Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $890 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
43

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇦🇷 Argentina

$890

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $890 in San Juan, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
San Juan $890

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,389 in San Juan, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
San Juan $1,389

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,888 in San Juan, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
San Juan $1,888

Panama City costs about 108% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while San Juan is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$6.76 ARS 10.3K

72.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$39.31 ARS 59.7K

21.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$12.08 ARS 18.3K

-34.11%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.59 ARS 3,938

62.93%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$2.11 ARS 3,202

-4.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.82 ARS 2,761

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.91 ARS 5,930

-13.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$4.48 ARS 6,799

-12.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.38 ARS 2,101

34.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.45 ARS 2,195

76.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.40 ARS 2,124

148.57%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$1.44 ARS 2,184

86.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$2.84 ARS 4,305

342.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$6.23 ARS 9,448

9.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.90 ARS 16.5K

-2.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.40 ARS 2,129

198.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.39 ARS 2,108

31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.34 ARS 2,037

213.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.45 ARS 2,193

177.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.40 ARS 2,128

148.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.38 ARS 2,098

205.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$1.40 ARS 2,129

72.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.44 ARS 2,183

17.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.71 ARS 4,117

126.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$4.90 ARS 7,433

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.41 ARS 2,136

0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.44 ARS 2,178

89.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.96 ARS 1,460

-65.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.98 ARS 3,006

27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.99 ARS 1,495

87.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$4.84 ARS 7,351

350.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.17 ARS 1,782

6.84%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$26.7K ARS 40.6M

-20.55%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$33.6K ARS 51.1M

-37.52%

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

$130 PAB 130

$144 ARS 218.7K

-9.91%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$10.04 ARS 15.2K

180.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$17.82 ARS 27.0K

170.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$30.42 ARS 46.2K

50.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$6.93 ARS 10.5K

25.11%

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

$544 PAB 544

$172 ARS 260.5K

217.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$4,122 ARS 6.3M

135.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$107 ARS 162.3K

-37.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$42.58 ARS 64.6K

15.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$58.1 ARS 88.1K

61.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$35.86 ARS 54.4K

211.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$249 ARS 378.2K

404.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$198 ARS 301.1K

340.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$492 ARS 747.1K

337.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$400 ARS 607.2K

290.79%

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

$700 ARS 1.1M

30.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-88.17%

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 Juan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

San Juan

$198 22.3% 77.3% $676

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

San Juan

$190 21.3% 41.7% $136

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

San Juan

$166 18.6% 19.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

San Juan

$172 19.3% 16.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

San Juan

$110 12.3% 24.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

San Juan

$44 5% 29.9% $19

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

San Juan

$11 * 1.2% 68.7% $24

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 $249 in San Juan. 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 31% 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 $39.00 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $190 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇦🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

522,029

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City San Juan 4,650 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
San Juan

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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 108%, 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 $1,335 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, 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 $890 in San Juan. That's a gap of about 108%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $172 in San Juan. 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 San Juan, where all-in costs run around $890, than in Panama City at $1,855. In San Juan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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