Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Sao Bernardo do Campo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo: $864 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Sao Bernardo do Campo
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Sao Bernardo do Campo Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Sao Bernardo do Campo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $864 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Sao Bernardo do Campo $864

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,353 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,353

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,841 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,841

Panama City costs about 115% more than Sao Bernardo do Campo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Sao Bernardo do Campo is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$7.15 R$36.26

62.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$29.48 R$149

62.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$9.18 R$46.52

-13.29%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.83 R$9.27

130.60%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.29 R$6.54

55.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.73 R$3.68

113.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.43 R$12.31

39.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$3.91 R$19.81

0.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.02 R$5.18

81.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.92 R$9.74

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.38 R$6.98

152.17%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.01 R$10.21

33.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.85 R$55.0

15.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$4.60 R$23.30

48.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.53 R$53.4

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.37 R$12.04

76.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.64 R$8.30

11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.38 R$6.99

204.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$1.35 R$6.86

198.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.28 R$6.47

171.88%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$0.98 R$4.99

330.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.92 R$4.67

161.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.88 R$4.44

92.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.23 R$11.29

175.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$6.69 R$33.90

68.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.31 R$6.62

8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.57 R$13.05

6.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$1.12 R$5.70

-70.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.18 R$5.96

113.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.61 R$3.12

204.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$3.09 R$15.67

604.85%

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

$24.2K R$122.6K

-12.22%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$32.3K R$163.6K

-34.84%

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

$130 PAB 130

$67.5 R$342

92.41%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$14.78 R$74.9

90.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$20.70 R$105

132.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$24.62 R$125

85.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$33.67 R$171

3.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$7.01 R$35.56

23.68%

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

$544 PAB 544

$339 R$1,717

60.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$6,468 R$32.8K

49.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$38.86 R$197

71.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$48.51 R$246

1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$91.3 R$463

2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$77.3 R$392

44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$338 R$1,715

271.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$255 R$1,292

243.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$1,001 R$5,074

115.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$440 R$2,229

255.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,610 R$8,163

93.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,098 R$5,565

55.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$397 R$2,014

130.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

10.81

-40.89%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sao Bernardo do Campo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$255 29.5% 70.9% $620

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$209 24.2% 35.7% $116

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$135 15.6% 34.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$103 11.9% 50.1% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$115 13.3% 20.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$39 4.5% 38.8% $24

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$8.8 * 1% 74.6% $26

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 $338 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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 131% 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 $29.00 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $209 – making Sao Bernardo do Campo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Sao Bernardo do Campo

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

23:55 11:55 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

810,729

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 115%, 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 $1,296 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo, 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 $864 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. That's a gap of about 115%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $339 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Sao Bernardo do Campo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Bernardo do Campo – 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo. 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.