Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
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Panama City Living Index

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Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,058 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $1,822 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $2,586 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586
Panama City $3,753

Sao Caetano do Sul is about 43% cheaper than Panama City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Caetano do Sul sits 22% below the global median, while Panama City is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R$44.60

$11.63 PAB 11.63

-23.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$201

$47.92 PAB 47.92

-16.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 R$44.01

$7.96 PAB 7.96

10.18%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.96

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-43.60%

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

$1.33 R$6.66

$2.01 PAB 2.01

-33.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.66

$1.56 PAB 1.56

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.82

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 R$20.06

$3.94 PAB 3.94

1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$5.95

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-35.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.30

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-19.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.23

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-58.62%

Eggs

$2.48 R$12.43

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 R$53.7

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-14.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 R$27.26

$6.83 PAB 6.83

-20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 R$54.8

$10.58 PAB 10.58

3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 R$11.98

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-42.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.65

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-6.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.76

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-63.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 R$10.43

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-48.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.02

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-59.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.34

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-70.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 R$4.62

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-61.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.08

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-52.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.49

$6.14 PAB 6.14

-59.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 R$44.99

$11.30 PAB 11.30

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 R$8.79

$1.42 PAB 1.42

23.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R$12.92

$2.73 PAB 2.73

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 R$3.43

$0.33 PAB 0.33

106.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 PAB 21.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 R$6.64

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-47.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.13

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 R$44.47

$21.78 PAB 21.78

-59.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.72

$1.25 PAB 1.25

7.20%

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

$24.5K R$123.1K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

15.54%

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

$32.6K R$163.4K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

54.96%

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

$103 R$517

$130 PAB 130

-20.70%

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

$14.91 R$74.8

$28.13 PAB 28.13

-47.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 R$115

$48.21 PAB 48.21

-52.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 R$253

$45.78 PAB 45.78

9.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.01 R$231

$34.92 PAB 34.92

31.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.14 R$50.9

$8.67 PAB 8.67

16.96%

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

$437 R$2,192

$544 PAB 544

-19.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K R$56.1K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

15.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 R$328

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 R$288

$49.14 PAB 49.14

16.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 R$493

$93.9 PAB 93.9

4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 R$467

$112 PAB 112

-16.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R$2,104

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-66.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 R$1,559

$875 PAB 875

-64.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 R$4,349

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-59.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 R$4,353

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-44.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,890 R$9,483

$3,122 PAB 3,122

-39.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,435 R$7,201

$1,709 PAB 1,709

-16.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$951 R$4,773

$916 PAB 916

3.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

6.39

69.17%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: 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

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 182% $564

Groceries & Markets

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 40.8% $94

Eating Out

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 33.5% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 2.3% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 46.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 10.6% $7.5

Getting Around

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 275% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul 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 4% higher in Sao Caetano do Sul, 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 $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $325 – making Sao Caetano do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

2 h behind Sao Caetano do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,655

1,086,990 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.893 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.893 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Caetano do Sul Panama City 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Caetano 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

Sao Caetano do Sul vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,588 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul, 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 $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $1,855 in Panama City. That's a gap of about 75%.

Kindergarten costs $437 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Sao Caetano 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 Sao Caetano 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 Sao Caetano 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.