Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and San Antonio

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio: $612 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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
30

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio
Learn more

San Antonio Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

San Antonio

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in San Antonio

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $612 in San Antonio, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
San Antonio $612

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,039 in San Antonio, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
San Antonio $1,039

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,467 in San Antonio, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
San Antonio $1,467

Panama City costs about 203% more than San Antonio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while San Antonio is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$6.96 ₲39.6K

67.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$43.13 ₲245.2K

11.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$7.07 ₲40.2K

12.59%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.45 ₲19.6K

22.32%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.06 ₲6,023

89.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.57 ₲3,268

173.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$1.92 ₲10.9K

76.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$1.75 ₲9,951

125.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.27 ₲7,231

45.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.48 ₲8,425

72.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.41 ₲7,997

146.81%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.51 ₲14.3K

7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$9.70 ₲55.1K

29.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$5.47 ₲31.1K

24.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.38 ₲59.0K

1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$3.13 ₲17.8K

33.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.25 ₲7,134

46.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.20 ₲6,851

250.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.56 ₲14.5K

57.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.40 ₲7,952

148.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.36 ₲7,747

210.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.94 ₲5,372

156.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.74 ₲4,191

128.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.38 ₲13.6K

157.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$9.28 ₲52.8K

21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.42 ₲8,066

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.72 ₲9,805

58.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.55 ₲8,831

62.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.60 ₲9,086

16.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$10.59 ₲60.2K

105.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.23 ₲7,016

1.63%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$17.4K ₲99.2M

21.78%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$35.7K ₲203.1M

-41.15%

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

$130 PAB 130

$50.6 ₲287.9K

156.45%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$17.77 ₲101.0K

58.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$22.45 ₲127.7K

114.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$8.66 ₲49.2K

0.12%

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

$544 PAB 544

$191 ₲1.1M

185.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$5,832 ₲33.2M

66.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$66.1 ₲375.6K

1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$57.9 ₲329.3K

-15.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$107 ₲606.3K

-11.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$72.6 ₲412.6K

53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

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

10.5

-39.14%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Antonio: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

San Antonio

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

San Antonio

$220 36% 32.3% $105

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

San Antonio

$138 22.5% 33.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

San Antonio

$91 14.8% 55.9% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

San Antonio

$136 22.3% 5.7% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

San Antonio

$17 * 2.8% 72.6% $46

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

San Antonio

$9.5 * 1.6% 72.3% $25

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 $43.00 in San Antonio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $220 – making San Antonio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇵🇾 San Antonio

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

06:09 6:09 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

68,127

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, 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).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City San Antonio 4,500 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
San Antonio

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 San Antonio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 203%, 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 $918 in San Antonio. 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 $612 in San Antonio. That's a gap of about 203%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $191 in San Antonio. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Antonio, where all-in costs run around $612, than in Panama City at $1,855. In San Antonio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Antonio – 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 San Antonio. 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.