Cost of Living Comparison Between Panama and South Africa 
Sign up for free* to continue using Numbeo
Or please fill:
* Free use is limited to personal, academic and journalistic purposes only.
For commercial purposes, please obtain a Commercial License, Insights or API access
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in South Africa is 29.8% lower than in Panama (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in South Africa is 36.1% lower than in Panama | |
| Rent Prices in South Africa are 51.1% lower than in Panama | |
| Restaurant Prices in South Africa are 27.2% lower than in Panama | |
| Groceries Prices in South Africa are 42.9% lower than in Panama | |
| Local Purchasing Power in South Africa is 138.5% higher than in Panama | |
Restaurants | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
10.00 $ (186.34 R) |
8.59 $ (160.00 R) |
-14.1 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
50.00 $ (931.68 R) |
37.57 $ (700.00 R) |
-24.9 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
7.49 $ (139.57 R) |
4.83 $ (89.99 R) |
-35.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
2.00 $ (37.27 R) |
2.15 $ (40.00 R) |
+7.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
3.50 $ (65.22 R) |
2.41 $ (45.00 R) |
-31.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
3.47 $ (64.71 R) |
1.91 $ (35.56 R) |
-45.1 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
1.48 $ (27.54 R) |
0.94 $ (17.46 R) |
-36.6 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
1.22 $ (22.79 R) |
0.73 $ (13.58 R) |
-40.4 % |
Markets | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
6.85 $ (127.69 R) |
3.95 $ (73.61 R) |
-42.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
2.21 $ (41.24 R) |
0.86 $ (16.04 R) |
-61.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
1.04 $ (19.45 R) |
0.68 $ (12.74 R) |
-34.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
2.67 $ (49.72 R) |
2.17 $ (40.49 R) |
-18.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
5.31 $ (98.92 R) |
3.31 $ (61.62 R) |
-37.7 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
3.29 $ (61.35 R) |
1.99 $ (36.99 R) |
-39.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
4.08 $ (75.98 R) |
2.92 $ (54.36 R) |
-28.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
1.83 $ (34.14 R) |
0.66 $ (12.35 R) |
-63.8 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
0.60 $ (11.18 R) |
0.62 $ (11.54 R) |
+3.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
1.27 $ (23.75 R) |
0.64 $ (11.98 R) |
-49.5 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
1.33 $ (24.79 R) |
0.66 $ (12.28 R) |
-50.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
0.95 $ (17.75 R) |
0.53 $ (9.90 R) |
-44.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
1.05 $ (19.51 R) |
0.56 $ (10.52 R) |
-46.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
2.08 $ (38.67 R) |
1.00 $ (18.60 R) |
-51.9 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
1.56 $ (29.02 R) |
0.91 $ (16.93 R) |
-41.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
10.00 $ (186.34 R) |
4.56 $ (85.00 R) |
-54.4 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
1.20 $ (22.39 R) |
1.29 $ (23.97 R) |
+7.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
2.15 $ (40.00 R) |
1.65 $ (30.70 R) |
-23.3 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
5.92 $ (110.40 R) |
2.79 $ (52.00 R) |
-52.9 % |
Transportation | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
0.55 $ (10.25 R) |
1.61 $ (30.00 R) |
+192.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
25.00 $ (465.84 R) |
42.93 $ (800.00 R) |
+71.7 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
2.25 $ (41.93 R) |
1.07 $ (20.00 R) |
-52.3 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
3.22 $ (59.98 R) |
1.73 $ (32.19 R) |
-46.3 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
21.00 $ (391.31 R) |
4.56 $ (85.00 R) |
-78.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
3.51 $ (65.45 R) |
4.66 $ (86.78 R) |
+32.6 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
20,000.00 $ (372,671.50 R) |
19,856.63 $ (370,000.00 R) |
-0.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
21,464.58 $ (399,961.93 R) |
22,523.72 $ (419,697.49 R) |
+4.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
109.00 $ (2,031.12 R) |
107.65 $ (2,005.85 R) |
-1.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
29.47 $ (549.06 R) |
30.29 $ (564.47 R) |
+2.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
48.80 $ (909.29 R) |
39.45 $ (735.09 R) |
-19.2 % |
Sports And Leisure | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
52.40 $ (976.49 R) |
30.14 $ (561.62 R) |
-42.5 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
37.50 $ (698.76 R) |
9.71 $ (180.96 R) |
-74.1 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
7.00 $ (130.44 R) |
6.44 $ (120.00 R) |
-8.0 % |
Childcare | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
446.67 $ (8,323.00 R) |
183.99 $ (3,428.30 R) |
-58.8 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
10,425.00 $ (194,255.02 R) |
4,362.76 $ (81,293.82 R) |
-58.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
48.27 $ (899.38 R) |
46.80 $ (872.00 R) |
-3.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
41.15 $ (766.84 R) |
29.62 $ (551.94 R) |
-28.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
83.67 $ (1,559.01 R) |
87.77 $ (1,635.55 R) |
+4.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
110.45 $ (2,058.16 R) |
75.78 $ (1,412.01 R) |
-31.4 % |
Rent Per Month | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
920.45 $ (17,151.36 R) |
432.47 $ (8,058.38 R) |
-53.0 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
698.62 $ (13,017.80 R) |
351.79 $ (6,555.04 R) |
-49.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
1,805.53 $ (33,643.54 R) |
868.08 $ (16,175.35 R) |
-51.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
1,351.92 $ (25,191.16 R) |
685.31 $ (12,769.83 R) |
-49.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
200.90 $ (3,743.43 R) |
90.80 $ (1,691.97 R) |
-54.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
143.56 $ (2,675.09 R) |
68.64 $ (1,278.93 R) |
-52.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Panama Edit |
South Africa Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
826.28 $ (15,396.59 R) |
1,260.20 $ (23,482.11 R) |
+52.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.30 | 11.56 | +83.5 % |
| Last update: | March 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 90 | 663 |
Moving to Panama? Explore:
Other comparisons Panama vs South Africa: