True cost of living (Panama City, Coronado, Padasi, etc) and lifestyle

Ken - I believe that the cost of living is highest in all of Panama in Panama City  and Coronado.  It seems unlikely that your plan will give you a good sense of how to reduce your expenses in Panama.

Hi Steve - my wife and I are a little spooked out about what we read about the crime in some of the less populated areas. Should we be concerned about it or not?

I can't answer that for you, Ken. I do not have a lot of direct experience, but the people I met in the smaller towns certainly felt safe generally. The crimes are mostly those of opportunity, to be expected when there is a bunch of affluent expats mingling in a 3rd world environment. Common sense applies. You will hear about anomalous outrages in small towns because everyone is affected. You won't hear about incidents in the city because it would be more commonplace. That would be my guess anyway. I would not expect Panama City to be safer than Volcan!

Another point is climate, you being from Portland (whichever one) - be sure you can withstand unrelenting temps of 80-90F and humidity in the coastal areas. For me, that means a life lived indoors with AC running.

My advice would be to plan some time in the highlands as well as the City and the Beach for your trip. Then you will be in a better position to make the right decision for yourself.

Hello everyone and welcome on board Ken 

A new thread has been created from some of your posts on the Panama forum so that you may get some feedbacks.

In the meantime, the following thread will give you an indication about cost of living : Cost of living in Panama – 2015

All the best,
Bhavna

looking to purchase a condo very near or on the beach-we have looked at Panama City but did not get to see much else of DR.  We like to scuba dive and snorkel.  Most important would be rental income-return on investment (ROI), occupancy rates and a good attorney!  We have grown kids and grand-kids that would want to use the condo at times, so must be family friendly.  Not really interested in remote locations or mountains (unless has view of ocean or within 15-20 minutes of beach).

ALSO, interested in any information on Residency by purchasing/owning farmland

1) What areas would you recommend?
2) What areas would you avoid?
3) Names on any attorneys that you have used that were very good?
4) Any information of residency through land acquisition will be great.

PapaG

thanks in advance

kennonna wrote:

Hi Everyone: My wife and I are going to Panama this January to explore the possibility of moving there. Our goal is to find a place to stay in Coronado for a month (anyone know of a place to rent and/or a company to contact about it) and then move to Panama City for two weeks. We would like to see for ourselves what the country is like, the true cost of living there, how the different areas are (Panama City, Coronado, Padasi, etc), the people and lifestyles. Any suggestions by anyone would be appreciated.
Ken

I think you've selected three very different lifestyles to check out - which is good.  Experiencing each area will reveal a lot to you guys in terms of what's important to you and what you need and want in a living environment.  The longer you stay in each area, the more you learn about what's important to you.  A fourth area the masses would consider might be a mountain / valley community if milder climate and distance from the coast is a consideration.

Whether moving to Panama lowers your cost of living depends mainly on the lifestyle you presently have and what you're looking to replace it with.  Make sure your comparisons are "apples to apples."  Moving from rural America to Coronado or Panama City will cost you more.  Moving from urban American (e.g., Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Miami, New York, etc.) to Panama City will cost you a lot less.  The primary savings, IMO, is the cost of housing.  A nice high-rise condo in Panama City might be half the price of a similar unit in one of these U.S. locations and carries with it a fraction of the cost for condo fees and taxes.  These are my thoughts, your results may vary!

Ken ,
My wife and I (early 50's) spent a couple of weeks in Coronado, Panama City, and a couple of places in between last year.  Rent a place near Coronado from Home Away or one of those similar websites - not a hotel. You need to get a sense of the lifestyle. The area caters to expats and the town offers a large but expensive American/Canadian style supermarket, a few bars  and restaurants. Bring a wad of US Dollars-it solves a lot of problems especially with iffy CC use. Beach access in not easy in Coronado so I leased a place 8-10 miles north on a private beach.  Rent a car (small SUV recommended) at the Tocumen Airport- I got the best deal from Alamo but pay in advance - there is only one, possible two mandatory coverage (check with US online rep) but at the airport they will try to scare you into buying additional coverage(s) which really bumps the price up. Don't leave without a prepaid highway toll card! Driving is a little chaotic in the urban areas but you'll get use to it after an hour or so. You can't get a feel for the place unless you drive, purchase gas, observe the speed traps in in the smaller towns and the remarkable lack of signage. In Panama City rent a High Rise with parking or an apartment on one of the 3 islands that make up the causeway. Take a cab most places due to parking issues downtown but there is plenty to do, see and eat. Very modern in some areas of city but as a guy from the Los Angeles area, Panama and especially Panama City offered little cost savings to commit to that country.  Maybe you will see it differently.

J.J. O'Malley

Hello,
I live in David and this is my second visit. I was here in 2012 and this time around found that the prices had not changed. They say the fuel got cheaper.