American expats in Panama

Hi Geve, do not hesitate to browse through the different threads of the forum, it may help.

Wish you Good Luck,
Harmonie.

I would absolutely recommend a visit first! I had visited Panama on 4 separate occasions before my husband and I decided to move the family there. Even then, we all had a lot of adjustment to do (including my husband who is Panamanian). Retirement is probably much different than our situation (Kids in school, working, etc). Theres a lot of housing options here. The best way to see them are in person (websites can be misleading)

Costs:

Depending on what costs you are looking for, some are high and some are reasonable.  If you want to buy a condo in Panama, now is a pretty good time.  There is a huge influx of condos hitting the market now and the inventory is immense.  This means most are priced competitively and you have lots of selection.  Food, clothing and other day to day costs are getting to be comparable with North America, if not higher.  In the last three months of 2011 food prices increased 30%.  It's one thing to pay the prices but it's another to realize the quality is lacking for what you are paying for. 

Climate:

Like everywhere else in the world, the climate is changing in Panama.  Every year the wet season seems to start earlier, therefore shortening the beloved dry season.  This past may feels more like September/October with rain almost every day.  Three years ago there was practically no rain until June.  This year it started in April!  Despite the rain, Panama is hot and steamy year round (85-90+ every day), although the dry season brings a refreshing breeze.  I can't tell you how many people move here without spending a good amount here first, then have to move elsewhere because of the humidity.  Live here a year with all the seasons and then decide whether you can cope with the weather.

Medical care:

Excellent - The doctors speak English and most have been trained in either North America or Europe.  What you have to pay for a doctor or dentist is a fraction of what you would pay in the U.S.  That all being said, make sure you have a good medical insurance plan,

Lifestyle:

You can make it what you want it to be.  You can live as fast as you want or as slow as you want.  If you a partier, there are lots of clubs and bars that would surely fit the bill.  If solitude is what you are looking for, perhaps living in the city isn't for you - lots of noise, construction and traffic is excrutiating.  There are lots of expats here and some are open to receive new friends, some not so much.  You have to look around.  Panamanians are very tight-knit and more often than not you will not have serious friendships with them.  The biggest complaint among expats is the lack of customer service.  Depending on what kind of person you are, this can totally ruin your day or merely upset you for a few hours then you move on.  Regardless, you WILL be affected.

Best thing to do is come down for a year and rent a place.  There are lots of furnished rentals.  After one year you will have a pretty good idea what you are in for and then you can make a somewhat educated decision at that point.  Panama is not the cheap haven it once was and because of that, many expats are leaving to make their fixed incomes work for them, even back in the U.S.

geve wrote:

Hi, I am considering retiring to Panama.  Looking for informations about costs, climate, medical care, lifestyle.  Could anyone please write me with some information. Would consider a short visit there to assess the possibilities.  Any help or suggestions. Thanks, Geve.

I don't live in Panama yet, but I spent almost a month there last summer.  I couldn't believe how friendly the people were. When I first got there, the taxi driver actually got out of his taxi to show me which window at Albrook to get ticket to where I was going.  Then , he even paid for the turnstile to get to the busses.  Later, I was standing on a corner of a town trying to figure out how to get a taxi.  This gentleman came up to me and asked if I needed a cab.  He hailed down a cab for me.  Another time, I was trying to get my huge suitcase in a mini van, but it was hard to fit.  The driver actually drove me to another larger van that could fit my suitcase.  When I was at a restaurant in Padasi, a couple came up to me and started a conversation.  They eventually invited me to join them that evening for dinner and gave me their number if I needed anything.  I could go on and on like the people I met in Las Tablas that helped me with finding a place to wash my cloths, and a lady that went out of her way to get me an alarm clock, then told me that if I had any questions about the area, that I could talk to her.  Others offered to help me find an apartment at non-gringo prices. The only people I found to be unfriendly were the people that worked in the hotels I stayed at. The only word they seemed to no in English was no.  Go figure.
All of this and more happened in three weeks.
Sure, the cost to live in Panama and have a decent quality of life is less than the usa, but what makes Panama special is its people.  The things I mentioned above would never happen in the states.