Atlas by RikezasPanama City
Strengths
- Tax burden: Taxes and contributions: 11.3% of GDP (2024)
- Currency stability: Inflation of -0.2% a year (2025)
- Strength against the dollar: The currency is the US dollar itself: zero change against the dollar
Challenges
- Cost of living: One person's monthly cost (R$ 9,876) = 2.11 of the average monthly earnings (ILO) (R$ 4,678; 2025)
- Safety: 22.72 homicides per 100,000 people in the city (247 homicides in 2025 ÷ 1,086,990 people)
- Brazilian community: About 3,540 Brazilians (Jurisdiction of the Embassy in Panama City (whole country; Itamaraty, 2023)., 2023)
- Ranking position#21 of 57
- Your weightsBalanced
- Data confidence4 of 15 with 2+ sources
- UpdatedOct 22, 2026
Panama City × where you live
Compared with Manaus, Brazil.The 5 criteria
3.8
4.0
3.3
6.6
6.8
Your money there
Verified research (the number was on the cited page): 1-bedroom rent in the center, food for 1 person, transport pass, utilities for 85 m², private health insurance and 8 meals out. Sources: Rent: numbeo.com (pesquisa conferida) ↗ (Oct/2026) · Groceries: numbeo.com (pesquisa conferida) ↗ (Oct/2026) · Transport: numbeo.com (pesquisa conferida) ↗ (Oct/2026) · Health: panamarelocationtours.com (pesquisa conferida) ↗ (2025) · Utilities: numbeo.com (pesquisa conferida) ↗ (Oct/2026) · Leisure: numbeo.com (pesquisa conferida) ↗ (Oct/2026)
Taxes in Panama City
The criterion with the most weight in your scoreIncome tax
Single source dgi.mef.gob.pa (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 2026
Consumption tax
7.0% VAT. There is no intermediate reduced rate: basic foods, medicines, health, education and household water/electricity are exempt (0%). Processed foods pay 7%. Source: accounting blog (Alegra), citing the DGI.
Employee social security (sourced components): Social Security (CSS) – employee contribution 9.75%.
Top income tax rate
This is the top bracket. Yours depends on income; the calculator comes in the next release.
How to move there
Paths for a BrazilianPermanent Resident Permit as Retiree/Pensioner
Retiree with a lifetime pension of at least B/.1,000 per month (B/.750 if owning property above B/.100,000); applied for through an attorney. Minimum income: US$ 1,000/month.
Single sourcePermanent Resident Permit as Retiree/Pensioner
Lifetime pension from a government, international body or private company of at least US$1,000/month (US$750 if you buy property above US$100,000); permanent residence. Minimum income: US$ 1,000/month.
Single sourceShort-Stay Visa for Remote Workers
Digital nomad with foreign-source income of at least US$36,000/year (about US$3,000/month) and international health insurance; valid 9 months, extendable 9 more; does not lead to residency. Minimum income: US$ 3,000/month.
Single sourceProvisional Residence Permit – Nationals of Specific (Friendly) Countries
2-year provisional residence (later permanent) for nationals of friendly countries, based on a job, US$200,000 property or US$200,000 fixed deposit; proof of income of at least US$1,000/month (+US$100 per dependent) where dependents are included. Minimum income: US$ 1,000/month.
Single sourceAll the data
15 sub-criteria, each with a source, date and confidence badgeFinancial environmentweight 30%
5.83›
OCDE (Global Revenue Statistics, receita tributária em % do PIB) ↗, 202410
numbeo.com (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 2026-10 × OIT/ILOSTAT (salário médio mensal dos empregados) ↗, 20251
Banco Mundial ↗, 20255
BIS (taxa básica do banco central, % a.a.; taxa do Fed: o Panamá é dolarizado) ↗, 2026-10-20 × Banco Mundial ↗, 2025 × federalreserve.gov (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 2026-09-168
Stability and safetyweight 25%
6.20›
embassyofpanama.org (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 2026 × panamadigital.gob.pa (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 20268
Banco Mundial ↗, 20256
siec.minseg.gob.pa (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 2025 × inec.gob.pa (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 20233
Currency strengthweight 20%
9.00›
Banco Mundial ↗, 2025 × FMI (World Economic Outlook) ↗, 202510
Moeda oficial: dólar dos EUA, 20269
Quality of lifeweight 15%
7.40›
Banco Mundial ↗, 2024 × OMS (Global Health Observatory, esperança de vida ao nascer) ↗, 20237
World Happiness Report 2026 (avaliação de vida de 0 a 10, média de 3 anos) ↗, 2023–2025 × happierlivesinstitute.org (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 20267
Open-Meteo (qualidade do ar, modelo CAMS; média horária de PM2,5) ↗, 2025-10-22–2026-10-219
Cultural integrationweight 10%
6.40›
mledoze/countries (idiomas oficiais, base aberta) ↗, 20268
static.poder360.com.br (pesquisa conferida) ↗, 20234
Score over 2026
6.85 · History starts on Oct 22, 2026: every data update adds a new point.
Where the data comes from
- Official sources (APIs)1
- International organisations9
- AI with checked link8
- Atlas users0
- Own analysis0
Questions about Panama City
With the numbers on this pageHow much does it cost to live in Panama City?
For one person, about US$ 1,960 a month, of which US$ 1,305 is rent. It includes groceries, transport, health, utilities and leisure; each part's source is in the cost-of-living section.
What is the average wage in Panama City?
US$ 929 a month (average monthly earnings (ILO), 2025), about US$ 928. One person's cost of living equals 211% of that wage.
How much tax do you pay in Panama City?
The top income tax rate is 25%. For an income of US$ 1,453 a month, income tax and social security take about 15% and, adding taxes on purchases, that is 65 days a year working for taxes.
Is Panama City safe?
22.72 homicides per 100,000 people in the city (247 homicides in 2025 ÷ 1,086,990 people). On Atlas, personal safety scores 3 out of 10.
Do Brazilians need a visa for Panama City?
For tourism: 90 days visa-free. To live there, the most common routes are in the "How to live there" section.
What is Panama City's score on Rikezas Atlas?
6.85 out of 10 with the Balanced weights, #21 of 57 places, with 15 of 15 sub-criteria sourced.
See Panama City with YOUR numbers
Connect your Rikezas account: your real spending, your financial independence year there, and your taxes here × there.