what does it cost to build per
square meter in panamá?
move the controls and you'll see the construction cost per m² in panamá, the republic of panamá in central america, plus what the building costs to operate: the typical building, and one built to the sustainable code. the difference is paid every month, across the whole life of the building.
describe the building.
25 % is the tropical optimum; 100 % is curtain-wall
financial assumptions
default discount 6.25 % (SBP benchmark mortgage rate); tariff escalation 3 % (ASEP adjusts every 6 months).
what it costs to build.
— · USD/m² of construction
total includes ~15 % indirect costs: design, municipal permits, and legal.
excludes land, furniture/FF&E, and the 7 % ITBMS on professional services.
monthly electricity, side by side.
res v.2 · reglamento de edificación sostenible, panama’s energy-efficiency building code.
the res v.2 column applies the reductions the code targets by design; it is a regulatory goal, not measured performance.
see breakdown by end use
total monthly opex, side by side.
what it costs across its useful life.
less over the building’s life (present value), net of the upfront premium.
present value of construction plus operation over the horizon, discounted. the res v.2 column includes the upfront premium.
central figures · order-of-magnitude estimate, ±~15 % until you have a real project.
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methodology and assumptions
estimate for guidance only, not a quote. figures are derived from public 2026 data (market capex, asep tariffs, idaan blocks, ph fees, res v.2 eui baselines, and microclimate data). a real project depends on site, soil, orientation, design, and market timing. for a number you can use, let’s talk.
present value of construction plus operation over the horizon, discounted. the res v.2 column includes the upfront premium.
construction cost per m², by category.
every estimate starts from market averages and the energy-use baselines of the res v.2 sustainable-building code. lighting, plug loads and other are estimated per m² and do not depend on air-conditioning; only cooling varies with the a/c, the microclimate and the glazing ratio. the res v.2 column reduces each end use separately (cooling −40 %, lighting −30 %, plug −5 %): code design intent, not measured.