Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Panama 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Panama is 42.6% higher than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Panama is 56.2% higher than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Panama are 102.9% higher than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Panama are 37.7% higher than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Panama are 75.5% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Panama is 58.0% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (8.56 $) |
186.89 R (10.00 $) |
+16.8 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (37.46 $) |
934.43 R (50.00 $) |
+33.5 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
90.00 R (4.82 $) |
139.98 R (7.49 $) |
+55.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (2.14 $) |
37.38 R (2.00 $) |
-6.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (2.41 $) |
65.41 R (3.50 $) |
+45.4 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.79 R (1.91 $) |
64.90 R (3.47 $) |
+81.4 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.58 R (0.94 $) |
27.62 R (1.48 $) |
+57.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.64 R (0.73 $) |
22.86 R (1.22 $) |
+67.6 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.68 R (3.94 $) |
128.06 R (6.85 $) |
+73.8 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.08 R (0.86 $) |
41.36 R (2.21 $) |
+157.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.79 R (0.68 $) |
19.50 R (1.04 $) |
+52.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.63 R (2.17 $) |
49.87 R (2.67 $) |
+22.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.77 R (3.31 $) |
99.22 R (5.31 $) |
+60.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
37.05 R (1.98 $) |
61.53 R (3.29 $) |
+66.1 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.56 R (2.92 $) |
76.21 R (4.08 $) |
+39.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (0.66 $) |
34.24 R (1.83 $) |
+177.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (0.62 $) |
11.22 R (0.60 $) |
-2.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (0.64 $) |
23.82 R (1.27 $) |
+98.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.31 R (0.66 $) |
24.86 R (1.33 $) |
+101.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.93 R (0.53 $) |
17.81 R (0.95 $) |
+79.3 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.50 R (0.56 $) |
19.56 R (1.05 $) |
+86.2 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.63 R (1.00 $) |
38.78 R (2.08 $) |
+108.2 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (0.91 $) |
29.11 R (1.56 $) |
+71.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (4.55 $) |
186.89 R (10.00 $) |
+119.9 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.84 R (1.28 $) |
22.46 R (1.20 $) |
-5.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.53 R (1.63 $) |
40.12 R (2.15 $) |
+31.4 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (2.78 $) |
110.73 R (5.92 $) |
+112.9 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (1.61 $) |
10.28 R (0.55 $) |
-65.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (42.81 $) |
467.21 R (25.00 $) |
-41.6 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (1.07 $) |
42.05 R (2.25 $) |
+110.2 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (1.72 $) |
60.15 R (3.22 $) |
+86.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (4.55 $) |
392.46 R (21.00 $) |
+361.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.68 R (4.64 $) |
65.64 R (3.51 $) |
-24.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (19,798.22 $) |
373,770.90 R (20,000.00 $) |
+1.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
421,858.58 R (22,573.11 $) |
401,141.84 R (21,464.58 $) |
-4.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,005.75 R (107.33 $) |
2,037.11 R (109.00 $) |
+1.6 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
568.56 R (30.42 $) |
550.68 R (29.47 $) |
-3.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
733.92 R (39.27 $) |
911.97 R (48.80 $) |
+24.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
564.78 R (30.22 $) |
977.50 R (52.30 $) |
+73.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
177.53 R (9.50 $) |
700.82 R (37.50 $) |
+294.8 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (6.42 $) |
130.82 R (7.00 $) |
+9.0 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,417.32 R (182.86 $) |
8,347.55 R (446.67 $) |
+144.3 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
80,773.66 R (4,322.09 $) |
194,828.08 R (10,425.00 $) |
+141.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
875.17 R (46.83 $) |
902.03 R (48.27 $) |
+3.1 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.60 R (29.52 $) |
769.11 R (41.15 $) |
+39.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,642.40 R (87.88 $) |
1,563.61 R (83.67 $) |
-4.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,418.43 R (75.90 $) |
2,064.23 R (110.45 $) |
+45.5 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,140.90 R (435.61 $) |
17,201.96 R (920.45 $) |
+111.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,582.34 R (352.21 $) |
13,056.20 R (698.62 $) |
+98.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,237.06 R (868.82 $) |
33,742.79 R (1,805.53 $) |
+107.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,838.67 R (686.98 $) |
24,855.76 R (1,330.00 $) |
+93.6 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,720.85 R (92.08 $) |
3,754.47 R (200.90 $) |
+118.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,292.20 R (69.14 $) |
2,682.98 R (143.56 $) |
+107.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,504.88 R (1,257.72 $) |
15,442.01 R (826.28 $) |
-34.3 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.55 | 6.30 | -45.4 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 685 | 91 |
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