Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Panama City

For one person, living is cheaper in Serra: $889 a month against $1,855 in Panama City, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Serra
Learn more

Serra Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Panama City
Learn more

Panama City Living Index

Jump to prices

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$889

/mo nomad

Panama City

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $889 per month in Serra vs $1,855 in Panama City, rent included.

Serra $889
Panama City $1,855

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Serra vs $2,804 in Panama City, rent included.

Serra $1,317
Panama City $2,804

A family of three spends $1,744 per month in Serra vs $3,753 in Panama City, rent included.

Serra $1,744
Panama City $3,753

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

Serra 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

$4.77 R$24.16

$11.63 PAB 11.63

-58.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.99 R$117

$47.92 PAB 47.92

-52.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 R$41.58

$7.96 PAB 7.96

3.02%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.57

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-50.47%

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

$1.34 R$6.77

$2.01 PAB 2.01

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.15

$1.56 PAB 1.56

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R$9.88

$3.39 PAB 3.39

-42.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R$15.53

$3.94 PAB 3.94

-22.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.70

$1.85 PAB 1.85

-38.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.13

$2.56 PAB 2.56

-29.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-66.38%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.87

$2.69 PAB 2.69

-20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 R$53.2

$12.57 PAB 12.57

-16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R$23.22

$6.83 PAB 6.83

-32.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 R$43.27

$10.58 PAB 10.58

-19.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 R$14.53

$4.18 PAB 4.18

-31.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.83 PAB 1.83

-16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$4.20 PAB 4.20

-56.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.20

$4.03 PAB 4.03

-59.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.96

$3.48 PAB 3.48

-66.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$4.22 PAB 4.22

-73.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 R$6.78

$2.41 PAB 2.41

-44.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.03

$1.69 PAB 1.69

-17.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.62

$6.14 PAB 6.14

-59.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 R$28.59

$11.30 PAB 11.30

-50.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.42 PAB 1.42

-30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R$16.59

$2.73 PAB 2.73

19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.93

$0.33 PAB 0.33

193.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R$239

$21.23 PAB 21.23

122.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 R$6.66

$2.52 PAB 2.52

-48.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.86 PAB 1.86

-39.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 R$34.95

$21.78 PAB 21.78

-68.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.25 PAB 1.25

-13.60%

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

$23.5K R$119.2K

$21.2K PAB 21.2K

10.72%

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

$33.8K R$171.1K

$21.0K PAB 21.0K

60.58%

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

$158 R$803

$130 PAB 130

22.00%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$28.13 PAB 28.13

-56.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.05 R$107

$48.21 PAB 48.21

-56.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 R$131

$45.78 PAB 45.78

-43.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.87 R$141

$34.92 PAB 34.92

-20.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.49 R$37.95

$8.67 PAB 8.67

-13.61%

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

$188 R$955

$544 PAB 544

-65.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,726 R$34.1K

$9,697 PAB 9,697

-30.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R$279

$66.8 PAB 66.8

-17.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 R$259

$49.14 PAB 49.14

4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 R$462

$93.9 PAB 93.9

-2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 R$377

$112 PAB 112

-33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,271

$1,257 PAB 1,257

-80.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 R$774

$875 PAB 875

-82.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 R$2,261

$2,155 PAB 2,155

-79.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 R$1,117

$1,564 PAB 1,564

-85.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$970 R$4,917

$3,122 PAB 3,122

-68.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 R$2,852

$1,709 PAB 1,709

-67.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$559 R$2,833

$916 PAB 916

-38.99%

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 Serra: October 11, 2026

Last update for Panama City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Serra

$212 23.8%

Panama City

$325 17.5% 53.5% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serra

$192 21.6%

Panama City

$206 11.1% 7.5% $14

Accommodation & Living

Serra

$153 17.2%

Panama City

$875 47.2% 473% $722

Clothing & Footwear

Serra

$122 13.8%

Panama City

$145 7.8% 18.3% $22

Eating Out

Serra

$111 12.5%

Panama City

$207 11.1% 85.4% $95

Getting Around

Serra

$58 6.5%

Panama City

$34 1.9% 40.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Serra

$41 4.6%

Panama City

$63 3.4% 54.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Serra 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 64% 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 $23.00 in Serra versus $48.00 in Panama City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $325 – making Serra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Serra

🇵🇦 Panama City

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

2 h behind Serra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,653

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 18, 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 18, 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

Serra Panama City 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Serra
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

Serra vs Panama City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Panama City is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,333 per month in Serra 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 Serra, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% 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 $23.00 in Serra and $48.00 in Panama City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Serra, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Panama City at $1,855. In Serra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Panama City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Serra – 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 Serra. 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.