Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Panama 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Panama is 39.9% higher than in South Africa (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Panama is 53.2% higher than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Panama are 98.6% higher than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Panama are 34.9% higher than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Panama are 71.7% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Panama is 57.9% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (8.76 $) |
182.74 R (10.00 $) |
+14.2 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (38.30 $) |
913.72 R (50.00 $) |
+30.5 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
89.50 R (4.90 $) |
136.88 R (7.49 $) |
+52.9 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (2.19 $) |
36.55 R (2.00 $) |
-8.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (2.46 $) |
63.96 R (3.50 $) |
+42.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.50 R (1.94 $) |
63.46 R (3.47 $) |
+78.8 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.49 R (0.96 $) |
27.01 R (1.48 $) |
+54.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.69 R (0.75 $) |
22.62 R (1.24 $) |
+65.2 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.55 R (4.02 $) |
125.41 R (6.86 $) |
+70.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.03 R (0.88 $) |
40.19 R (2.20 $) |
+150.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.71 R (0.70 $) |
19.71 R (1.08 $) |
+55.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.55 R (2.22 $) |
49.00 R (2.68 $) |
+20.8 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.36 R (3.36 $) |
97.02 R (5.31 $) |
+58.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
37.16 R (2.03 $) |
59.51 R (3.26 $) |
+60.2 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.31 R (2.97 $) |
75.22 R (4.12 $) |
+38.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (0.68 $) |
32.18 R (1.76 $) |
+160.6 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.49 R (0.63 $) |
11.25 R (0.62 $) |
-2.1 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.87 R (0.65 $) |
22.73 R (1.24 $) |
+91.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.22 R (0.67 $) |
24.34 R (1.33 $) |
+99.3 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.88 R (0.54 $) |
17.37 R (0.95 $) |
+75.7 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.50 R (0.57 $) |
19.95 R (1.09 $) |
+90.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.53 R (1.01 $) |
37.87 R (2.07 $) |
+104.4 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.97 R (0.93 $) |
29.28 R (1.60 $) |
+72.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (4.65 $) |
182.74 R (10.00 $) |
+115.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.77 R (1.30 $) |
21.96 R (1.20 $) |
-7.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.40 R (1.66 $) |
40.92 R (2.24 $) |
+34.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (2.85 $) |
106.91 R (5.85 $) |
+105.6 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
28.50 R (1.56 $) |
10.96 R (0.60 $) |
-61.5 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (43.78 $) |
456.86 R (25.00 $) |
-42.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (1.09 $) |
41.12 R (2.25 $) |
+105.6 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
30.58 R (1.67 $) |
58.82 R (3.22 $) |
+92.4 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (4.65 $) |
383.76 R (21.00 $) |
+351.5 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.89 R (4.75 $) |
64.19 R (3.51 $) |
-26.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (20,246.90 $) |
365,488.00 R (20,000.00 $) |
-1.2 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
418,554.48 R (22,903.87 $) |
392,252.39 R (21,464.58 $) |
-6.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,031.25 R (111.15 $) |
1,991.97 R (109.00 $) |
-1.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
564.43 R (30.89 $) |
538.47 R (29.47 $) |
-4.6 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
733.03 R (40.11 $) |
892.63 R (48.85 $) |
+21.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
566.65 R (31.01 $) |
957.67 R (52.40 $) |
+69.0 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
178.78 R (9.78 $) |
685.29 R (37.50 $) |
+283.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (6.57 $) |
127.92 R (7.00 $) |
+6.6 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,412.32 R (186.73 $) |
8,162.57 R (446.67 $) |
+139.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
80,889.74 R (4,426.40 $) |
190,510.62 R (10,425.00 $) |
+135.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
867.96 R (47.50 $) |
882.04 R (48.27 $) |
+1.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
550.90 R (30.15 $) |
752.06 R (41.15 $) |
+36.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,627.75 R (89.07 $) |
1,528.96 R (83.67 $) |
-6.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,398.05 R (76.50 $) |
2,018.49 R (110.45 $) |
+44.4 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,148.23 R (445.88 $) |
16,863.51 R (922.79 $) |
+107.0 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,570.10 R (359.52 $) |
13,050.44 R (714.14 $) |
+98.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,127.89 R (882.54 $) |
32,048.58 R (1,753.74 $) |
+98.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,764.89 R (698.51 $) |
24,670.44 R (1,350.00 $) |
+93.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,689.51 R (92.45 $) |
3,769.67 R (206.28 $) |
+123.1 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,270.21 R (69.51 $) |
2,623.53 R (143.56 $) |
+106.5 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Panama Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,444.76 R (1,282.93 $) |
15,099.81 R (826.28 $) |
-35.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.56 | 6.30 | -45.5 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | March 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 666 | 90 |
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