Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

For one person, living is cheaper in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña: $1,259 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña
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Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

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 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,259 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña $1,259

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $2,099 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña $2,099

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,939 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña $2,939

Panama City costs about 47% more than Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$17.48 ARS 26.5K

-33.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$49.13 ARS 74.6K

-2.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$13.90 ARS 21.1K

-42.73%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$4.25 ARS 6,452

-0.71%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.95 ARS 2,960

3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.71 ARS 2,593

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.78 ARS 5,733

-10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.68 ARS 5,581

7.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.45 ARS 2,200

27.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.92 ARS 2,921

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$2.07 ARS 3,142

68.12%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.48 ARS 3,771

8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.00 ARS 13.7K

39.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$6.96 ARS 10.6K

-1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.21 ARS 15.5K

3.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.14 ARS 3,254

95.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$2.41 ARS 3,659

-24.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.59 ARS 2,413

164.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.61 ARS 3,958

54.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.09 ARS 1,654

219.27%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.01 ARS 1,537

317.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.69 ARS 2,567

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$3.56 ARS 5,407

72.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$4.64 ARS 7,042

143.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$2.13 ARS 3,226

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$3.39 ARS 5,148

-19.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.92 ARS 1,400

-64.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.63 ARS 2,467

54.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.35 ARS 2,043

-7.41%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$26.4K ARS 40.0M

-19.42%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$37.2K ARS 56.4M

-43.47%

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

$130 PAB 130

$143 ARS 217.0K

-9.22%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$17.69 ARS 26.8K

59.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$27.94 ARS 42.4K

72.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$28.21 ARS 42.8K

62.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$8.29 ARS 12.6K

4.58%

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

$544 PAB 544

$294 ARS 446.2K

85.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$120 ARS 182.0K

-44.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$114 ARS 172.9K

-17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$152 ARS 231.1K

-26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$545 ARS 827.2K

130.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$332 ARS 503.1K

163.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,122 ARS 1.7M

92.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$889 ARS 1.3M

75.99%

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

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

$332 26.3% 62.1% $543

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

$241 * 19.2% 25.8% $84

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

$273 21.7% 32.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

$189 15% 8.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

$174 * 13.8% 20.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

$45 3.6% 29% $18

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

$5.3 * 0.4% 84.5% $29

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 $545 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. 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 $49.00 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Panama City vs $241 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña – so Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇦🇷 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

16:44 4:44 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

89,882

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña

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 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 47%, 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 $1,888 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, 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 $1,259 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. That's a gap of about 47%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $294 in Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. 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 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña – 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 Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña. 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.