How's the standard of living in Panama?
Renate Jope - Panama Premium Real Estate
The standard of living in Panama is very diverse.
There are many very rich folks in this country and a pretty solid middle class, and a lower class that is doing much better since the economy is booming, and has for some years now.
The standard of living in Panama has therefore risen as there is no shortage of work.
In fact there is a shortage of "experts" in Panama and anyone with special skills has no...
The standard of living in Panama is very diverse.
There are many very rich folks in this country and a pretty solid middle class, and a lower class that is doing much better since the economy is booming, and has for some years now.
The standard of living in Panama has therefore risen as there is no shortage of work.
In fact there is a shortage of "experts" in Panama and anyone with special skills has no problem finding work here.
With the higher standard of living and relatively inexpensive cars to be purchased, many people that never owned a car before, now drive daily.
A lot of the indigenous people of Panama live somewhat in poverty (although there is enough to eat) and work hard daily labor jobs.
Posted April 8, 2013
Paul McBride - Inside Panama Real Estate
The standard of living in Panama is best measured as a comparison of the average cost of living in Panama versus other places in the world. Fortunately, statistics covering things like rent, food, transportation, utilities and entertainment are readily available on the Internet and gives you a fairly good idea of how much it costs, and consequently, what the standard of living is like for an expat in Panama.
Since most cost-of-living comparisons use...
The standard of living in Panama is best measured as a comparison of the average cost of living in Panama versus other places in the world. Fortunately, statistics covering things like rent, food, transportation, utilities and entertainment are readily available on the Internet and gives you a fairly good idea of how much it costs, and consequently, what the standard of living is like for an expat in Panama.
Since most cost-of-living comparisons use the cost of living in one city against the costs in another, it’s important to note the two cities being compared. For example, one of the most well documented cost of living comparisons measures the cost of living in New York City against other major cities around the world including Panama City.
In this particular case, the cost of living in Panama City is, on average, just about 60% less than the cost of living in New York City. Housing is just 30% of the cost of New York City, groceries are 40% less in Panama City and entertainment is 60% less than in New York City. So, clearly, it’s cheap to live in Panama City compared to New York City.
However, we have to take into consideration that New York City is one of the most expensive places in the world to live. Chances are that where you live now is much less expensive than living in New York City. So, for these cost of living examples to have value to you, you have to take into consideration how much less expensive it is to live where you are versus living in New York City.
Taking all of this into account, my experience with expats moving to Panama from across the world shows that the average person will spend about 30% less living in Boquete (a bit more if they live at the beach or in Panama City) than where they were previously living. Almost all expats I speak with tell me the same story – they could never afford the quality of lifestyle they enjoy in Boquete if they continued to live in their home country.
Posted July 28, 2014
Sieg Pedde - Helix Courier Limited
The standard of living in Panama is pretty much okay. People can live there very well for very little money. However, the natives and most particularly the indigenous people of course, have a long way to go to get to the middle class, which is what everybody generally aspires to. With so much opportunity in Panama brought by the ongoing boom of the economy, the standard of living of every successive of generation is getting better.
On average, expats have...
The standard of living in Panama is pretty much okay. People can live there very well for very little money. However, the natives and most particularly the indigenous people of course, have a long way to go to get to the middle class, which is what everybody generally aspires to. With so much opportunity in Panama brought by the ongoing boom of the economy, the standard of living of every successive of generation is getting better.
On average, expats have more money than many of the locals do. That’s why the expats have a good lifestyle. If you have a reasonably good income, let’s say (for the sake of argument) US $2,000 a month, you can live very well on that and do various activities with your family. In areas like Boquete, for example, there’s a community theater, new construction of amenities and other activities you can engage in.
Interestingly, there are hundreds of expats in Panama and most of them are English speakers. Most of these expats live in communities that are geared for expats. Others live in local Panamanian areas because they want to mingle with the locals rather than just living near other fellow expats. Although the homes might not be quite as large in these Panamanian areas, what’s important is that the expats are safe. All in all, the people’s standard of living in Panama really depends on how much you can afford financially.
Posted September 1, 2014
Jose Broce - Broce-Pinilla & Asociados
In Panama, if you work smart, you will get almost whatever you want. If you graduated from a university, you will succeed and you will achieve a high standard of living; higher than anywhere else in Latin America.
Right now, Panama is the number one country in Latin America, including South America. So the standard of living that we have here in Panama is very high. I know people in Chile, which is the second most powerful economy in Latin America, who,...
In Panama, if you work smart, you will get almost whatever you want. If you graduated from a university, you will succeed and you will achieve a high standard of living; higher than anywhere else in Latin America.
Right now, Panama is the number one country in Latin America, including South America. So the standard of living that we have here in Panama is very high. I know people in Chile, which is the second most powerful economy in Latin America, who, even though we have the same education, I might double their living standard in Panama.
Posted November 1, 2014
Antonio Cheng - Romero Realty
If I would compare the standard of living in Panama to Waco, Texas where I used to live, I would say Waco is 7 and Panama is 8.
You can buy a lot of things in Panama now. The availability of goods is now greater. Ten years ago, it was very hard to buy things that you needed or wanted. Now, many people from Brazil and Colombia come to Panama just to shop and they go mad.
There are more things to do here in Panama than where I...
If I would compare the standard of living in Panama to Waco, Texas where I used to live, I would say Waco is 7 and Panama is 8.
You can buy a lot of things in Panama now. The availability of goods is now greater. Ten years ago, it was very hard to buy things that you needed or wanted. Now, many people from Brazil and Colombia come to Panama just to shop and they go mad.
There are more things to do here in Panama than where I used to live in Texas. The beaches and mountains are close in Panama, so you do not have to drive that much to go anywhere. For example, if someone has a beach house, he could drive for about an hour to get there, and if he has a house in the mountains, it would only take him around an hour and a half to get there. If you need to leave the country, or say, go to the States, for example, the quickest flight to Miami is 3 hours, and if you are going to Houston, it will only take around 4 to 5 hours. South America is very close, too. Panama is like the belly of the Americas; everything is just close by.
Posted November 3, 2014
Gonzalo de la Guardia - Panasurance
The standard of living in Panama will depend on how much money you have. Just as a comparison, a person who has US $1 million in Panama lives better than a person who has $20 million in the US by far. That is because here in Panama, you can easily get house help, chauffeurs, two maids, a cook, etc., and they charge significantly less than they would charge you in the US. Healthcare is also much less in Panama than what you would pay in North America. The weather is nice and there is...The standard of living in Panama will depend on how much money you have. Just as a comparison, a person who has US $1 million in Panama lives better than a person who has $20 million in the US by far. That is because here in Panama, you can easily get house help, chauffeurs, two maids, a cook, etc., and they charge significantly less than they would charge you in the US. Healthcare is also much less in Panama than what you would pay in North America. The weather is nice and there is a huge diversity here. In Panama, you will find restaurants from all over the world. Panama is moving forward with entertainment as well. Every night there are concerts and people from different parts of the world come over to Panama. Deepak Chopra, who is a well-known speaker will be here in Panama in about two weeks. We get salsa players from the Caribbean who give concerts in Panama. These things happen a lot in Panama City and in other main cities and towns in Panama.
The price of an apartment with a view of the ocean here in Panama is probably half the price it would cost in San Diego, California, so you can buy more and you will get more. For the same or less money, you would have the opportunity to buy a nice apartment in Panama City and buy a house in the countryside or on the beach that you can use on the weekends. There are a lot of opportunities to live well in Panama; it only depends on your budget. There are people here who live very well and there a people who don’t. Panama is not dirt cheap and prices keep going up, like inflation everywhere else in the world. Comparatively speaking, a person with the same amount of money would have a better standard of living in Panama than somewhere else up north.
Posted November 29, 2014
Diana Chacon
It’s hard to compare the standard of living in New York, where I used to live, to Panama City, where I am now. In New York City, you’ll find the ridiculously rich people, but here in Panama City, there are a lot of rich people, but you wouldn’t know who they are because they are not as flashy as the people in New York City. You know that there are a lot of rich people here because of all the expensive cars that you will see on the streets. You will see a lot of...It’s hard to compare the standard of living in New York, where I used to live, to Panama City, where I am now. In New York City, you’ll find the ridiculously rich people, but here in Panama City, there are a lot of rich people, but you wouldn’t know who they are because they are not as flashy as the people in New York City. You know that there are a lot of rich people here because of all the expensive cars that you will see on the streets. You will see a lot of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and other cars that you will only see in places where there is a lot of money. There are places here in Panama City where the houses are very expensive. But generally, the people in Panama are not flashy, so even if they have a high standard of living, you wouldn’t know until you probably lived in their neighborhood.
People in Panama do not discriminate if a person has money or not, or where they come from . As long as you have the money to pay when going to a restaurant, or walking into a store to buy something, for example, you can do it just like everybody else. They will not judge you based on what you are wearing or where you come from.
(The picture is of the Trump Tower, in Panama City.)
Posted December 2, 2014
Bill Hamilton - Bill Hamilton
I find the standard of living in Panama to be very good. You can go to a good restaurant and have a good meal. If you have the pensionado visa, you get discount on your food in all restaurants. The discount is 10% on fast food and 25% in nicer restaurants. You can go and have a good meal with an excellent steak, a starter with a salad and a couple of beers. For two, with your discount, would cost you about US $48. Our favorite restaurant in Panama...
I find the standard of living in Panama to be very good. You can go to a good restaurant and have a good meal. If you have the pensionado visa, you get discount on your food in all restaurants. The discount is 10% on fast food and 25% in nicer restaurants. You can go and have a good meal with an excellent steak, a starter with a salad and a couple of beers. For two, with your discount, would cost you about US $48. Our favorite restaurant in Panama City is Leños Y Carbon. They have excellent beef.
Restaurants are completely different here. You have the usual fast food; you have McDonald’s, of course, KFC, Pizza Hut. The best restaurant in Santiago (near where we live, well away from Panama City) is in a brilliant hotel and excellent place called Mykonos (pictured). We stayed there for a couple of weeks while we were getting the house sorted out. They’ve got a very good chef there. Their food is excellent. With our discount, it cost me US $ 45 for a starter and a main course and a couple of beers. That’s for two.
You have to adapt to the standard of living in Panama because you get your electricity cut from time to time. You get that everywhere in Panama wherever you go. It’s not very frequent, but it happens.
We put in a reserve tank with a pump to get extra pressure, just in case of any water cut.
How you would define the standard of living in Panama depends on what you like to do. For example, we’re not people who go out partying. We don’t have a TV because we stopped watching TV about 10 years ago. I have movies and I watch them on the computer. We play scrabble. We like nature. That’s it. Whether or not you find that good depends on what you are looking for.
Posted February 1, 2015
Daryl Ries - Keller Williams Panama, associate
"Living well with less" is the measure of living better in any place. If you can live much better with less, then the distinction is even greater, and it's the reason that so many come to live in a place like Panama. What is better than living better at less cost! It's irresistible! You cannot say that there are many places that compare with the costs of Panama, while offering full convenience and comfort, and much of what you would expect at...
"Living well with less" is the measure of living better in any place. If you can live much better with less, then the distinction is even greater, and it's the reason that so many come to live in a place like Panama. What is better than living better at less cost! It's irresistible! You cannot say that there are many places that compare with the costs of Panama, while offering full convenience and comfort, and much of what you would expect at home.
My home is New York City, a place you pay to be, because of what it offers... but what about what it does not offer? At some point you will become sufficiently aware of getting too much less for too much, period!
Then you come to a place like Panama. It’s almost too good to expect that you could live free of winters, free of expenses that enslave you, and find an affordable alternative in a booming economy.
My home is New York City, a place you pay to be, because of what it offers... but what about what it does not offer? At some point you will become sufficiently aware of getting too much less for too much, period!
Then you come to a place like Panama. It’s almost too good to expect that you could live free of winters, free of expenses that enslave you, and find an affordable alternative in a booming economy.
(Playa Rio Mar beach, pictured.)
Posted February 15, 2015
Frank Kehanu
Dear Isthmian's and Newcomers, As defined, standard of living is the financial health of a population, as measured by per capita income; and consumption of goods and services by individuals or household. In that sense, the per capita income is very low in Panama (below US minimum wage for college grads). It's a thriving consumption society fueled by advertising and individual desire to improve the quality of life.
Dear Isthmian's and Newcomers, As defined, standard of living is the financial health of a population, as measured by per capita income; and consumption of goods and services by individuals or household. In that sense, the per capita income is very low in Panama (below US minimum wage for college grads). It's a thriving consumption society fueled by advertising and individual desire to improve the quality of life.
The Isthmus has communities which are listed in the top ten (10) places to live on the globe based on of aspects of quality of life, including medical services.
But like anywhere else, the standard of living from one individual to another will depend on which side of the track you stand financially.
Good reliable products and services carry a higher price tag than what we are used to.
Inexpensive affordable products and services are in most part, sub-standard, and short-lived (short service life).
Corruption is a misused word in Panama; it’s a culture here of family and friends favoritism, just like the good old boys or anywhere else.
(A power station on Volcan Baru with the city of David in the background, pictured.)
Posted February 18, 2015
Michael A. Martinez - B & B Real Estate Nicaragua / Panama Real Estate Information
I am really amazed to see that everybody here in Panama is making money. There is a lot of work here. They are actually opening doors for workers who are not from the country. Almost everybody here in Panama, even the maid, has a more expensive cellphone than I do. I went to Santiago, and it is now very different than it was four years ago. Now there are shoe shops over and they have every major brand you can think of. We have...
I am really amazed to see that everybody here in Panama is making money. There is a lot of work here. They are actually opening doors for workers who are not from the country. Almost everybody here in Panama, even the maid, has a more expensive cellphone than I do. I went to Santiago, and it is now very different than it was four years ago. Now there are shoe shops over and they have every major brand you can think of. We have name brand department stores just for one brand of shoes. You can also buy knock-offs for US $2 and the originals cost $90. The stores are constantly busy.
A lot of the Panamanian culture really seeks and thrives to reach that level of what America used to be like in 1975. Everybody has a CD player, a flat screen TV, etc. I do not know how they afford it, but they want it and they have it.
The standard of living here in Panama is rapidly increasing. More products are available. These folks, even if they are buying it on layaway, are going out and buying it, and they are making their payments. We are catching up really quick here. It is no longer a Third World Country; I don’t think so.
Posted February 23, 2015
Linda Jensen
Personally, I have a very comfortable lifestyle here in Panama and better than what I had in the US, because in the US, my husband and I never had the money to travel, except to go see our kids or family because they are more important to us. So we took all the extra funds we had to drive five hours to Houston, five hours to Oklahoma, or whenever we had to travel and however many hours away it was.Here in Panama, we can drive an hour and a half to go to a beach on the Pacific...
Personally, I have a very comfortable lifestyle here in Panama and better than what I had in the US, because in the US, my husband and I never had the money to travel, except to go see our kids or family because they are more important to us. So we took all the extra funds we had to drive five hours to Houston, five hours to Oklahoma, or whenever we had to travel and however many hours away it was.Here in Panama, we can drive an hour and a half to go to a beach on the Pacific or three hours to go to Bocas del Toro, which is on the Caribbean. We can drive two hours and go to Las Lajas and enjoy a lovely little resort down there that is just so perfect to be at.
Here in Panama, we can just enjoy life on a different level. We go out to eat almost every Saturday with good friends. Many times we go out with friends for an evening meal. We go out more and yet I also like staying at home here. Where I live now, in Boquete, Panama, is my favorite place to be. This is my little castle – this little condo community. I enjoy it so much. I can tell you that we could not survive in Texas on the same budget, and yet on the same income, we have a better life here in Panama.
If you have a problem, and you need to see a doctor here, you pay an initial US $20 to $40. After that it’s just $15 or $7.50 depending on which doctor you see. If you need to get a prescription and you cannot get it from a provider in the States, they will work with you here. My husband, Arne has reduced his medicine to less than a third of what he was taking, which also saves money. You can get a blood test done and an INR for $6 here in Panama.
Food is affordable. You don’t have to have heating or cooling here in Boquete because the temperature is moderate year round, so that is a huge savings. You will get a comfortable and affordable lifestyle here.
(The Jensens and a friend sightseeing in Panama, pictured.)
Posted March 30, 2015
kevin obrien - BarefootPanama
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The standard of living in Panama is very good. They are really pushing their way to the First World ranking so they are pushing their way towards improving the standard of living here. Unfortunately, they started with the raising of the prices before the infrastructure was in. Panama is trying to be close to the standards of a First World nation. It is a developing nation but I really wouldn’t say First World. In...
The standard of living in Panama is very good. They are really pushing their way to the First World ranking so they are pushing their way towards improving the standard of living here. Unfortunately, they started with the raising of the prices before the infrastructure was in. Panama is trying to be close to the standards of a First World nation. It is a developing nation but I really wouldn’t say First World. In Panama, when you call somebody for service, you will never ever get it. That sort of stuff needs to improve before it can be classified as First World. But Panama is developing.
There are a lot of shiny buildings that will make your eyes pop out and make you say, “This place looks like Miami, or Dubai, or Shanghai.” It’s just really the inner workings that make you think that it is more Third World, so Panama it is somewhere in between, which is exactly where it’s at. It’s a developing nation.
(Pictured: Panama City, Panama skyline, when viewed from a distance.)
Posted June 6, 2015
Kevin Garcia
For me, Panama has a higher standard of living than Montreal. Panama makes it so that you don’t want to ever leave.Everything is better and different here in Panama; the people, the streets, the views, the nature. The weather is sometimes very hot but you come to like it.
For me, living in Panama is better than living in Montreal. If you would ask me for how long you should go to Montreal for a vacation, I would say you should go to Montreal for a week. If you...
For me, Panama has a higher standard of living than Montreal. Panama makes it so that you don’t want to ever leave.Everything is better and different here in Panama; the people, the streets, the views, the nature. The weather is sometimes very hot but you come to like it.
For me, living in Panama is better than living in Montreal. If you would ask me for how long you should go to Montreal for a vacation, I would say you should go to Montreal for a week. If you would ask me how long you should go to Panama for vacation, I would say two weeks, even three weeks, because there are lots of things to do.
If you would ask me to choose between Panama or Montreal to retire, I would choose Panama. It is better to retire in Panama because you have expats who were tired of the same things every day living in their original country. For example, there are Americans or Canadians who were tired of the weather, the cold or the snow. They want something slow, clam and easy. You want to relax with their wife, husband, or significant other. If you want to live by the beach, you will not regret it.
(Sheraton Bijao Beach, Panama, pictured.)
Posted October 26, 2015
Mike Vuytowecz - Inside Panama Real Estate
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The standard of living in Panama, like anywhere else, is whatever you can afford. If you are on a fixed income and on a somewhat limited budget, you could still do very well in Panama. Like anywhere else, if you have plenty of money, you could live a very, very high lifestyle in Panama. Panama City is a very cosmopolitan city and getting more so over time so you would be lacking for nothing. The first thing that I noticed, particularly that I am in...
The standard of living in Panama, like anywhere else, is whatever you can afford. If you are on a fixed income and on a somewhat limited budget, you could still do very well in Panama. Like anywhere else, if you have plenty of money, you could live a very, very high lifestyle in Panama. Panama City is a very cosmopolitan city and getting more so over time so you would be lacking for nothing. The first thing that I noticed, particularly that I am in San Diego on vacation right now, are the traffic lights. I don’t have the tolerance for traffic lights anymore. I live in Coronado, Panama, and the nearest traffic light to my place there is one hour away going to the west. The traffic and congestion is very much different in Coronado, Panama, than in San Diego. Panama is just more quiet and tranquil. Things go slower in Panama, which is one of the things that bother some people. We Americans are a society that looks for instant gratification and we want things right now and in Panama it is a much slower pace. So either you learn how to embrace that or you would be frustrated and unhappy.
There is still some bureaucracy in Panama. If you need to get a driver’s license you’re going to find it more cumbersome than wherever you came from. The registry of cars is going to be more cumbersome. There is just a lot of bureaucracy and you have to deal with people who don’t have a very high education level when you are dealing with that level. They are not making a lot of money and they are not as fast-paced as we are. They are not motivated by money but by the quality of life and family, and it is reflected in their work habits.
Just to give you a snapshot of my situation, I live in Coronado, which is about 45 minutes away from Panama City. I have a home on the golf course that’s approximately 2,000 square feet with a pool. I paid about $250,000 for it. The membership at the country club cost me $260 a month and that gives me unlimited golf, unlimited tennis, access to the restaurants, the spa, and the gym. In comparison, in San Diego, the country club costs me $1,000 a month. The beach in Coronado is so close to my home there that I could just hop in my golf cart and be at the beach in 2 minutes. The surf is fantastic, and the water is typically between 75 and 85 degrees. The water is clean, the air is clean, and because it is a resort location more or less an hour outside the city of Panama, it tends to be pretty quiet on weekdays. On weekends, Panamanians come to their second homes and Coronado gets a bit busier.
There are plenty of golf courses, plenty of beaches, fishing, boating, and lots of outdoor activities. Many of the retired expats who come here are looking for things to do. There are lots of things to do on a volunteer basis. You could volunteer in orphanages, spay animals, help with the elderly, help at the schools, etc. There is really nothing lacking if you only take some time to look around. Whatever tickles your fancy, you would certainly find something to do and something to contribute. You could live a nice, full, rich, and relatively inexpensive life in Panama.
(Mike Vuytowecz with friends on the beach, Coronado Beach, Panama, pictured.)
Posted August 8, 2016
Ron Hunter - Finca Cazador
My standard of living in Panama is better than I deserve. I just got back from the United States as I had gone to see my daughter and my grandsons during the Christmas break. I was shocked with how many people were on the street. I haven’t been in the United States for a couple of years and I almost wanted to cry. You don’t see that here in Panama. There are poor people here in Panama, but you don’t see people on the streets. The...
My standard of living in Panama is better than I deserve. I just got back from the United States as I had gone to see my daughter and my grandsons during the Christmas break. I was shocked with how many people were on the street. I haven’t been in the United States for a couple of years and I almost wanted to cry. You don’t see that here in Panama. There are poor people here in Panama, but you don’t see people on the streets. The poor Panamanians might have a very humble house, and they might have plastic for a roof, but they might also have a widescreen plasma TV in that humble house. Everybody in Panama seems to have a place, and you don’t see people on the streets.
Even the poorest people in Panama, who are typically the indigenous or the Indians, have shelter and are not on the streets or on the corner begging for money.
The standard of living in Panama varies. There are the unbelievably wealthy known as rabiblancos, which translates to “white ass.” Rabiblancos are the original Spanish families who came to Panama 500 years ago, and are on the highest level of wealth and control. They don’t really interact too much with the lower class, so they’re not visible.
Below that strata of ultra-wealthy people there’s the landed aristocracy, which refers to the people who have big farms or very large businesses. These people are living very comfortable lives: they drive Porsches and Audis and are living very large with the best clothing. They’re living the life.
Below that class are people with a smaller tract of land. They’re not the landed aristocracy but they’re not physically working the land themselves and have employees working for them. They might be growing coffee, have a new truck and are living pretty well.
Then there are people who are working for others. These people have a modest house but it’s theirs, and that’s something that I like here in Panama- most people own their house. That’s a big deal.
In the United States, most people are paying the bank for their house. Here in Panama, almost everybody owns a house.
The next level down is somebody who’s working a job, is secure, and whose kids are probably going to either public or private school. These people are living comfortable lives.
A step down from that are the people who are on the poorer side, and are probably renting a house. They don’t own their own house, so they’re either renting or living with their family, from whom they never really got away. They spend most of their money on things, like a $120 pair of Nike tennis shoes, or a $300 phone, but they don’t have a lot of discretionary income. These are people who spend time and money on appearance.
Next are those who are working as day laborers. Most of these people are the indigenous or the Indians who come in from the reservation called the comarca to pick coffee or work on the farm. These are the people who do most of the labor here in Panama. They have large families and their wages are not high so they don’t have a lot of discretionary income. At times these laborers have a lot of money, for example, during the coffee season, they might make $125 a day which is a King’s ransom here, but it might also go at the bar.
Apart from those five different groups who are typically Latinos, there are the Chinese, who are the mercantile here in Panama. The Chinese run all of the stores in Panama. They typically don’t interface with anyone other than themselves, although I have a Chinese friend who owns a store here in Río Sereno. He eats at my house and I eat at his house but that’s atypical. The Chinese are typically wealthy. They belong to upper middle class, and they run the small stores.
Then you have the expat community. Typically, expats stay with other expats. They don’t really get out or interact with the Panamanians as a whole. Expats live in areas where there are lots of other expats.
There are at least seven different socioeconomic groups that are present in Panama. This is one of the things that I don’t like about Panama: there is an unspoken caste system. I try to break that stereotype. Obviously, I’m an expat. I have a large farm and a big house, but I don’t care. I’m not better or worse than everybody else. I try and move throughout all of those groups with fluidity and not really be aware of the socioeconomic situation.
I’m 70 years old and have a Social Security pension. I don’t necessarily live on my pension, but it’s $2,000 a month, and I can live very well on $2,000 a month here in Panama. Depending on where and how I was living, I don’t know that I could live on $2,000 in the United States. I surely can’t live in New York with $2,000 a month, although I might be able to live in rural Arizona, but I wouldn’t be buying fillet at the store like I do here in Panama.
I’m in a rural community, so I know when the cows are coming in to be butchered. They butcher on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I also know the butcher and that he pulls the fillets and puts them on the side. That would probably not be the case in Volcán, and I certainly couldn’t do that in Boquete or in David.
So much of what I say is atypical because I live in a rural area and I interact with the community at large. That’s why my standard of living here in Panama is far beyond my means if I compare myself to what I could do in the United States if I had to live on my Social Security.
(Off the grid home, Finca Cazador, near Rio Sereno, Panama.)
Posted May 31, 2017
Zach Smith - Anywhere
The standard of living in Panama varies. Panama has a number of indigenous cultures. Panama has a huge metropolitan area of Panama City and it has a lot of rural territory, too. So Panama City, itself, is rather cosmopolitan. There are a lot of business and banking there. As far as locations in Central America, Panama City is probably the most cosmopolitan and the most formal capital city.
Moving around from Panama City, you will find a lot of rural areas, small towns, and...
Moving around from Panama City, you will find a lot of rural areas, small towns, and...
The standard of living in Panama varies. Panama has a number of indigenous cultures. Panama has a huge metropolitan area of Panama City and it has a lot of rural territory, too. So Panama City, itself, is rather cosmopolitan. There are a lot of business and banking there. As far as locations in Central America, Panama City is probably the most cosmopolitan and the most formal capital city.
Moving around from Panama City, you will find a lot of rural areas, small towns, and areas of smaller population. They are rather basic and the standard of living in these areas is rather low. I wouldn’t say that there is poverty by any means but as far as a North American or a Western European person might consider, it would be a rather basic environment as far as what sort of options there are for eating, drinking, living, and accommodations are available. There are also some places in Panama that are just not really attractive. They are not dangerous but they are just not that attractive.
There is a lot of indigenous reservations in Panama. I believe there are eight different indigenous groups in Panama that have their own territories or reservations that are called Comarcas. This is a segment of the population that is probably the most economically deficient and you will see a bit of poverty in those locations. Because they are sort of independent territories within Panama, there is that support from the central government and it’s a little bit more challenging for the children as far as education goes. Job opportunities of that nature are a little bit more scarce.
The standards of living for an expat in Panama runs the gamut. There are people who would want to live in the city and live in a luxury apartment in Panama City or in a colonial art deco apartment in Casco Antigua, which is a quite classy experience. There are also people who prefer to live in a location like Boquete, where it’s cooler and there are rainforests and mountains around you. Some people in Boquete have built stunning custom homes.
There are expats in Panama who live on the beach in a mid-range home. There’s not a ton of suburbia-type developments in the touristy or in the attractive locations for retirees. But a lot of people end up buying a plot of land and then working with locals in the region or an architect in the region to construct a house. If you want to spend US $500,000, you’re going to get a very, very nice home in Panama. Some people spend three times that amount. Some people spend a third of that amount. It really depends on how much you want to invest and what sort of environment you want to live in.
I am currently in Seattle, which is one of the more expensive cities in the United States right now. I think the average median home in Seattle right now is around $700,000. It is a nice home but it is not a luxury home. Whereas with $700,000, you could get what would probably be considered a luxury living standard in Panama. Also, in Casco Antigua, there are historical buildings that have to be restored. Those restored places in Panama can be seven figures easily. It really depends on your budget. You can go high, you can go mid, or you can go low. Panama does have a lot of opportunity for people of various economic levels.
As far as I know, the government of Panama also has some incentives for retirees. I believe that there is health care that is covered if you make an investment in Panama.
There is a reason why billionaires live in Seattle – it is a really beautiful city and they can get great homes. Billionaires can have live in chefs, house cleaners, and live comfortably anywhere they want, even in really expensive places. However, for those with more limited resources, you have to talk about numbers. So if you have a household budget for mortgage, dining and entertainment, and so on, your money goes a lot farther in Latin America. You might even be able to afford a live in chef, daily house cleaner and driver. However, you have to put up with some Latin American dynamic. In general, you can get a good meal for $7 in Latin America but you might have to wait a little longer and you could be sitting on a plastic chair. So it really just depends on preference.
Moving around from Panama City, you will find a lot of rural areas, small towns, and areas of smaller population. They are rather basic and the standard of living in these areas is rather low. I wouldn’t say that there is poverty by any means but as far as a North American or a Western European person might consider, it would be a rather basic environment as far as what sort of options there are for eating, drinking, living, and accommodations are available. There are also some places in Panama that are just not really attractive. They are not dangerous but they are just not that attractive.
There is a lot of indigenous reservations in Panama. I believe there are eight different indigenous groups in Panama that have their own territories or reservations that are called Comarcas. This is a segment of the population that is probably the most economically deficient and you will see a bit of poverty in those locations. Because they are sort of independent territories within Panama, there is that support from the central government and it’s a little bit more challenging for the children as far as education goes. Job opportunities of that nature are a little bit more scarce.
The standards of living for an expat in Panama runs the gamut. There are people who would want to live in the city and live in a luxury apartment in Panama City or in a colonial art deco apartment in Casco Antigua, which is a quite classy experience. There are also people who prefer to live in a location like Boquete, where it’s cooler and there are rainforests and mountains around you. Some people in Boquete have built stunning custom homes.
There are expats in Panama who live on the beach in a mid-range home. There’s not a ton of suburbia-type developments in the touristy or in the attractive locations for retirees. But a lot of people end up buying a plot of land and then working with locals in the region or an architect in the region to construct a house. If you want to spend US $500,000, you’re going to get a very, very nice home in Panama. Some people spend three times that amount. Some people spend a third of that amount. It really depends on how much you want to invest and what sort of environment you want to live in.
I am currently in Seattle, which is one of the more expensive cities in the United States right now. I think the average median home in Seattle right now is around $700,000. It is a nice home but it is not a luxury home. Whereas with $700,000, you could get what would probably be considered a luxury living standard in Panama. Also, in Casco Antigua, there are historical buildings that have to be restored. Those restored places in Panama can be seven figures easily. It really depends on your budget. You can go high, you can go mid, or you can go low. Panama does have a lot of opportunity for people of various economic levels.
As far as I know, the government of Panama also has some incentives for retirees. I believe that there is health care that is covered if you make an investment in Panama.
There is a reason why billionaires live in Seattle – it is a really beautiful city and they can get great homes. Billionaires can have live in chefs, house cleaners, and live comfortably anywhere they want, even in really expensive places. However, for those with more limited resources, you have to talk about numbers. So if you have a household budget for mortgage, dining and entertainment, and so on, your money goes a lot farther in Latin America. You might even be able to afford a live in chef, daily house cleaner and driver. However, you have to put up with some Latin American dynamic. In general, you can get a good meal for $7 in Latin America but you might have to wait a little longer and you could be sitting on a plastic chair. So it really just depends on preference.
Posted January 30, 2018