Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Salto

For one person, living is cheaper in Salto: $825 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Salto
Learn more

Salto Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Salto

🇧🇷 Brazil

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $825 in Salto, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Salto $825

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,286 in Salto, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Salto $1,286

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,747 in Salto, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Salto $1,747

Panama City costs about 125% more than Salto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Salto is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$6.91 R$35.05

68.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$27.73 R$141

72.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$6.83 R$34.60

16.54%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.95 R$9.87

116.41%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.09 R$5.51

84.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.76 R$3.87

105.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.78 R$14.08

21.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.09 R$15.67

27.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.08 R$5.46

71.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.70 R$8.63

50.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.18 R$5.99

194.92%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.71 R$13.76

-0.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.23 R$46.77

36.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$3.88 R$19.65

76.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$9.94 R$50.4

6.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.86 R$14.52

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.91 R$9.68

-4.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.77 R$8.99

137.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.82 R$9.24

121.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.42 R$7.18

145.07%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.44 R$7.28

193.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.90 R$4.56

167.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.48 R$2.41

252.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.66 R$13.51

130.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$9.13 R$46.27

23.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.65 R$8.38

-13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$4.57 R$23.19

-40.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.87 R$4.42

-62.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.34 R$6.78

88.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.36 R$6.90

36.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$9.65 R$48.92

125.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.19 R$6.02

5.04%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$23.7K R$120.0K

-10.30%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$34.4K R$174.6K

-38.95%

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

$130 PAB 130

$40.22 R$204

222.82%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$10.00 R$50.7

181.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$18.36 R$93.1

162.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$26.39 R$134

73.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$2.94 R$14.92

194.90%

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

$544 PAB 544

$262 R$1,327

107.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$7,715 R$39.1K

25.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$55.2 R$280

21.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$59.4 R$301

-17.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$96.6 R$490

-2.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$86.7 R$439

28.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$238 R$1,206

267.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$595 R$3,014

262.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$396 R$2,005

295.31%

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

11.12

-42.54%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Salto: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Salto

$238 28.8% 72.8% $637

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Salto

$214 26% 34.1% $111

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Salto

$127 15.3% 38.7% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Salto

$69 8.3% 66.7% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Salto

$134 16.2% 7.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Salto

$32 3.9% 48.9% $31

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Salto

$12 * 1.4% 66.2% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $28.00 in Salto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $214 – making Salto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Salto

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

01:47 1:47 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

134,319

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City Salto 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Salto

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 Salto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 125%, 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 $1,238 in Salto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,855 in Panama City and $825 in Salto. That's a gap of about 125%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $262 in Salto. 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 Salto, where all-in costs run around $825, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Salto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Salto – 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 Salto. 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.