Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Santa Rosa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $1,265 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
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Santa Rosa Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Santa Rosa

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,265 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Santa Rosa $1,265

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $2,107 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Santa Rosa $2,107

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,950 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Santa Rosa $2,950

Panama City costs about 47% more than Santa Rosa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Santa Rosa is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$17.42 ARS 26.4K

-33.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$58.3 ARS 88.5K

-17.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$14.10 ARS 21.4K

-43.55%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$3.86 ARS 5,864

9.33%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.91 ARS 2,892

5.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$1.94 ARS 2,940

-19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$4.01 ARS 6,085

-15.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.65 ARS 5,544

7.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.46 ARS 2,212

26.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.51 ARS 3,809

1.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.72 ARS 2,610

102.33%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$3.14 ARS 4,758

-14.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.74 ARS 16.3K

17.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$7.00 ARS 10.6K

-2.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$11.06 ARS 16.8K

-4.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.27 ARS 3,449

84.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.94 ARS 2,940

-5.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.39 ARS 2,115

202.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.56 ARS 3,888

57.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.23 ARS 1,868

182.93%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.04 ARS 1,583

305.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$1.57 ARS 2,377

7.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$3.65 ARS 5,537

68.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$4.38 ARS 6,648

157.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.70 ARS 2,581

-16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$3.10 ARS 4,703

-11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.03 ARS 1,570

-67.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.56 ARS 2,360

61.54%

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

$1.26 ARS 1,905

-0.79%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$29.0K ARS 44.0M

-26.79%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$35.1K ARS 53.2M

-40.07%

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

$130 PAB 130

$116 ARS 176.3K

11.74%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$15.64 ARS 23.7K

79.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$29.16 ARS 44.2K

65.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$34.30 ARS 52.0K

33.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$8.31 ARS 12.6K

4.33%

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

$544 PAB 544

$269 ARS 407.6K

102.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$108 ARS 164.6K

-38.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$111 ARS 168.4K

-15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$146 ARS 221.3K

-23.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$561 ARS 850.6K

124.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$363 ARS 551.1K

140.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$932 ARS 1.4M

131.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$874 ARS 1.3M

78.89%

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

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Santa Rosa

$363 28.7% 58.5% $512

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Santa Rosa

$249 * 19.7% 23.5% $76

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Santa Rosa

$271 21.4% 31% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Santa Rosa

$161 12.7% 21.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Santa Rosa

$164 * 13% 13.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Santa Rosa

$51 4% 19.3% $12

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Santa Rosa

$5.7 * 0.5% 83.5% $29

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 $561 in Santa Rosa. 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 $58.0 in Santa Rosa. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Panama City vs $249 in Santa Rosa – so Santa Rosa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇦🇷 Santa Rosa

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

12:52 12:52 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

116,083

💱 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

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Between locations

Panama City Santa Rosa 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Santa Rosa

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 Santa Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 47%, 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 $1,897 in Santa Rosa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rosa, 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 $1,265 in Santa Rosa. That's a gap of about 47%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $269 in Santa Rosa. 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 Santa Rosa, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Santa Rosa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Rosa – 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 Santa Rosa. 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.