What's the cost to rent a home in Boquete, Panama?

The cost of renting a home in Boquete can vary from $500 per month for a one bedroom home to $2,500 per month depending on location, size of home and amenities.

 

The cost of renting a home in Boquete can vary from $500 per month for a one bedroom home to $2,500 per month depending on location, size of home and amenities.

 

Rent is not all that cheap in the beautiful mountain area of Boquete because it is a very popular place to live. While gringos come and go (literally, many only stay a few months out of the year), rents continue to escalate.

 

The best way to find a place to rent (it is suggested you rent a while before you purchase a home) is from word of mouth; online rental searches; friends; the publications and real estate offices all over town. Many restaurants and...

Rent is not all that cheap in the beautiful mountain area of Boquete because it is a very popular place to live. While gringos come and go (literally, many only stay a few months out of the year), rents continue to escalate.

 

The best way to find a place to rent (it is suggested you rent a while before you purchase a home) is from word of mouth; online rental searches; friends; the publications and real estate offices all over town. Many restaurants and businesses have a bulletin board with listings, most have pictures.

 

It is easy to do an online search.  BestPlacesInTheWorldToRetire.com (this site) is very helpful; look under the tab to the left for real estate or rentals.  Others are Vivun and Craig's List.  Just enter key words such as "Boquete" and "Panama Rentals", which will bring up many places to see actual costs.

 

Tour homes and read the list of amenities, use the maps to see the locations and all of them have a phone number so you can get more information.

 

The cost of our first rental was $900 a month. Too high, no hot water, very old and stained furniture. It was clean and cleaned daily by the manager. However "suicide showers" are not reliable and as the name implies not too safe either! So we gave notice and found a much more American style and sized place. Our condo is in wonderful location and has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, closets, a nice kitchen and our favorite is the large tiled patio. We rented it form the owner for $750 and took a 12 month lease.

 

I have seen beautiful photos of condos in the valley nearer town that rent from $1,500 up for a large furnished condo in private gated community.  Close by there is another condo community where a few months ago a large, well designed one bedroom one bath could be rented for $800 a month and that includes utilities and cable. A duplex, new and unfurnished in a rather undeveloped area ( you would want a vehicle) was shown to us for $800 a month.  It had two bedrooms, two baths and was around 1,100 square feet in size.

 

Ah, but don't think all rentals in Boquete are so expensive. You can get a decent place to live here for $300 a month. And if you want to live like a native; it is a lifestyle that may not include hot water throughout the home, no window screens or reliable appliances, you can live dirt cheap.

 

Expats often leave for extend stays and will lease their homes out for that time period. Some even will pay you to stay in their home to help protect it from sitting empty and becoming a target for robbery. There are some beautiful homes here in Boquete.

 

Doing your homework is the key to finding a comfortable place to live that fits your individual needs. Some people want to be in the middle of everything while others enjoy a quiet location, a garden setting , or golf, views or privacy. All of it is available here in Boquete from low rent to high and all in between.

 

With our rent rate $750 we still live for far less than we did in the states!

 

Home rental prices in Boquete vary significantly based on size and location.  Homes, condos and apartments near downtown Boquete rent for a premium while homes and condos in Alto Boquete rent for much less.

 

You should be careful when renting a home or condo and do a lot of research before making a decision.  You need to ask about water service (it can be very unreliable in some areas), wind conditions (it can get very windy in some locations) and...

Home rental prices in Boquete vary significantly based on size and location.  Homes, condos and apartments near downtown Boquete rent for a premium while homes and condos in Alto Boquete rent for much less.

 

You should be careful when renting a home or condo and do a lot of research before making a decision.  You need to ask about water service (it can be very unreliable in some areas), wind conditions (it can get very windy in some locations) and security.  Also, it's important to consider how close you are to town (for shopping convenience, restaurants and social activities).  Also, find out what kind of Internet and TV options are available.  Some remote homes may be less expensive to rent but your other costs could easily offset the savings.

 

Rental prices are beginning to rise all over Boquete as demand increases and supply gets tight.  Spending time to do some basic research and to ask questions will save you money (and heartache) in the future.

Renting an apartment or home in Boquete is not easy. The amount of available apartments and houses is limited. Prices are in most cases a percentage of the value of the property varying from 5-8%. So a $50,000 valued apartment can be rented for $330 per month, a $500,000 home, furnished and with all luxuries could be between $2,100 and $2,500 per month. So the price can give you an idea what you can expect.

 

Of course, you can be very lucky or...

Renting an apartment or home in Boquete is not easy. The amount of available apartments and houses is limited. Prices are in most cases a percentage of the value of the property varying from 5-8%. So a $50,000 valued apartment can be rented for $330 per month, a $500,000 home, furnished and with all luxuries could be between $2,100 and $2,500 per month. So the price can give you an idea what you can expect.

 

Of course, you can be very lucky or disappointed. It is also wise to check availability way before you plan to arrive. The dry season can be fully booked as early as October and the rainy season mostly has more places to offer. The more expensive properties are mostly not rented for less than six months. Look into encuentra24, Boquetening.com or the local real estate agents. 

Dear reader,

 

Boquete has many options for homes and apartments for rent, depending to some degree on how much like a local you want to live and how much luxury you want.  Something very "local" and in a popular area could be around $200 dollars a month without furniture, maybe with the basics :).  In town the minimum rent for a home is $700 a month and there are some apartments from $350 to $750 or more, brand...

Dear reader,

 

Boquete has many options for homes and apartments for rent, depending to some degree on how much like a local you want to live and how much luxury you want.  Something very "local" and in a popular area could be around $200 dollars a month without furniture, maybe with the basics :).  In town the minimum rent for a home is $700 a month and there are some apartments from $350 to $750 or more, brand new and fully furnished.

 

Anyway just by being here sometimes you can get very good deals.  The key is to be in touch with the locals :)

 

I hope this answer can be helpful and have a great day!

 

Oscar. 

The prices for renting a house in Boquete varies depending where it´s located and how many rooms it has.  For example, a 2-bedroom house could rent between $700 - $800 a month.   A 3- bedroom house could rent between $850 - $1,500 a month.   It depends also if it is furnished.    Larger houses could be around $2,500 a month.

The prices for renting a house in Boquete varies depending where it´s located and how many rooms it has.  For example, a 2-bedroom house could rent between $700 - $800 a month.   A 3- bedroom house could rent between $850 - $1,500 a month.   It depends also if it is furnished.    Larger houses could be around $2,500 a month.

"What's the cost to rent a home in Boquete?" That’s a pretty general question but requires a very specific answer to satisfy the needs if most people.
 
First of all, does it need to be furnished or unfurnished? How big, the location, what style, what features, how much? These are all questions that need the right answers in order to satisfy the clients’ needs.
 
Like anywhere else the cost of rental property is affected by supply and demand, the...

"What's the cost to rent a home in Boquete?" That’s a pretty general question but requires a very specific answer to satisfy the needs if most people.
 
First of all, does it need to be furnished or unfurnished? How big, the location, what style, what features, how much? These are all questions that need the right answers in order to satisfy the clients’ needs.
 
Like anywhere else the cost of rental property is affected by supply and demand, the cost of construction, included features and overall amenities; such as furnished or not, security, convenience items and other similar factors.
 
I can speak on the costs in David, the principle city in the Province of Chiriqui. There are basically two classes of rentals; 'Panamanian style' and 'North American style'.
 
Panamanian style homes are built according to accepted standards of the local folks.  Sometimes these properties have been upgraded to include features commonly expected by North Americans. The later have been built to North American standards and will include most of the features expected by North Americans and not typically found in Panamanian style homes. Such properties often include deluxe appliances, bath tubs, ample air conditioning, dishwashers, automatic washers and dryers, lots of cupboards, granite countertops, swimming pools, covered parking, etc., etc.
 
The economics, regardless of the category of the property are governed by the same factors of supply and demand and costs. In David at this time furnished rental properties tend to be between $450 for a smaller two bedroom furnished house to $1,000 or more for a furnished two or three bedroom condo or house. Larger furnished houses are difficult to find but do exist and personal effort on the part of the prospective renter is really needed to find these properties. This is something that can only be done by being here.
 
Many rental clients only have the Internet as a source of information. From my perspective, as a property manager, the most effective web site has been Viviun. Once in a while renters can be connected to available properties via 'Blog' sites. If you are able to conduct your search in person, then more resources are available through local billboard ads, referrals, personal contacts, and other sources, including the contributors on this website.
 
 
 

The cost to rent a house in Boquete depends on the type of house you are renting. If you are going to rent a Panamanian house, it would be around US $250 to $400 per month. You could rent a fancy gingo house for $1,500 per month.
 
I bought a house in 2003 and then I built the house that I live in now. The house the I bought in 2003 is now rented out. It is just right next to my new house and I live in a really nice neighborhood. I get $850 per month for rent. It has three...

The cost to rent a house in Boquete depends on the type of house you are renting. If you are going to rent a Panamanian house, it would be around US $250 to $400 per month. You could rent a fancy gingo house for $1,500 per month.
 
I bought a house in 2003 and then I built the house that I live in now. The house the I bought in 2003 is now rented out. It is just right next to my new house and I live in a really nice neighborhood. I get $850 per month for rent. It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a nice working room, and a small open kitchen. The house is furnished. It also has a maid’s casita behind an additional bathroom. Most people do not have live-in maids that live in the casitas so they use it for storage. One girl used to rent the house and used the casita as an art studio. I supply cable and Wi-Fi to that apartment. The gardener that cleans my property also cleans the rented property. I also supply water and garbage pickup; that is $20 per year each. I supply electricity up to $50 per month. In all the years as a landlord, I have only had one tenant who used over $50 per month on electricity and that is only because they ran three dehumidifiers all the time. Once the lady, who currently rents the house, leaves then I will probably raise the rent to $900 per month or more. My current tenant does not use the TV a lot. She does not use the microwave oven and she hangs her clothes out instead of using the dryer so her electric bill is only about $12 per month. 

You can get an apartment in Boquete for as little as US $600 per month. The average cost to rent an apartment is probably $1,000 to $1,500 per month. With a budget of $1,500 a month, you could get a high-end apartment.
 
In Boquete, you can get a fully furnished one or two-bedroom apartment for around $600 to $700 in a nice part of town. 
 
A lot of the smaller rental houses are guesthouses that people have built on their property, adjacent to the owner’s...

You can get an apartment in Boquete for as little as US $600 per month. The average cost to rent an apartment is probably $1,000 to $1,500 per month. With a budget of $1,500 a month, you could get a high-end apartment.
 
In Boquete, you can get a fully furnished one or two-bedroom apartment for around $600 to $700 in a nice part of town. 
 
A lot of the smaller rental houses are guesthouses that people have built on their property, adjacent to the owner’s house, and which they rent out. They are small but perfectly fine and wonderful. I have stayed in a beautiful one-bedroom, one-bathroom, fully furnished place in Santa Lucia, which about 10 minutes outside of Boquete for $600 per month. Water, electricity, and Internet are all included in the rent. It had a washer and drier, too.
 
With a budget of $1,000 per month, you could get a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. It would be furnished and the utilities would be included in the rent.  

 

(Secluded house in Boquete, Panama, pictured.)

The cost to rent a home in Boquete depends on which kind of home you’re renting. When I first moved here I rented my 2-bedroom, 2-bath house for $600 a month. In contrast, I know some people who live in the upscale, gated community of Valle Escondido who are renting a 4,000 square foot house withi three bedrooms and three bathrooms on three levels who are paying $1,650 a month. However, included with this price is a golf course, indoor swimming pool, gym, a lot of amenities,...

The cost to rent a home in Boquete depends on which kind of home you’re renting. When I first moved here I rented my 2-bedroom, 2-bath house for $600 a month. In contrast, I know some people who live in the upscale, gated community of Valle Escondido who are renting a 4,000 square foot house withi three bedrooms and three bathrooms on three levels who are paying $1,650 a month. However, included with this price is a golf course, indoor swimming pool, gym, a lot of amenities, 24-hour security, etc.

 

As another example, I know a single lady who moved here in January on a very, very tight budget. She only makes $1,300 a month Social Security and she’s renting a really nice one-bedroom for $425 a month. It’s got granite countertops, and the price includes all of her fast Internet, water, trash collection, etc.

 

In 2015, my tour guests rented these properties in Boquete:

It is harder to find a nice rental than it was 5 or 6 years ago, so you need to allow 1-2 weeks for a house hunting trip or plan to stay in a hotel while you are looking for a property.

 

You should NOT rent a property sight unseen.  What looks great on the Internet or in photos may not look so great when you see it in person.  And you can't see what the neighbors are like.  You don't want to move next to a house that has a lot of dogs or chickens or junk cars.

 

There’s a big spectrum of what price you’re going to pay. But I would say that on just about anybody’s budget you could find a very nice place to live.

 

(Pictured: view of Boquete.)