How much does it cost for a housekeeper or maid in Panama?
Judith Tovar - Easy Travel Panama
Finding a "full time" housekeeper/maid in Panama is not as easy as it used to be some years ago.
What "is" much easier to find..is somebody that comes to your house once or twice a week to clean, do your wash, etc. You can still find this without much of a problem...for a very good price.
You can pay $25 "a day" for a good maid to come to your house a couple days a week.
Finding a "full time" housekeeper/maid in Panama is not as easy as it used to be some years ago.
What "is" much easier to find..is somebody that comes to your house once or twice a week to clean, do your wash, etc. You can still find this without much of a problem...for a very good price.
You can pay $25 "a day" for a good maid to come to your house a couple days a week.
Posted April 8, 2013
Roy Cannon - Gestoria Cocle - main office in Penoneme
Live in domestic help work 6 days a week, normally only half day on Saturday, and in addition to their meals have a minimum wage that is determined by location. In the major city areas this is $200 per month, in outlying areas $175. In the city it is not easy to find good help for this minimum wage, it is somewhat easier out of the city. In addition to the actual wage cost you have to consider that there are extras such as vacation time and an extra month salary as a...
Live in domestic help work 6 days a week, normally only half day on Saturday, and in addition to their meals have a minimum wage that is determined by location. In the major city areas this is $200 per month, in outlying areas $175. In the city it is not easy to find good help for this minimum wage, it is somewhat easier out of the city. In addition to the actual wage cost you have to consider that there are extras such as vacation time and an extra month salary as a bonus, divided into three payments in April, August and December. All domestic help that works more than 3 days a week MUST be declared to the Social Security department and social security will be payable by you, the employer, monthly to the Caja de Seguro Social = CSS. In round number terms this will be around $50 - 60 a month averaged out over the year. It is highly recommended that you get an employment contract signed by your domestic help to avoid potential labor complaints by the employee that could be costly and time consuming, better to be safe than sorry, it happens.
Having a good employee is a pleasure and will be a great help in learning or improving your Spanish.
Posted April 10, 2013
Lucia Haines - Panama Realtor Inc.
Minimum wage for full-time domestic help starts at 200 USD per month in Region 1 which is generally comprised of the more urban areas including:
- Panama City
- Colon
- San Miguelito
- David
- Santiago
- Chitre
- Aguadulce
- Penonome
- Chorrera/Arraijan
- Capira
- Chame
- Anton
- Bocas del Toro
- Bugaba
- Boquete
- Las Tablas
- Nata
...
Minimum wage for full-time domestic help starts at 200 USD per month in Region 1 which is generally comprised of the more urban areas including:
- Panama City
- Colon
- San Miguelito
- David
- Santiago
- Chitre
- Aguadulce
- Penonome
- Chorrera/Arraijan
- Capira
- Chame
- Anton
- Bocas del Toro
- Bugaba
- Boquete
- Las Tablas
- Nata
For region 2, which is made up the rest of the areas of Panama not mentioned above, minimum wage for full time domestic help is 175 USD per month.
Despite the outlined minimum wages, most people end up paying closer to 250-300 USD per month for good, full-time domestic help.
In addition to base salary, employers must also consider the following expenses which total 36-40% of the base salary:
- Social security.
- Vacations (for every 11 months worked, employees are entitled to 1 month of paid vacation).
- "Decimo Tercer" or "13th month." Decimo Tercer is equivalent to approximately 1/3 of the employees monthly salary. This is paid 3 times per year in the months of April, August and December.
Posted October 18, 2013
Reginald Flagg - Magnolia Inn
Our new friends tell me it is hard to find a good housekeeper or maid but, if you can, the cost will be in the neighborhood of $400 to $500 a month.
Our new friends tell me it is hard to find a good housekeeper or maid but, if you can, the cost will be in the neighborhood of $400 to $500 a month.
Posted November 28, 2013
Lourdes Townshend
In Panamá, as well as other countries especially in Latin America, house service used to be $50 a month, including washing, ironing, taking care of children, washing your windows...and even taking care of your pets. It was very normal that girls from the "country" would come and stay with a family in town and go to school, or simply, learn new things, and do some in-house help, while they learned.
More recently, this service has...
In Panamá, as well as other countries especially in Latin America, house service used to be $50 a month, including washing, ironing, taking care of children, washing your windows...and even taking care of your pets. It was very normal that girls from the "country" would come and stay with a family in town and go to school, or simply, learn new things, and do some in-house help, while they learned.
More recently, this service has become more and more sophisticated, due to many factors, including the increase in the cost of living; the arrival of so many foreign residents; globalization, many foreign laborers seeking work in Panamá; Panamá becoming more and more modern, especially in the main towns and cities; and new education and labor programs being implemented.
In these days, is not easy to find a reliable person. They all want a "big" salary and benefits, and less and less working hours. And have found that working by the hour is very productive for them. This hourly wage runs from $10 to $30, depending on the place and family needs and requirements. The higher hourly rate used to be only in the city, but as very exclusive resorts and hotels have opened in the "interior", service has been extended to these towns and cities, once called "secondary cities", but now are almost equal to the main city (Panamá City) with all kinds for facilities and glamor , and where famous celebrities are building their homes.
Panamá has very strict labor laws, and a person hiring domestic service has to be very careful when making some kind of arrangement, as they are very creative. Get references and legal documents. Some potential help are illegal and doesn´t have work permit, so hiring them can get you into a problem.
If you can, get one original from the "interior". They can be easily taught simple things, and are more likely to follow "your" way, as they are just beginning to learn modern life. Panamanians are a very warm and easy going people, and they are always willing to help everybody. They even will bring gifts from their house like a chicken or vegetables, and invite you to share with their families, even though they, most probably, are not able to communicate with you at first.
Overall, a general monthly salary for a maid could go from $200 up to $900, based on individual agreements and needs. Always get the facts about labor laws first. The Social Security payment is important (in Panamá, this is the usual medical insurance as well as retirement) for your safety, as if they get sick, everything will be covered, even a pregnancy, which in Panamá is a paid 3 month off by law.. (and are planning to raise it to 6 months). Also, you cannot fire a housekeeper while they are pregnant; otherwise, you have to cover it all. (Most people aren't very much aware of that.)
The term "housekeeper" is not very well known here....as many Panamanian ladies take care of their households, and simply have cleaning or cooking help.
Posted November 29, 2013
Barbara Socarraz
I live in David and the average cost is $20 for someone to come in and clean your house.
I live in David and the average cost is $20 for someone to come in and clean your house.
Posted December 3, 2013
Penny Barrett - Fundacion Bid 4 Bouquete
I believe the cost for a maid or housekeeper in Panama depends on how many days a week (or month) you have this person come in to clean your house and whether you pay social security on them.
In my case, I have my house cleaner come only one day a month (approximately 7 hours) and I pay her $22. This is more than I would pay if I used her more frequently or if I paid social security on her. I give her lunch and at the end of the day I drive her to the bus...
I believe the cost for a maid or housekeeper in Panama depends on how many days a week (or month) you have this person come in to clean your house and whether you pay social security on them.
In my case, I have my house cleaner come only one day a month (approximately 7 hours) and I pay her $22. This is more than I would pay if I used her more frequently or if I paid social security on her. I give her lunch and at the end of the day I drive her to the bus terminal.
Posted December 11, 2013
Vannessa Solano
The cost to get a maid or housekeeper in Panama is cheap compared to the cost in the US. In the US, you would probably pay US $50 per day but here in Panama, you will pay $400 per month for a housekeeper who will clean your house, cook, wash your clothes, and do other tasks that you may want to delegate.
You can choose for the maid to stay-in during the week or to just come over every day. Some maids prefer to stay-in because that way, they can save money on transportation...
The cost to get a maid or housekeeper in Panama is cheap compared to the cost in the US. In the US, you would probably pay US $50 per day but here in Panama, you will pay $400 per month for a housekeeper who will clean your house, cook, wash your clothes, and do other tasks that you may want to delegate.
You can choose for the maid to stay-in during the week or to just come over every day. Some maids prefer to stay-in because that way, they can save money on transportation costs. Some prefer to go home at the end of each day because they want to go home to their families. Either way, they will charge you the same amount because they have the same tasks.
Posted October 7, 2014
Terry Bradford
The cost for a housekeeper or maid in Panama is around US $11 to $20 per day, depending on how far she has to come. Some maids come from the interior (countryside), which may be a 2 or 3 hour bus ride and then they take a taxi to the house that they will be cleaning. That is why it is also important that you have prepared some food that they like just to make sure they have something to eat when they arrive in case they have not eaten before they left.
We had a maid for three...
The cost for a housekeeper or maid in Panama is around US $11 to $20 per day, depending on how far she has to come. Some maids come from the interior (countryside), which may be a 2 or 3 hour bus ride and then they take a taxi to the house that they will be cleaning. That is why it is also important that you have prepared some food that they like just to make sure they have something to eat when they arrive in case they have not eaten before they left.
We had a maid for three years named Dolly. She used to work at a restaurant so when she made large salads, they were very artistic. What I did was take photos of the salads and print them out. I put the photos on the refrigerator because I call them "her artwork." She was a great cook. She also cleaned for us. After about a year, we asked her to sit down with us and she told us that nobody has ever asked her to sit down at the same table as her employers before. We treated her as if she was part of our family and this is how we treat people. In a few cases, when she worked late, we even took her out to dinner and had a glass of wine. She helped me with my Spanish and I helped her with her English. We miss her a lot.
We had an apartment that was about 2,100 square feet and it costs us around $20 per day, per maid. It was worth it because they are very thorough and they work hard.
Posted October 9, 2014
Antonio Cheng - Romero Realty
The cost to have a housekeeper in Panama City all depends on whether the housekeeper stays in your house or not. If you get a full time, stay-in housekeeper, the price range is from US $400 to $450 per month, but some people pay more. If you will have the maid just come in every day adn not live with you, the price range is from $300 to $350 per month. The maids usually work five days a week for eight hours, and some even work half-day on Saturdays. You can also have a...
The cost to have a housekeeper in Panama City all depends on whether the housekeeper stays in your house or not. If you get a full time, stay-in housekeeper, the price range is from US $400 to $450 per month, but some people pay more. If you will have the maid just come in every day adn not live with you, the price range is from $300 to $350 per month. The maids usually work five days a week for eight hours, and some even work half-day on Saturdays. You can also have a housekeeper come to your house for a day and the rate is around $35 to $45 per day.
The cost to have a housekeeper in the country or in places outside of Panama City could be less, because the cost of living in other areas of the country of Panama is lower.
Posted November 3, 2014
Michael A. Martinez - B & B Real Estate Nicaragua / Panama Real Estate Information
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A nanny here in western Azuero is cheaper than a nanny in Panama City. Nannies in Panama City are probably getting US $500 per month, whereas here, you could probably find a young mother who can take care of two kids for $200 a month. A nanny here in western Azuero is cheaper than a nanny in Panama City. Nannies in Panama City are probably getting US $500 per month, whereas here, you could probably find a young mother who can take care of two kids for $200 a month. Posted February 1, 2015
Jonathan Stolarz - COSTA LINDA RESIDENCE CLUB
A full-time, live-in housekeeper in Panama costs US $550. You house them and feed them and they will work 6 days a week. They can also take care of your kids. You may also opt to get a housekeeper whom you can hire on a per day basis. This will cost around $15 to $20 and the housekeeper will work for 6 to 8 hours a day.
The housekeepers here come from Nicaragua, Columbia, and sometimes Panama. Most of...
A full-time, live-in housekeeper in Panama costs US $550. You house them and feed them and they will work 6 days a week. They can also take care of your kids. You may also opt to get a housekeeper whom you can hire on a per day basis. This will cost around $15 to $20 and the housekeeper will work for 6 to 8 hours a day.
The housekeepers here come from Nicaragua, Columbia, and sometimes Panama. Most of them do a good job, but in my experience, the best and most hardworking housekeepers are from Columbia.
(Condo towers in Panama City, Panama, pictured.)
Posted July 23, 2015
Roger Imerman
What's missing from these very good answers is to not overpay help. Labor rates are set by the Ministry of Labor for each type of work in each area of the country. This rate is determined by surveying the rates paid. The following consequences may happen if you overpay: - Labor rate is increased, making that type of help unaffordable for people currently using them. This particularly applies to Panamanian residents who, for example, have a maid but now can't afford one...
What's missing from these very good answers is to not overpay help. Labor rates are set by the Ministry of Labor for each type of work in each area of the country. This rate is determined by surveying the rates paid. The following consequences may happen if you overpay: - Labor rate is increased, making that type of help unaffordable for people currently using them. This particularly applies to Panamanian residents who, for example, have a maid but now can't afford one because the gringos pay too much.
- Social upheaval, including suicide, of Panamanians because now their uneducated spouse makes more than the college educated breadwinner (this has happened).
As mentioned by others, labor rates vary widely between the Panama City area and the rest of the country. In Boquete I pay my maid $15/day and she comes once/week. Her husband works for me too, so I pay SS for him, which covers her and his family.
(Pirate Henry Morgan sacking Panama, pictured.)
Posted August 26, 2015
Neil Flemming - VaultMax Global Inc
I have a housekeeper in Panama City. I don’t want her living in. I like the privacy. I don’t need her there anyway because it’s just my partner and me. A good housekeeper in Panama City will cost you about US $25, to $30 a day. That’s when they come in just for a couple of days a week.If you’re talking about live-in, then you can get one of the country girls in Panama to come down and live with you in a maid’s quarters. Room and board plus a...
I have a housekeeper in Panama City. I don’t want her living in. I like the privacy. I don’t need her there anyway because it’s just my partner and me. A good housekeeper in Panama City will cost you about US $25, to $30 a day. That’s when they come in just for a couple of days a week.If you’re talking about live-in, then you can get one of the country girls in Panama to come down and live with you in a maid’s quarters. Room and board plus a couple of hundred dollars a month is the going rate.
(Countryside of Veraguras Province, Panama, pictured.)
Posted November 5, 2015