Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Resistencia

For one person, living is cheaper in Resistencia: $1,180 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Resistencia
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Resistencia Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Resistencia

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,180

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $1,180 in Resistencia, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Resistencia $1,180

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $1,915 in Resistencia, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Resistencia $1,915

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $2,650 in Resistencia, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Resistencia $2,650

Panama City costs about 56% more than Resistencia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Resistencia is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$16.49 ARS 25.0K

-31.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$57.6 ARS 87.4K

-16.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$13.25 ARS 20.1K

-39.09%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$3.67 ARS 5,570

9.54%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$2.47 ARS 3,753

-21.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$2.13 ARS 3,223

-23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$4.38 ARS 6,642

-25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$3.73 ARS 5,660

6.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.35 ARS 2,042

35.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.46 ARS 3,732

4.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$2.00 ARS 3,028

66.50%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.71 ARS 4,105

-0.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$9.29 ARS 14.1K

32.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$7.17 ARS 10.9K

-6.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$11.05 ARS 16.8K

-5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$2.57 ARS 3,903

61.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$2.02 ARS 3,063

-8.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.35 ARS 2,053

209.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$2.40 ARS 3,642

70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$0.97 ARS 1,473

350.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$3.69 ARS 5,590

64.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$4.55 ARS 6,898

157.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$1.05 ARS 1,589

-65.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.57 ARS 2,383

60.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.07 ARS 1,620

16.82%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

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

$131 PAB 131

$115 ARS 173.6K

14.57%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$17.55 ARS 26.6K

57.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$29.12 ARS 44.2K

66.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$31.15 ARS 47.2K

48.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$9.21 ARS 14.0K

-5.21%

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

$551 PAB 551

$272 ARS 411.7K

102.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$105 ARS 160.0K

-35.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$128 ARS 194.4K

-25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$116 ARS 176.4K

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$514 ARS 779.8K

140.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$330 ARS 500.7K

164.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$987 ARS 1.5M

122.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$741 ARS 1.1M

107.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$565 ARS 856.5K

65.45%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Resistencia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Resistencia

$330 28.1% 62.2% $543

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Resistencia

$207 * 17.6% 36.1% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Resistencia

$161 13.7% 22.3% $46

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Resistencia

$264 22.4% 30.7% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Resistencia

$158 * 13.4% 8.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Resistencia

$50 4.2% 22% $14

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Resistencia

$5.8 * 0.5% 83% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $514 in Resistencia. 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 65% 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 $58.0 in Resistencia. Groceries tell a different story – $324 in Panama City vs $207 in Resistencia – so Resistencia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇦🇷 Resistencia

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

290,793

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Resistencia 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Resistencia

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 Resistencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 56%, 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 $1,770 in Resistencia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Resistencia, 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 $1,837 in Panama City and $1,180 in Resistencia. That's a gap of about 56%.

Kindergarten costs $551 per month in Panama City and $272 in Resistencia. 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 Resistencia, where all-in costs run around $1,180, than in Panama City at $1,837. In Resistencia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Resistencia – 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 Resistencia. 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.