Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paso de los Libres and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Paso de los Libres: $1,164 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Paso de los Libres
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Paso de los Libres Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Paso de los Libres

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,164

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paso de los Libres and in Panama City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Paso de los Libres and in Panama City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,164 per month in Paso de los Libres vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

Paso de los Libres $1,164
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $1,891 per month in Paso de los Libres vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

Paso de los Libres $1,891
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $2,618 per month in Paso de los Libres vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

Paso de los Libres $2,618
Panama City $3,812

Paso de los Libres is about 37% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Paso de los Libres sits 13% below the global median, while Panama City is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 ARS 23.1K

$11.34 PAB 11.34

34.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 ARS 85.4K

$47.85 PAB 47.85

17.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.96 ARS 19.6K

$8.07 PAB 8.07

60.59%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ARS 5,651

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-7.21%

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

$2.31 ARS 3,502

$1.94 PAB 1.94

19.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,718

$1.62 PAB 1.62

10.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 ARS 5,918

$3.26 PAB 3.26

19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ARS 6,127

$3.99 PAB 3.99

1.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 ARS 2,021

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-27.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 ARS 3,353

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-14.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ARS 2,857

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-43.54%

Eggs

$2.57 ARS 3,890

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-4.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 ARS 15.8K

$12.33 PAB 12.33

-15.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 ARS 11.0K

$6.69 PAB 6.69

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.90 ARS 18.0K

$10.40 PAB 10.40

14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ARS 3,734

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 ARS 3,384

$1.84 PAB 1.84

21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,222

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-64.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 ARS 3,821

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-38.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 PAB 3.50

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,748

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-73.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 PAB 2.34

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PAB 1.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ARS 5,228

$6.06 PAB 6.06

-43.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 ARS 7,719

$11.72 PAB 11.72

-56.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PAB 1.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 PAB 2.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ARS 1,580

$0.36 PAB 0.36

188.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ARS 2,470

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-35.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ARS 1,853

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-2.40%

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

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

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

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

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

$109 ARS 164.6K

$131 PAB 131

-17.23%

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

$17.50 ARS 26.5K

$27.68 PAB 27.68

-36.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.45 ARS 43.1K

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-41.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.99 ARS 47.0K

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-32.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.01 PAB 35.01

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 ARS 14.0K

$8.73 PAB 8.73

5.61%

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

$297 ARS 450.7K

$551 PAB 551

-46.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,560 PAB 9,560

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ARS 153.0K

$67.6 PAB 67.6

49.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 PAB 48.03

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ARS 181.7K

$94.9 PAB 94.9

26.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 201.5K

$113 PAB 113

17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ARS 729.7K

$1,238 PAB 1,238

-61.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ARS 479.5K

$873 PAB 873

-63.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 ARS 1.4M

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-58.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 ARS 1.1M

$1,538 PAB 1,538

-51.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 PAB 3,116

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 PAB 1,725

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 PAB 934

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 Paso de los Libres: October 4, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paso de los Libres

$316 27.6%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 176% $557

Eating Out

Paso de los Libres

$250 21.7%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 19.2% $48

Groceries & Markets

Paso de los Libres

$213 * 18.6%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 52.1% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Paso de los Libres

$159 * 13.9%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 8.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paso de los Libres

$155 13.5%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 34.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Paso de los Libres

$49 4.3%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 28.6% $14

Getting Around

Paso de los Libres

$5.8 * 0.5%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 484% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Paso de los Libres versus $1,238 in Panama City. 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 $56.0 in Paso de los Libres versus $48.00 in Panama City. Groceries tell a different story – $213 in Paso de los Libres vs $324 in Panama City – so Paso de los Libres wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Paso de los Libres

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

2 h behind Paso de los Libres

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,251

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.89 EUR).

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).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Paso de los Libres Panama City 4,930 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Paso de los Libres
Panama City

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

Paso de los Libres vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,746 per month in Paso de los Libres and $2,756 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paso de los Libres, 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 $1,164 in Paso de los Libres and $1,837 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 58%.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Paso de los Libres and $551 in Panama City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Paso de los Libres, where all-in costs run around $1,164, than in Panama City at $1,837. In Paso de los Libres it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paso de los Libres – 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 Paso de los Libres. 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.