Moving to Australia from Panama
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Panama to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Panama to Australia, you would find that Australia is 57.3% more expensive than Panama overall. A PAB75,000 salary in Panama would need to be roughly A$169,000 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 93°F in Panama City, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Panama to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
PAB75,000 → A$169,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 71.8% more
Groceries
pay 11.4% more
Transportation
pay 54.4% more
Housing
pay 64.0% more
Childcare
pay 3.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 97.4% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Get free moving quotes to Australia
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Panama to Australia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
163.289
Panama
Key Indicator Comparison
How Panama and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs significantly better than Panama across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Panama generally does better on environment, though Australia leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though Panama leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Panama leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs significantly better than Panama across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), General Directorate of Revenues, Panama (2016), Australian Taxation Office (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Panama City | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Panama City | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Panama and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Panama passport holder visiting Australia
Visa Required
Australia passport holder visiting Panama
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Panama?
Day-to-day costs in Australia run about 57% higher than Panama on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a PAB75,000 comparable salary, that's around A$42,250 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
With 36.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Australia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Panama and Australia.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Australia performs significantly better than Panama across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.7 in Panama.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Panama?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 16.2 in Panama. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Panama: 78).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Panama?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 93°F in Panama City. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Panama City gets 75.1 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Panama, the official language is Spanish.
