Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro de Atacama and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama: $1,088 a month against $1,837 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro de Atacama
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San Pedro de Atacama Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,088

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,088 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $1,837 in Panama City, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,088
Panama City $1,837

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $2,825 in Panama City, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,654
Panama City $2,825

A family of three spends $2,220 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $3,812 in Panama City, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $2,220
Panama City $3,812

San Pedro de Atacama is about 41% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Pedro de Atacama sits 19% below the global median, while Panama City is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 CLP 6,998

$11.34 PAB 11.34

-36.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.01 CLP 42.9K

$47.85 PAB 47.85

-8.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 CLP 7,597

$8.07 PAB 8.07

-3.47%

Cappuccino

$2.83 CLP 2,756

$4.02 PAB 4.02

-29.60%

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

$1.57 CLP 1,528

$1.94 PAB 1.94

-19.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,140

$1.62 PAB 1.62

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 CLP 3,483

$3.26 PAB 3.26

9.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 CLP 3,747

$3.99 PAB 3.99

-3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 CLP 1,162

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-34.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 CLP 1,470

$2.57 PAB 2.57

-41.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,589

$3.33 PAB 3.33

-51.05%

Eggs

$3.69 CLP 3,603

$2.69 PAB 2.69

37.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 CLP 9,796

$12.33 PAB 12.33

-18.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 CLP 6,417

$6.69 PAB 6.69

-1.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.43 CLP 11.1K

$10.40 PAB 10.40

9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,915

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-52.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,540

$1.84 PAB 1.84

-14.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 CLP 1,728

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-57.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 CLP 1,682

$4.08 PAB 4.08

-57.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 CLP 1,612

$3.50 PAB 3.50

-52.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 CLP 1,441

$4.37 PAB 4.37

-66.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 CLP 1,306

$2.34 PAB 2.34

-42.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,196

$1.75 PAB 1.75

-29.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 CLP 5,218

$6.06 PAB 6.06

-11.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 CLP 5,043

$11.72 PAB 11.72

-55.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CLP 1,584

$1.37 PAB 1.37

18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 CLP 2,151

$2.84 PAB 2.84

-22.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 CLP 561

$0.36 PAB 0.36

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.96 PAB 20.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 CLP 689

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-71.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 PAB 1.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.01 PAB 22.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CLP 1,386

$1.25 PAB 1.25

13.60%

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

$17.9K CLP 17.4M

$21.5K PAB 21.5K

-16.98%

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

$19.6K CLP 19.2M

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

-7.29%

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

$134 CLP 130.7K

$131 PAB 131

2.22%

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

$13.34 CLP 13.0K

$27.68 PAB 27.68

-51.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.93 CLP 21.4K

$48.59 PAB 48.59

-54.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.95 CLP 37.0K

$46.11 PAB 46.11

-17.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 CLP 22.2K

$35.01 PAB 35.01

-34.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.25 CLP 5,122

$8.73 PAB 8.73

-39.86%

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

$385 CLP 375.7K

$551 PAB 551

-30.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,507 CLP 8.3M

$9,560 PAB 9,560

-11.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.52 CLP 45.4K

$67.6 PAB 67.6

-31.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.15 CLP 24.5K

$48.03 PAB 48.03

-47.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 CLP 59.6K

$94.9 PAB 94.9

-35.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 CLP 79.2K

$113 PAB 113

-28.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 CLP 469.6K

$1,238 PAB 1,238

-61.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 CLP 366.6K

$873 PAB 873

-56.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 CLP 854.3K

$2,197 PAB 2,197

-60.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 CLP 581.9K

$1,538 PAB 1,538

-61.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,318 CLP 2.3M

$3,116 PAB 3,116

-25.61%

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 %)

5.01

6.39

-21.60%

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

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: October 3, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro de Atacama

$376 35%

Panama City

$873 47.2% 132% $497

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro de Atacama

$232 21.5%

Panama City

$324 17.5% 40.1% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro de Atacama

$169 15.7%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 22.5% $38

Eating Out

San Pedro de Atacama

$151 14.1%

Panama City

$202 10.9% 33.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro de Atacama

$96 9%

Panama City

$146 7.9% 51.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro de Atacama

$48 4.5%

Panama City

$64 3.4% 31.2% $15

Getting Around

San Pedro de Atacama

$3 * 0.3%

Panama City

$34 1.8% 1026% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in San Pedro de Atacama 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 $44.00 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $324 – making San Pedro de Atacama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 San Pedro de Atacama

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

2 h behind San Pedro de Atacama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,347

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.896 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.896 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Pedro de Atacama Panama City 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

San Pedro de Atacama
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 Pedro de Atacama vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,631 per month in San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama, 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 $1,088 in San Pedro de Atacama and $1,837 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 69%.

Kindergarten costs $385 per month in San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama, where all-in costs run around $1,088, than in Panama City at $1,837. In San Pedro de Atacama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Pedro de Atacama – 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 San Pedro de Atacama. 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.