Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Quilmes

For one person, living is cheaper in Quilmes: $965 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Quilmes
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Quilmes Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Quilmes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $965 in Quilmes, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Quilmes $965

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,611 in Quilmes, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Quilmes $1,611

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,257 in Quilmes, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Quilmes $2,257

Panama City costs about 92% more than Quilmes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Quilmes is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$5.63 ARS 8,548

106.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$34.37 ARS 52.2K

39.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$8.93 ARS 13.5K

-10.86%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.95 ARS 4,476

43.05%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.69 ARS 2,565

18.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.72 ARS 2,608

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$4.10 ARS 6,222

-17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$2.19 ARS 3,329

79.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$0.98 ARS 1,488

88.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.56 ARS 2,373

64.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.63 ARS 2,478

113.50%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.25 ARS 3,408

19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$13.26 ARS 20.1K

-5.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$5.86 ARS 8,899

16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.18 ARS 15.4K

3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.93 ARS 2,928

116.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.58 ARS 2,398

15.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.01 ARS 1,531

315.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$3.08 ARS 4,673

30.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$0.99 ARS 1,499

251.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$0.65 ARS 986

549.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.73 ARS 1,105

230.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.69 ARS 1,041

144.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$5.15 ARS 7,815

19.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$4.16 ARS 6,319

171.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.24 ARS 1,877

14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.87 ARS 2,833

45.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.98 ARS 1,494

-66.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$2.77 ARS 4,196

-9.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.97 ARS 1,473

91.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.09 ARS 1,654

14.68%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$50.1K ARS 76.1M

-57.63%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$39.2K ARS 59.4M

-46.31%

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

$130 PAB 130

$59.9 ARS 90.9K

116.69%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$14.26 ARS 21.6K

97.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$22.15 ARS 33.6K

117.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$27.18 ARS 41.2K

68.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$9.98 ARS 15.1K

-13.13%

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

$544 PAB 544

$315 ARS 477.4K

72.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$97.6 ARS 148.1K

-31.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$34.71 ARS 52.7K

41.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$63.0 ARS 95.7K

48.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$69.9 ARS 106.0K

59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$519 ARS 787.3K

142.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$332 ARS 504.4K

163.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$999 ARS 1.5M

115.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$812 ARS 1.2M

92.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,324 ARS 3.5M

34.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,818 ARS 2.8M

-5.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$1,114 ARS 1.7M

-17.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

100

-93.61%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Quilmes

$332 34.4% 62% $543

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Quilmes

$213 22.1% 34.5% $112

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Quilmes

$146 15.1% 29.5% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Quilmes

$96 10% 53.3% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Quilmes

$119 12.4% 17.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Quilmes

$47 4.9% 25.3% $16

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Quilmes

$12 * 1.2% 66.4% $23

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 $519 in Quilmes. 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 22% higher in Quilmes, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $34.00 in Quilmes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $213 – making Quilmes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇦🇷 Quilmes

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

17:01 5:01 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

230,810

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.889 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Between locations

Panama City Quilmes 5,350 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Quilmes

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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 92%, 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 $1,448 in Quilmes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quilmes, 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 $965 in Quilmes. That's a gap of about 92%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $315 in Quilmes. 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 Quilmes, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Quilmes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quilmes – 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 Quilmes. 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.