Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz do Sul and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $949 a month against $1,857 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$949

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz do Sul 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 Santa Cruz do Sul and in Panama City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $949 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $1,857 in Panama City, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $949
Panama City $1,857

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $2,815 in Panama City, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $1,519
Panama City $2,815

A family of three spends $2,089 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $3,773 in Panama City, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $2,089
Panama City $3,773

Santa Cruz do Sul is about 49% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Cruz do Sul sits 30% below the global median, while Panama City is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 R$30.23

$11.68 PAB 11.68

-48.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.87 R$182

$47.76 PAB 47.76

-24.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 R$35.99

$8.12 PAB 8.12

-12.56%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.36

$4.23 PAB 4.23

-47.04%

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

$1.35 R$6.82

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.46

$1.58 PAB 1.58

-44.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 R$8.82

$3.31 PAB 3.31

-47.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 R$13.70

$3.98 PAB 3.98

-32.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.45

$1.92 PAB 1.92

-54.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.15

$2.63 PAB 2.63

-31.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.07

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-59.00%

Eggs

$2.24 R$11.36

$2.67 PAB 2.67

-16.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 R$45.45

$12.21 PAB 12.21

-26.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 R$24.32

$6.91 PAB 6.91

-30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.91

$10.58 PAB 10.58

-25.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 R$11.06

$4.16 PAB 4.16

-47.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.63

$1.97 PAB 1.97

-43.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.99

$4.06 PAB 4.06

-70.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.73

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.37

$3.47 PAB 3.47

-63.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$4.26 PAB 4.26

-71.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 R$4.52

$2.44 PAB 2.44

-63.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-48.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$11.80

$5.83 PAB 5.83

-60.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 R$36.60

$11.43 PAB 11.43

-36.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.91

$1.38 PAB 1.38

-15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R$10.11

$2.76 PAB 2.76

-27.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.33 PAB 0.33

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.92 R$248

$20.63 PAB 20.63

137.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$5.91

$2.55 PAB 2.55

-54.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.78 PAB 1.78

-48.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 R$39.50

$22.17 PAB 22.17

-64.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.64

$1.24 PAB 1.24

-10.48%

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

$20.3K R$103.1K

$24.4K PAB 24.4K

-16.66%

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

$33.4K R$169.4K

$21.3K PAB 21.3K

56.93%

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

$86.3 R$438

$131 PAB 131

-34.26%

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

$13.08 R$66.3

$27.83 PAB 27.83

-53.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.04 R$117

$49.32 PAB 49.32

-53.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.93 R$131

$45.69 PAB 45.69

-43.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.49 R$124

$34.10 PAB 34.10

-28.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 R$38.85

$8.47 PAB 8.47

-9.56%

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

$288 R$1,462

$553 PAB 553

-47.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,499 R$32.9K

$9,719 PAB 9,719

-33.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.59 R$251

$66.4 PAB 66.4

-25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 R$281

$47.39 PAB 47.39

16.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 R$503

$95.7 PAB 95.7

3.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 R$333

$113 PAB 113

-41.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 R$2,702

$1,322 PAB 1,322

-59.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 R$1,499

$874 PAB 874

-66.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 R$4,697

$2,153 PAB 2,153

-56.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 R$3,075

$1,580 PAB 1,580

-61.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,850 R$9,380

$3,097 PAB 3,097

-40.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 R$6,021

$1,698 PAB 1,698

-30.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$373 R$1,889

$914 PAB 914

-59.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

72.14%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 17, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz do Sul

$296 31.2%

Panama City

$874 47.1% 196% $578

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz do Sul

$190 20.1%

Panama City

$327 17.6% 71.7% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz do Sul

$122 12.9%

Panama City

$208 11.2% 70.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz do Sul

$121 12.8%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 19.3% $23

Eating Out

Santa Cruz do Sul

$119 12.5%

Panama City

$207 11.2% 74.2% $88

Getting Around

Santa Cruz do Sul

$59 6.2%

Panama City

$33 1.8% 43% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz do Sul

$41 4.4%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 51.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $1,322 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 145% 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 $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $327 – making Santa Cruz do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

18:50 6:50 PM

2 h behind Santa Cruz do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,246

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz do Sul Panama City 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz do Sul
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

Santa Cruz do Sul vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,423 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul and $2,786 in Panama City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 72% 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 $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul and $48.00 in Panama City. 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 Santa Cruz do Sul, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Panama City at $1,857. In Santa Cruz do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Cruz do Sul – 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 Santa Cruz do Sul. 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.