Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama and South Africa 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in South Africa is 29.9% lower than in Panama (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in South Africa is 36.0% lower than in Panama | |
| Rent Prices in South Africa are 50.7% lower than in Panama | |
| Restaurant Prices in South Africa are 27.4% lower than in Panama | |
| Groceries Prices in South Africa are 43.0% lower than in Panama | |
| Local Purchasing Power in South Africa is 137.8% higher than in Panama | |
Restaurants | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
10.00 $ (186.89 R) |
8.56 $ (160.00 R) |
-14.4 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
50.00 $ (934.43 R) |
37.46 $ (700.00 R) |
-25.1 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
7.49 $ (139.98 R) |
4.82 $ (90.00 R) |
-35.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
2.00 $ (37.38 R) |
2.14 $ (40.00 R) |
+7.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
3.50 $ (65.41 R) |
2.41 $ (45.00 R) |
-31.2 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
3.47 $ (64.90 R) |
1.91 $ (35.79 R) |
-44.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
1.48 $ (27.62 R) |
0.94 $ (17.58 R) |
-36.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
1.22 $ (22.86 R) |
0.73 $ (13.64 R) |
-40.3 % |
Markets | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
6.85 $ (128.06 R) |
3.94 $ (73.68 R) |
-42.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
2.21 $ (41.36 R) |
0.86 $ (16.08 R) |
-61.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
1.04 $ (19.50 R) |
0.68 $ (12.79 R) |
-34.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
2.67 $ (49.87 R) |
2.17 $ (40.63 R) |
-18.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
5.31 $ (99.22 R) |
3.31 $ (61.77 R) |
-37.7 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
3.29 $ (61.53 R) |
1.98 $ (37.05 R) |
-39.8 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
4.08 $ (76.21 R) |
2.92 $ (54.56 R) |
-28.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
1.83 $ (34.24 R) |
0.66 $ (12.35 R) |
-63.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
0.60 $ (11.22 R) |
0.62 $ (11.54 R) |
+2.9 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
1.27 $ (23.82 R) |
0.64 $ (11.98 R) |
-49.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
1.33 $ (24.86 R) |
0.66 $ (12.31 R) |
-50.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
0.95 $ (17.81 R) |
0.53 $ (9.93 R) |
-44.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
1.05 $ (19.56 R) |
0.56 $ (10.50 R) |
-46.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
2.08 $ (38.78 R) |
1.00 $ (18.63 R) |
-52.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
1.56 $ (29.11 R) |
0.91 $ (16.93 R) |
-41.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
10.00 $ (186.89 R) |
4.55 $ (85.00 R) |
-54.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
1.20 $ (22.46 R) |
1.28 $ (23.84 R) |
+6.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
2.15 $ (40.12 R) |
1.63 $ (30.53 R) |
-23.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
5.92 $ (110.73 R) |
2.78 $ (52.00 R) |
-53.0 % |
Transportation | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
0.55 $ (10.28 R) |
1.61 $ (30.00 R) |
+191.9 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
25.00 $ (467.21 R) |
42.81 $ (800.00 R) |
+71.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
2.25 $ (42.05 R) |
1.07 $ (20.00 R) |
-52.4 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
3.22 $ (60.15 R) |
1.72 $ (32.19 R) |
-46.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
21.00 $ (392.46 R) |
4.55 $ (85.00 R) |
-78.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
3.51 $ (65.64 R) |
4.64 $ (86.68 R) |
+32.0 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
20,000.00 $ (373,770.90 R) |
19,798.22 $ (370,000.00 R) |
-1.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
21,464.58 $ (401,141.84 R) |
22,573.11 $ (421,858.58 R) |
+5.2 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
109.00 $ (2,037.11 R) |
107.33 $ (2,005.75 R) |
-1.5 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
29.47 $ (550.68 R) |
30.42 $ (568.56 R) |
+3.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
48.80 $ (911.97 R) |
39.27 $ (733.92 R) |
-19.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
52.30 $ (977.50 R) |
30.22 $ (564.78 R) |
-42.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
37.50 $ (700.82 R) |
9.50 $ (177.53 R) |
-74.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
7.00 $ (130.82 R) |
6.42 $ (120.00 R) |
-8.3 % |
Childcare | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
446.67 $ (8,347.55 R) |
182.86 $ (3,417.32 R) |
-59.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
10,425.00 $ (194,828.08 R) |
4,322.09 $ (80,773.66 R) |
-58.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
48.27 $ (902.03 R) |
46.83 $ (875.17 R) |
-3.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
41.15 $ (769.11 R) |
29.52 $ (551.60 R) |
-28.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
83.67 $ (1,563.61 R) |
87.88 $ (1,642.40 R) |
+5.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
110.45 $ (2,064.23 R) |
75.90 $ (1,418.43 R) |
-31.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
920.45 $ (17,201.96 R) |
435.61 $ (8,140.90 R) |
-52.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
698.62 $ (13,056.20 R) |
352.21 $ (6,582.34 R) |
-49.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
1,805.53 $ (33,742.79 R) |
868.82 $ (16,237.06 R) |
-51.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
1,330.00 $ (24,855.76 R) |
686.98 $ (12,838.67 R) |
-48.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
200.90 $ (3,754.47 R) |
92.08 $ (1,720.85 R) |
-54.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
143.56 $ (2,682.98 R) |
69.14 $ (1,292.20 R) |
-51.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
826.28 $ (15,442.01 R) |
1,257.72 $ (23,504.88 R) |
+52.2 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.30 | 11.55 | +83.3 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 91 | 685 |
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