Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and San Pedro de Atacama

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama: $1,068 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
52

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro de Atacama
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San Pedro de Atacama Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in San Pedro de Atacama

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 Pedro de Atacama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,068 in San Pedro de Atacama, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
San Pedro de Atacama $1,068

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,625 in San Pedro de Atacama, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
San Pedro de Atacama $1,625

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,182 in San Pedro de Atacama, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
San Pedro de Atacama $2,182

Panama City costs about 74% more than San Pedro de Atacama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while San Pedro de Atacama is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$7.40 CLP 7,220

57.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$45.00 CLP 43.9K

6.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$7.85 CLP 7,659

1.40%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.85 CLP 2,778

48.07%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.55 CLP 1,514

29.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.16 CLP 1,134

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$3.56 CLP 3,466

-4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.98 CLP 3,878

-1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.24 CLP 1,205

49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.45 CLP 1,418

76.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.65 CLP 1,605

110.91%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.55 CLP 3,464

-24.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.17 CLP 9,915

23.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$6.73 CLP 6,565

1.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$11.65 CLP 11.4K

-9.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$1.89 CLP 1,846

121.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.63 CLP 1,592

12.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.71 CLP 1,667

145.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.67 CLP 1,626

141.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.59 CLP 1,550

118.87%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.55 CLP 1,514

172.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$1.29 CLP 1,261

86.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.24 CLP 1,209

36.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$5.05 CLP 4,920

21.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$5.10 CLP 4,969

121.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.54 CLP 1,504

-7.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.16 CLP 2,110

26.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.58 CLP 561

-43.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$0.71 CLP 690

254.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.42 CLP 1,389

-11.97%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$17.2K CLP 16.8M

23.13%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$19.6K CLP 19.1M

7.23%

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

$130 PAB 130

$130 CLP 127.1K

-0.38%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$13.62 CLP 13.3K

106.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$21.85 CLP 21.3K

120.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$38.76 CLP 37.8K

18.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$22.66 CLP 22.1K

54.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$5.33 CLP 5,194

62.66%

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

$544 PAB 544

$381 CLP 371.2K

42.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$8,381 CLP 8.2M

15.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$46.23 CLP 45.1K

44.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$25.03 CLP 24.4K

96.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$61.5 CLP 60.0K

52.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$82.5 CLP 80.5K

35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$482 CLP 469.7K

160.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$368 CLP 358.8K

137.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$877 CLP 854.7K

145.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$590 CLP 575.2K

165.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$2,290 CLP 2.2M

36.37%

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

5.01

27.54%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

San Pedro de Atacama

$368 34.5% 57.9% $507

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

San Pedro de Atacama

$231 21.7% 28.8% $94

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

San Pedro de Atacama

$154 14.4% 25.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

San Pedro de Atacama

$166 15.5% 19.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

San Pedro de Atacama

$97 9.1% 33% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

San Pedro de Atacama

$49 4.6% 21.7% $14

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

San Pedro de Atacama

$3 * 0.3% 91.2% $31

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 $482 in San Pedro de Atacama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $45.00 in San Pedro de Atacama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $231 – making San Pedro de Atacama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇨🇱 San Pedro de Atacama

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

08:06 8:06 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

5,347

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Panama City San Pedro de Atacama 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
San Pedro de Atacama

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 Pedro de Atacama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 74%, 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 $1,602 in San Pedro de Atacama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama, 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 $1,068 in San Pedro de Atacama. That's a gap of about 74%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $381 in San Pedro de Atacama. 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 Pedro de Atacama, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Panama City at $1,855. In San Pedro de Atacama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Pedro de Atacama – 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 Pedro de Atacama. 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.