Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardo and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in San Bernardo: $897 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardo
Learn more

San Bernardo Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index

Jump to prices

San Bernardo

🇨🇱 Chile

$897

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Bernardo 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 San Bernardo and in Panama City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $897 per month in San Bernardo vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

San Bernardo $897
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in San Bernardo vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

San Bernardo $1,414
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $1,932 per month in San Bernardo vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

San Bernardo $1,932
Panama City $3,753

San Bernardo is about 52% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Bernardo sits 34% below the global median, while Panama City is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.85 CLP 7,727

$11.63 PAB 11.63

-32.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.41 CLP 25.0K

$47.92 PAB 47.92

-46.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 CLP 6,407

$7.96 PAB 7.96

-18.22%

Cappuccino

$2.52 CLP 2,481

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-40.28%

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

$0.94 CLP 922

$2.01 PAB 2.01

-53.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 CLP 991

$1.56 PAB 1.56

-35.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 CLP 3,985

$3.39 PAB 3.39

19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 CLP 4,421

$3.94 PAB 3.94

13.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 CLP 1,132

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 CLP 1,272

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-49.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,632

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-52.30%

Eggs

$3.91 CLP 3,848

$2.69 PAB 2.69

45.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CLP 11.1K

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-10.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 CLP 4,289

$6.83 PAB 6.83

-36.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 CLP 10.6K

$10.58 PAB 10.58

1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,855

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-55.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,489

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-17.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 CLP 1,396

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-66.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,721

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-56.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 CLP 839

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-75.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 CLP 822

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-80.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 CLP 1,194

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-49.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,065

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-36.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 CLP 3,259

$6.14 PAB 6.14

-46.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 CLP 5,959

$11.30 PAB 11.30

-46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CLP 1,541

$1.42 PAB 1.42

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CLP 2,261

$2.73 PAB 2.73

-15.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 CLP 781

$0.33 PAB 0.33

139.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 391

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-84.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 830

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.45 CLP 11.3K

$21.78 PAB 21.78

-47.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CLP 1,293

$1.25 PAB 1.25

4.80%

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

$17.5K CLP 17.3M

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

-17.47%

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

$21.7K CLP 21.4M

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

3.35%

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

$123 CLP 120.7K

$130 PAB 130

-5.53%

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

$12.05 CLP 11.9K

$28.13 PAB 28.13

-57.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.63 CLP 16.4K

$48.21 PAB 48.21

-65.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.89 CLP 19.6K

$45.78 PAB 45.78

-56.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 PAB 34.92

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 CLP 7,312

$8.67 PAB 8.67

-14.30%

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

$434 CLP 427.0K

$544 PAB 544

-20.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$9,697 PAB 9,697

11.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.88 CLP 36.3K

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-44.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.73 CLP 26.3K

$49.14 PAB 49.14

-45.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 CLP 64.3K

$93.9 PAB 93.9

-30.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 CLP 79.3K

$112 PAB 112

-27.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 CLP 274.4K

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-77.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 CLP 241.6K

$875 PAB 875

-71.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 CLP 691.9K

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-67.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 CLP 543.3K

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-64.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,856 CLP 1.8M

$3,122 PAB 3,122

-40.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 CLP 1.3M

$1,709 PAB 1,709

-20.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,335 CLP 1.3M

$916 PAB 916

45.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.39

-15.65%

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

Last update for San Bernardo: October 10, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Bernardo

$245 27.4%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 257% $630

Groceries & Markets

San Bernardo

$214 23.9%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 52% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Bernardo

$151 16.9%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 36.2% $55

Eating Out

San Bernardo

$150 16.7%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 38.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

San Bernardo

$94 10.5%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 53.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

San Bernardo

$35 3.9%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 81.7% $28

Getting Around

San Bernardo

$7.8 * 0.9%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 342% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in San Bernardo versus $1,257 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.

Salaries run about 46% higher in San Bernardo, 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 $25.00 in San Bernardo versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $325 – making San Bernardo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 San Bernardo

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

10:03 10:03 AM

2 h behind San Bernardo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,912

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Bernardo Panama City 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Bernardo
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

San Bernardo vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 107%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,345 per month in San Bernardo and $2,783 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Bernardo, 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 $897 in San Bernardo and $1,855 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 107%.

Kindergarten costs $434 per month in San Bernardo and $544 in Panama City. 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 San Bernardo, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Panama City at $1,855. In San Bernardo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Bernardo – 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 San Bernardo. 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.