Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Sao Caetano do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Sao Caetano do Sul

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 Caetano do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,822 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $2,586 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586

Panama City costs about 75% more than Sao Caetano do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Sao Caetano do Sul is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$8.89 R$44.60

30.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$40.00 R$201

19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$8.77 R$44.01

-9.24%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.38 R$11.96

77.31%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.33 R$6.66

51.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.93 R$4.66

67.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.36 R$11.82

43.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$4.00 R$20.06

-1.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.19 R$5.95

55.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$2.05 R$10.30

24.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.44 R$7.23

141.67%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.48 R$12.43

8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$10.70 R$53.7

17.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$5.43 R$27.26

25.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.91 R$54.8

-3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.39 R$11.98

74.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.72 R$8.65

6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$1.55 R$7.76

170.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.08 R$10.43

93.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.40 R$7.02

148.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.26 R$6.34

234.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.92 R$4.62

161.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.81 R$4.08

108.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$2.49 R$12.49

146.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$8.97 R$44.99

25.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.75 R$8.79

-18.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$2.58 R$12.92

5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.68 R$3.43

-51.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.32 R$6.64

90.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$1.02 R$5.13

82.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$8.86 R$44.47

145.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.34 R$6.72

-6.72%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$24.5K R$123.1K

-13.45%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$32.6K R$163.4K

-35.47%

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

$130 PAB 130

$103 R$517

26.11%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$14.91 R$74.8

88.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$22.99 R$115

109.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$50.3 R$253

-9.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

$46.01 R$231

-24.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$10.14 R$50.9

-14.50%

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

$544 PAB 544

$437 R$2,192

24.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$11.2K R$56.1K

-13.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$65.3 R$328

2.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$57.3 R$288

-14.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$98.3 R$493

-4.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$93.2 R$467

19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$419 R$2,104

199.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$311 R$1,559

181.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$867 R$4,349

148.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$868 R$4,353

80.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$1,890 R$9,483

65.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$1,435 R$7,201

19.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$951 R$4,773

-3.72%

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 Caetano do Sul: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4% 64.5% $564

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8% 29% $94

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6% 25.1% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3% 31.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4% 2.2% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7% 11.9% $7.5

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9% 73.3% $25

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 $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul. 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 4% higher in Sao Caetano do Sul, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City versus $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $231 – making Sao Caetano do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

18:04 6:04 PM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

165,655

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panama City Sao Caetano do Sul 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Sao Caetano do Sul

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 Caetano do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 75%, 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 $1,588 in Sao Caetano do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul, 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 $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul. That's a gap of about 75%.

Kindergarten costs $544 per month in Panama City and $437 in Sao Caetano do Sul. 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 Caetano do Sul, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Sao Caetano do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Caetano do Sul – 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 Caetano do Sul. 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.