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Panama Cathedral in Panama City


Cost of Living in Panama City, Panama

By Betsy Burlingame

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama
Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

Summary: Should you move to Panama City for a lower cost of living? The answer may surprise you.

Panama's Cost of Living has Risen

"Panama is no longer cheap, though not expensive. In most places you can live without a car if you want. Utilities are cheap, except electricity-keep this in mind if you want to live at low elevation. Real estate is slow now and deals can be had on rentals and purchases (but rent to try out before buying) A couple can rent and live comfortably, but not extravagantly, on $2000 a month," wrote one expat.

"It's not as cheap as I thought it would be. Food is the same or more. Restaurants are cheaper. Transport much cheaper. Clothing and appliances are probably cheaper in US. We have better sales in US," wrote one American who decided to retire in Panama City.

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama
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Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.
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Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Rental Housing Prices

"A 2-bedroom, 2 bath in a new-build building would run about USD 1500-1700/month, furnished. Apartments in older buildings cost less. Many apartments, such as mine, are much larger - 3 or more bedrooms, family room/den, service quarters, etc. My apartment here is as big as a small house would be in Montreal. Let's compare amenities with Montreal: staffing levels are higher here, so service, cleanliness and maintenance are better than in places where salaries are higher. For example, here there are 2 janitors on duty 8 hours/day, 6 days/week. In Montreal my building had 1 janitor on duty 7 hours/day, 5 days/week. There is security/doorman 24/7, Common areas, gym, pool, party rooms are better. Just nicer for your money. You'd have to come check it out yourself. Suggest you look at the website Encuentra24 to get an idea of what is on the market in your chosen areas. PC is a big city," said one expat.

Cost of Typical Monthly Expenses

"[The cost of a] Used car depends on model, type, age, miles, you can always find a expat ready to sale one cheap because they are moving back. 5k to 10k ins. well that is cheap, about 200 dollars per year on a used car. Power bill 100 to 200 per month. Water 6 dollars. Gas a large 100 lb tank should last you a year at about 75 dollars. Cable and wifi the more you buy from them, like tv internet, phone - cheaper the bill. I get their fastest package for around 65 dollars per month. House rental is 500 and up. Food, again depends on your taste," explained one expat.

Traveling MailboxTraveling Mailbox
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Traveling Mailbox serves thousands of travelers, expats, digital nomads, businesses, individuals and others in over 47 Countries by scanning their postal mail so they can view it online anywhere in the world. They provide customer service 7 days a week so if you need assistance, it is just a phone call away. Traveling Mailbox works with Evernote, Bill.com and Dropbox. And, there are Traveling Mailbox apps available for iOS and Android devices.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Traveling MailboxTraveling Mailbox

Traveling Mailbox serves thousands of travelers, expats, digital nomads, businesses, individuals and others in over 47 Countries by scanning their postal mail so they can view it online anywhere in the world. They provide customer service 7 days a week so if you need assistance, it is just a phone call away. Traveling Mailbox works with Evernote, Bill.com and Dropbox. And, there are Traveling Mailbox apps available for iOS and Android devices.
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Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Low Cost of Living Doesn't Always Equal Happiness

"In my experience economic migrants who move to Panama ONLY to reduce their cost of living wind up bitter and disappointed because life in a developing country with a different culture and language has challenges that aren't erased by lower costs," commented one expat.

Business Panama Group

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The Business Panama Group is a well-established group of companies, professionals and alliance partners with 20 years of experience promoting and facilitating business, investments, real estate, immigration and tourism in Panama by providing information, business development and support services to individual and corporate investors.

Business Panama Group

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The Business Panama Group is a well-established group of companies, professionals and alliance partners with 20 years of experience promoting and facilitating business, investments, real estate, immigration and tourism in Panama by providing information, business development and support services to individual and corporate investors.

About the Author

Betsy Burlingame Betsy Burlingame is the Founder and President of Expat Exchange and is one of the Founders of Digital Nomad Exchange. She launched Expat Exchange in 1997 as her Master's thesis project at NYU. Prior to Expat Exchange, Betsy worked at AT&T in International and Mass Market Marketing. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BA in International Business and German.

Some of Betsy's articles include 12 Best Places to Live in Portugal, 7 Best Places to Live in Panama and 12 Things to Know Before Moving to the Dominican Republic. Betsy loves to travel and spend time with her family. Connect with Betsy on LinkedIn.


Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama
Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama
Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

Panama Cathedral in Panama City

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama
Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

We've partnered with Kovalenko & Vera to help with your move.
Learn More

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

We've partnered with Kovalenko & Vera to help with your move.
Learn More

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Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama
Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

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