One positive thing about Panama is that when you order something from outside the country the duty or taxes charged are very reasonable. A number of Latin American countries charge exorbitant duty and taxes if you have anything shipped in from outside the country. This is true of several countries that supposedly have a much lower cost of living than Panama. Also in general it is cheaper to buy and maintain a car in Panama as compared to several other Latin American countries. It is fairly easy to find a good deal on a used car in Panama. There is a big selection. I recently renewed my tags on my old Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep and it costs me 165 dollars including insurance, inspection and the new plates. Keeping my vehicle in repair is fairly cheap and the cost of diesel is lower than many other countries. I've brought into Panama a large commercial mower, a Massey Ferguson tractor and several hundred small items shipped in through a private mail service during the past 20 years. Never once was I charged what I considered to be an unreasonable amount of duty. And when you fly in you can bring in pretty much anything you want that fits in your luggage. Or at least that has been my experience. Anyhow this is something to take into consideration when comparing the cost of living of Panama to other countries. I have heard stories of people having mailed items to the Dominican Republic and having to pay an outrageous sum to receive their item. Same with Nicaragua and several other countries. So if you occasionally like to order items from Amazon or eBay it is something to take into consideration.
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