Living in Panama:
the plusses and minuses

Think of living in Panama, in part, as an adventure. Power may (and probably will) shut off unexpectedly more often than it does in your native land. (If you use a computer, get battery backup power that will allow you time to close all programs when the power goes off. The cost is just a few hundred dollars.)

Those living in Panama City are used to the water being shut off, often unexpectedly, sometimes for several hours. This is not Chicago or Houston or Toronto.

More compensations

For all of the occasional nuisances, living in Panama has more compensations than it has pitfalls.

There’s a fair bit of rain here but, unlike snow, it doesn’t have to be shoveled. And unlike some places, the sun shines almost every day. Only occasionally is there daylong rain. Humidity? Yes, it is more humid at or near sea level than in some places, but it is something you get used to. There are also communities that the American Association of Retired Persons and others list as having among the best climates in the world. In fact, the small community of Boquete is listed as the top retirement location in all of the Americas and one of the top five places in the world in which to retire.

Boquete, Panama, which we will explore elsewhere on this site, has an elevation of about 3,500 feet and is in a mountainous area known for its fruit, coffee and flowers which are exported to many parts of the world. Cooler here and less humid, it is the choice for many expats living in Panama.

All modern conveniences

Although a so-called developing country, Panama has all the modern conveniences, including high-speed Internet service. Panama City with its 800,000 people is ultra-modern and rivals any city of similar size in the U.S. Those living in Panama City and most places throughout the country have access to most of the things that are available in the U.S.

Costco is here. The supermarkets are filled with products from the U.S., but some of the local products are just as good and less expensive. The two major telephone companies are familiar names: Cable & Wireless and Bell South. The currency is familiar, too: the U.S. dollar. Driving is on the right hand side of the road, and you will see the same range of cars here as you would find in the U.S. or Canada; SUVs abound. I am proof that you can get along living in Panama with just English, though it will be helpful to learn Spanish as soon as you can - especially for travel off the tourist path.

Cost of living

The cost of living in Panama? Don't believe the books that say you can live here for $1,000 a month. It is possible, but not comfortable. You can, however, live well on $2,000 a month in American-style housing and eat the foods and use the products to which you are accustomed. Many Panamanians live on $300 or less per month, though I am at a loss to explain how. Accommodation can be rented for as little as $150 a month or less, but in the capital you will probably want to spend about $400 to $500.

Rents outside the capital (everywhere else is "in the interior") are less. When this was written, a five-bedroom house in Boquete Panama with two bathrooms, some furniture and security was advertised for $325 and was negotiable. It could no doubt be had for $300 or less. An exclusive penthouse in a high-rise on the water in Panama City can set you back $2,000 a month, but the cost of living in Panama does not have to be high.

Follow the links below to learn more about living in Panama. If there are questions we have not yet answered for you, just write to living-in-panama @ yourpanama.com. (If you copy and paste, please remove the spaces on either side of the @ symbol. They are there to prevent automatic e-mail address harvesting by spammers.)

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