Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Teresina

For one person, living is cheaper in Teresina: $750 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Teresina
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Teresina Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Teresina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Teresina

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Panama City vs $750 in Teresina, rent included.

Panama City $1,837
Teresina $750

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Panama City vs $1,236 in Teresina, rent included.

Panama City $2,825
Teresina $1,236

A family of three spends $3,812 per month in Panama City vs $1,722 in Teresina, rent included.

Panama City $3,812
Teresina $1,722

Panama City costs about 145% more than Teresina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Teresina is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.34 PAB 11.34

$5.85 R$29.18

93.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.85 PAB 47.85

$20.37 R$102

134.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 PAB 8.07

$6.21 R$30.98

29.95%

Cappuccino

$4.02 PAB 4.02

$2.14 R$10.69

87.85%

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

$1.94 PAB 1.94

$1.09 R$5.44

77.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 PAB 1.62

$0.76 R$3.81

113.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 PAB 3.26

$1.54 R$7.66

111.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 PAB 3.99

$3.18 R$15.88

25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.50 R$7.48

22.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 PAB 2.57

$2.31 R$11.55

11.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 PAB 3.33

$1.47 R$7.35

126.53%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$4.45 R$22.21

-39.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 PAB 12.33

$7.83 R$39.08

57.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 PAB 6.69

$4.29 R$21.42

55.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 PAB 10.40

$6.70 R$33.45

55.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 PAB 4.16

$1.95 R$9.74

113.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 PAB 1.84

$0.96 R$4.79

91.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$0.95 R$4.76

340.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 PAB 4.08

$1.30 R$6.51

213.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

$1.12 R$5.57

212.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 PAB 4.37

$0.96 R$4.78

355.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

$0.54 R$2.72

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

$1.47 R$7.34

19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 PAB 6.06

$3.29 R$16.42

84.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 PAB 11.72

$9.73 R$48.59

20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

$1.42 R$7.07

-3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

$2.95 R$14.71

-3.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 PAB 0.36

$0.98 R$4.90

-63.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

$45.52 R$227

-53.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.63 R$8.15

54.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

$0.77 R$3.86

132.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

$8.15 R$40.68

170.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.17 R$5.86

6.84%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

$23.8K R$118.6K

-9.34%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$32.0K R$159.7K

-33.78%

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

$131 PAB 131

$77.3 R$386

69.64%

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

$27.68 PAB 27.68

$10.68 R$53.3

159.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.59 PAB 48.59

$17.75 R$88.6

173.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.11 PAB 46.11

$21.47 R$107

114.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

$13.12 R$65.5

166.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 PAB 8.73

$7.80 R$38.95

11.92%

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

$551 PAB 551

$575 R$2,871

-4.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

$7,241 R$36.1K

32.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 PAB 67.6

$44.08 R$220

53.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

$29.68 R$148

61.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 PAB 94.9

$76.2 R$380

24.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 PAB 113

$50.4 R$252

123.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 PAB 1,238

$166 R$828

645.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 PAB 873

$151 R$755

477.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 PAB 2,197

$413 R$2,063

431.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 PAB 1,538

$431 R$2,150

257.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

$1,388 R$6,927

124.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

$765 R$3,817

125.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

$402 R$2,004

132.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-41.91%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Teresina: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$873 47.2%

Teresina

$151 19.8% 82.7% $722

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$324 17.5%

Teresina

$210 27.6% 35.2% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$207 11.2%

Teresina

$106 13.9% 49% $102

Eating Out

Panama City

$202 10.9%

Teresina

$113 14.8% 44.2% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$146 7.9%

Teresina

$90 11.8% 38% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$64 3.4%

Teresina

$37 4.9% 41.7% $27

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.8%

Teresina

$55 7.2% 62.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Panama City versus $166 in Teresina. 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 133% 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 $20.00 in Teresina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $210 – making Teresina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Teresina

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

866,300

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Panama City Teresina 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Teresina

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 Teresina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Panama City and $1,125 in Teresina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Teresina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Panama City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Panama City and $20.00 in Teresina. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Teresina, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Panama City at $1,837. In Teresina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Teresina – 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 Teresina. 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.