Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama City and Volta Redonda

For one person, living is cheaper in Volta Redonda: $817 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Volta Redonda
Learn more

Volta Redonda Living Index

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Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Volta Redonda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Panama City and in Volta Redonda

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

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Panama City vs $817 in Volta Redonda, rent included.

Panama City $1,855
Volta Redonda $817

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Panama City vs $1,294 in Volta Redonda, rent included.

Panama City $2,804
Volta Redonda $1,294

A family of three spends $3,753 per month in Panama City vs $1,771 in Volta Redonda, rent included.

Panama City $3,753
Volta Redonda $1,771

Panama City costs about 127% more than Volta Redonda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Panama City sits 37% above the global median, while Volta Redonda is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.63 PAB 11.63

$3.07 R$15.58

278.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.92 PAB 47.92

$40.42 R$205

18.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 PAB 7.96

$6.74 R$34.16

18.10%

Cappuccino

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$2.49 R$12.63

69.48%

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

$2.01 PAB 2.01

$1.44 R$7.30

39.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 PAB 1.56

$0.62 R$3.14

151.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 PAB 3.39

$2.36 R$11.97

43.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 PAB 3.94

$4.50 R$22.81

-12.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PAB 1.85

$1.01 R$5.14

83.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 PAB 2.56

$1.93 R$9.76

32.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.23 R$6.24

182.93%

Eggs

$2.69 PAB 2.69

$2.39 R$12.10

12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 PAB 12.57

$6.84 R$34.65

83.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 PAB 6.83

$3.26 R$16.52

109.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PAB 10.58

$10.03 R$50.9

5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 PAB 4.18

$2.17 R$11.01

92.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 PAB 1.83

$1.18 R$5.98

55.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 PAB 4.20

$0.98 R$4.96

328.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 PAB 4.03

$2.05 R$10.42

96.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 PAB 3.48

$1.47 R$7.43

136.73%

Onion (1kg)

$4.22 PAB 4.22

$1.24 R$6.30

240.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$0.59 R$2.98

308.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 PAB 1.69

$0.49 R$2.48

244.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 PAB 6.14

$1.58 R$8.00

288.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 PAB 11.30

$8.78 R$44.49

28.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PAB 1.42

$1.13 R$5.74

25.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 PAB 2.73

$1.66 R$8.40

64.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 PAB 0.33

$0.97 R$4.90

-65.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

$35.59 R$180

-40.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 PAB 2.52

$1.58 R$7.99

59.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 PAB 1.86

$0.99 R$5.01

87.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.78 PAB 21.78

$10.40 R$52.7

109.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 PAB 1.25

$1.23 R$6.25

1.63%

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

$24.2K R$122.8K

-12.31%

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

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

$33.7K R$170.6K

-37.55%

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

$130 PAB 130

$96.2 R$488

34.95%

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

$28.13 PAB 28.13

$11.25 R$57.0

150.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.21 PAB 48.21

$22.11 R$112

118.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.78 PAB 45.78

$30.50 R$155

50.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 PAB 8.67

$7.71 R$39.09

12.45%

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

$544 PAB 544

$149 R$756

264.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,697 PAB 9,697

$3,034 R$15.4K

219.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 PAB 66.8

$45.44 R$230

46.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 PAB 49.14

$39.63 R$201

24.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 PAB 93.9

$50.6 R$256

85.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 PAB 112

$94.3 R$478

18.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 PAB 1,257

$276 R$1,398

355.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 PAB 875

$204 R$1,033

329.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 PAB 2,155

$590 R$2,988

265.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 PAB 1,564

$387 R$1,959

304.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 PAB 3,122

$831 R$4,215

275.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 PAB 1,709

$674 R$3,414

153.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$916 PAB 916

$303 R$1,536

202.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

11.68

-45.29%

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

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Volta Redonda: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panama City

$875 47.2%

Volta Redonda

$204 24.9% 76.7% $671

Groceries & Markets

Panama City

$325 17.5%

Volta Redonda

$185 22.6% 43.2% $141

Eating Out

Panama City

$207 11.1%

Volta Redonda

$104 12.7% 49.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panama City

$206 11.1%

Volta Redonda

$130 15.9% 37.2% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Panama City

$145 7.8%

Volta Redonda

$103 12.7% 28.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Panama City

$63 3.4%

Volta Redonda

$46 5.6% 27.2% $17

Getting Around

Panama City

$34 1.9%

Volta Redonda

$46 5.6% 33.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Panama City versus $276 in Volta Redonda. 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 202% 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 $40.00 in Volta Redonda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $185 – making Volta Redonda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 Panama City

🇧🇷 Volta Redonda

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

2 h ahead of Panama City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,086,990 Capital

261,563

💱 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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Between locations

Panama City Volta Redonda 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Panama City
Volta Redonda

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 Volta Redonda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 127%, 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 $1,226 in Volta Redonda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 76% 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 $40.00 in Volta Redonda. 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 Volta Redonda, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Volta Redonda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Volta Redonda – 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 Volta Redonda. 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.