How is living in Panama for Americans and Europeans?

I’m mid forties and living in PC Panama for a year now. Linuxiac is wrong; you can own property in Panama even on a 90 day turista (tourist) visa (see www.panamaexpertos.com), you just need to exit the country every 89 days to renew your visa or pay a fine. There is no reason to have an escort in Panama unless you want to walk around on the street with a presidential Rolex or your 4 carat Tiffany platinum ring, but then there are places in the US you won't do that either. However, I see these items being worn in the Multi Plaza mall here in PC BTW. There are places where I do no go after dark. Name me one country in the world where this isn't true. If I shop in an area where a crime of opportunity may occur I usually try to look like a local as much as possible. However, my 28 yr old daughter and her family are her and see is a natural light, light blonde. She will never blend in but dresses in jeans and t shirt for street shopping and we had had no problems. The difference with crimes of opportunity in Panama verses the US would be you probably aren’t going to loose you life, just your possessions. Until 2000 American had a large influence in Panama. We built the roads, water, and most of the intra structure here. You can drink the water from the faucet in the city, you can plug your blow dryer in without a converter, and you don't have to exchange your money for another currency.

Drew_Tease said to make sure you can secure a job in Panama. Work visas are extremely difficult to get. It’s much better to have a steady income that isn’t dependant on making a living in Panama. One exception may be rental property. We have off shore income that supports us here.

Now, to answer your question:

Quality of life is good for us, but it truly depends on your personal needs and desires. I will tell you what I like first. I like having a maid and a driver to run small errands, we also have a part time chef since we entertain a lot. I love the local culture, the hustle and bustle of the city, the closeness of the mountains and the beaches, taking trips out of the city and exploring the country. We are extremely health conscience, so the cleaner foods of Panama are a great benefit to us. Our budget in the US was $6,000 a month. Here with our staff and monthly living expenses we are at $2000. Our maid is $225, our driver is $400, and our chef is $220 PER MONTH. You can live very frugally or as extravagantly as you desire. There is always something going on in the city, fireworks for some occasion, some parade, some event or concert at the convention center, some expat meeting, etc. There is no reason to be bored and sit at home.

What I don’t like: The traffic in the city when I need to run errands, the constant noise I have from living in the heart of the city, the dirt that blows in from the city even living on the 24th floor. There is no one-stop shopping in Panama (say good bye to the Wal-Mart Super Centers, they don’t exist here). If you don’t know the language you will tire quickly of trying to make yourself understood. Driving in Panama is more about reading the other persons face and trying to figure out what they are going to do rather than know the rules. I smell of sewage from Punta Paitilla. If rain bothers you there will be six months of almost daily rain.

But when I lay every thing in the balance scale the benefits of living here out weight the dislikes substantially. Even paradise and it is paradise here; has its warts.

I would strong suggest putting your things in storage in the US, renting a small place in the city, try it for six months. Explore and travel the country, this will tell you if you like and what part of the country you want to live in.

I'm not in my 40's but I'm getting to my mid 30's soon. I hope that does not disqualify me from answering your question. I was stationed in Panama while I was in the NAVY couple years back, and I know how you feel about wanting to live there.

First of all what you want to do is to decide where in Panama you want to live (i.e nearby the city or more to the suburb). This way you can see what your budget and cost of living.

Second you should look at your current profession, whether or not any companies in Panama would have the same profession and that they would hire you to work with them.

Now, as in quality of live there...As much as Panama is considered a part of third world country, last time I was in Panama back in 2004 the city and the country has changed so much. The economy is finally booming just like Puerto Rico and some part of Mexico, not only that their security is guaranteed by the protection of Mexico and the U.S

There are still some issues with the government, of course these would be young Panamanians protesting for more rights for them to be involved in their government, and trying to take out corruption in the government.

Other than that of course you can survive, they use the U.S dollar as currency and financially for you; you would be better off if you know that you can adapt to the climate of the current monetary and political problems. Make sure you have enough money to start a new life there and make sure that you can get a job in their job market there, Panama have a great potential to be successful just like the Bahamas and the Puerto Rican Islands.

I hope this give you some insight.

The previous answers seem quite OK, except for the person that doesn't want to relocate anywhere else but the USA.

Quality of life is very good in Panama. This is a good country with good medical services. Sure public medical services could be improved, but we're getting there. Right now they are better than what they used to be a couple of years ago. The weather is strange sometimes, but I guess with global warming that is going to keep happening until we do something as a planet.

The trick for getting what you need in Panama is "good advice". Most of the time I've heard foreigners having problems are because they didn't get good advice from their attorneys.

If you're planning to relocate and work, then you must do so with a visa that allows you to get a work permit in Panama. You may establish your corporation so that you have a work permit. Also you have other ways to properly immigrate to Panama with a visa that allows you to stay indefintely, rather than leaving every 90 days so you can stay as a tourist.

My best advice is to come here and have a meeting with a good immigration attorney so you can discuss your options.

You as a foreigner can own property in Panama with all the rights a Panamanian has, so don't be mistaken with other opinions on the matter. However engaging in business is different in some cases if you're not a Panamanian national. For example, retail is only allowed to Panamanian nationals. Foreigners can only establish a business to sale wholesale. Also some professions are only allowed to Panamanian nationals, like attorneys for example. You would have to become a Panamanian in order to be an attorney. Some other professions are allowed to foreigner if you're married to a Panamanian, for example a medic.

I live in Panama. Specifically near a major retiree city, Boquete. It is ok, but it is not for everyone. First Costa Rica is the last option. My uncle use to live there when they invited all the retirees there with good incentives Like no duty on your personal belonging, etc. Once they had a sufficient amount of Gringos in CR they decided to quit with the benefits and they started taxing like crazy. On top of that it is very dangerous. One popular thing to do is to find a family and take them hostage. The take the husband and leave the wife and kids tied. They take the husband to shopping centers and everything and they try to extract as much money from him as possible. If he does not cooperate the he does not see his family. Here is another story that happened to a personal friend. He was building a home and he had a contractor. The contractor was trying to get more money out of my friend (they try to get as much money from you as possible). My friend would not have it so he said not. They got into an argument and the contractor walked away. Well he came back and poured gas all over my friends car and lit it on fire. It blew up. The contractor said "next time it will be you!" I could give you a million stories. It has become a trap for Expats. Now Panama is booming. There are so many developments here. It is cheaper then Costa Rica and Mexico. It is a little more friendly, but they are stating to steal more and more from the gringos. It might be the Costa Ricans following the flow of Gringos. Many times Expats will come down for a week or month and fall in love, but that is the biggest mistake. If you are going to live somewhere for the rest of your life you need to rent fro a year to know the regular seasons etc. Moving out of the states is major. The cultures are very different. I have many Latin American friends and they tell me "we lie, cheat, and steel. It is our culture." now it really is, but not everyone does it. The cultures are very different and the language is important. You do need to speak Spanish if you are moving to Central America. People say that there are plenty of people who speak Spanish, but you will not be able to live unless you have a translator at your side. It is a major decision and it is not for everyone. A lot of people move back to the states after one year. Good luck

The average Panamanian makes $400 per month. So, your standard of living is a function of your income compared to what you want or need to live at a comfortable level. You can "get by" with very little money, but to do that you have to live without many of the luxuries like air conditioning. Land can be expensive or cheap depending on where it is. Do you want to live in the city or in the country? House or apartment? It is possible to live very well for about $2,000 per month, especially if you have a little bit of a nest egg so you can buy an apartment or house and not have to pay a mortgage or rent. In the end it comes down to your "stuff" and your consumption for daily living. You "can" get by on a lot less down here, but will you be happy living that lifestyle?

Question. In what foreign country will you be accepted, as an American?

In which foreign country can you, an American, ever own any property?

American Expatriots overseas have no rights, and are at the mercy of the local police, politicos, and mobs. You will never own any property, and you do NOT have ANY rights!

So, having spent over 10 years living in foreign countries, in Europe, in Asia, in Africa, and in the Middle East, I will tell you that

you need to keep quiet, keep a very low profile!

You will NOT be able to keep a firearm for self protection, if some student mob decides to use you as an "example" in their protest!

But, if you have $1,000 or more to spend each month, you can live like a king in some places, as soon as you learn the local customs and language(s)!

But, even in a village in Asia, with 'friendlies' all around, I was escorted everywhere for my own safety from insurgents, who are active everywhere.

Poor and desperate people have no recourse for attention, better than holding hostage (or worse, killing and photographing that) an American!

In Mexico, you cannot fly the American Flag, or speak out, or protest, or own any property, in your own name! You get NO rights, no emergency care, no freedoms!

I would rather live in a poor town in the deep South of the USA, or, in the remote Western States, than continue to live in any foreign country!

CON:

It's hot. It's damp. Everything turns to mildew in 20 minutes or less. It's lousy with stinging bugs and venomous snakes, spiders and slithery lizards. The jungle kills.

PRO:

It's cheap. It's lush. And there's lots of other expatriates for company. But you should, for courtesy's sake, learn to sling the lingo; in this case, Spanish. The birds are brightly colored and pretty.

Hope this helped.