What advice do overseas retirees have for others considering retiring abroad?

"Panama is a nice place, but hot and humid with the best climate from December to April. Advertising from some relocation services about how cheap is Panama is not really up to date since Panama is getting expensive. The best way is to visit the recommended places and, by yourself, visit the stores (especially grocery) to figure out prices of some products are twice the US price. You can buy local but you will be considerably limited on food and food diversity is very important for a good health. Everything is full retail price in Panama and lots of people order from the US and it still is cheaper even with shipping with a much larger selection as Panama selection is very limited and it's understandable with only 4M population. We have lived in Panama and Portugal but there are no comparison as Portugal is the best place to be but it's far away from the US with a different time zone and currency. Portugal price are much lower than Panama on everything and the grocery food selection is the best you can have. Panama is a nice place to live with nice people but not based on lower cost of living since it has changed in the past few years. There maybe places you can live "cheap" but that won't be next to big center with not much services accessibility and diversity (hospitals, clinics, pharmacy, grocery stores, etc) with no price/selection competition among the different stores," wrote a member who made the move to Panama City, Panama.

Kovalenko & 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.

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Kovalenko & 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.

"Don't do it because you think you save a lot. At least not in Panama. Rural, small city town US is probably just as cheap overall. But healthcare is a big issue now and you can save a lot in Panama. Getting outside the US could be good if conditions in US get bad. I would probably choose Asia if I could. But it is too far away. Since I need to travel a lot back to US," explained one expat living in Panama City, Panama.