.50 R$7.49

71.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.54 R$7.71

116.23%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$4.46 R$22.25

-39.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$9.27 R$46.28

33.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$4.21 R$21.00

58.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$8.72 R$43.53

19.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.26 R$11.27

84.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$1.38 R$6.88

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.17 R$5.85

257.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$1.63 R$8.15

150.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.51 R$7.55

131.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$1.22 R$6.09

258.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$0.71 R$3.55

229.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.42 R$7.09

23.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$2.58 R$12.87

134.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$6.13 R$30.62

91.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.67 R$8.35

-17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$3.09 R$15.42

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$1.19 R$5.93

-69.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$44.22 R$221

-52.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.33 R$6.65

89.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$0.86 R$4.30

108.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$7.79 R$38.87

182.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.41 R$7.04

-11.35%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$23.7K R$118.4K

-9.24%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$32.5K R$162.1K

-34.73%

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

$131 PAB 131

$52.9 R$264

148.16%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$9.49 R$47.38

191.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$17.69 R$88.3

174.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$23.73 R$118

94.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$30.29 R$151

15.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$7.29 R$36.37

19.75%

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

$551 PAB 551

$320 R$1,599

71.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$7,092 R$35.4K

34.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$55.5 R$277

21.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$50.3 R$251

-4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$90.2 R$450

5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$73.4 R$366

53.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$273 R$1,363

353.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$166 R$827

427.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$577 R$2,880

280.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$477 R$2,380

222.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$1,725 R$8,609

80.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$1,186 R$5,920

45.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$321 R$1,603

191.04%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Porto Seguro: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Porto Seguro

$166 20.9% 81% $708

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Porto Seguro

$214 27% 33.9% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Porto Seguro

$80 10.1% 61.4% $127

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Porto Seguro

$120 15.1% 40.6% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Porto Seguro

$121 15.3% 16.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Porto Seguro

$38 4.8% 39.8% $25

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Porto Seguro

$55 6.9% 61.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $273 in Porto Seguro. 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 191% 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 $20.00 in Porto Seguro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $214 – making Porto Seguro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Porto Seguro

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

168,326

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Porto Seguro 5,270 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Porto Seguro

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 Porto Seguro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 137%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Panama City and $1,163 in Porto Seguro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 51% 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 $20.00 in Porto Seguro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Porto Seguro, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Panama City at $1,837. In Porto Seguro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Porto Seguro – 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 Porto Seguro. 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.