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Panama has ranked at the top of IL’s retirement index many times for many reasons. Even after all these years, the country consistently delivers when it comes to overall value. This is particularly true for anyone looking to stay in the Western Hemisphere. Panama offers ocean views, warm weather, and big-city amenities in a hurricane-free environment. Think about it—how many places in the region offer so much while also making it easy and affordable to live there?
Thanks to Panama’s strategic position outside the hurricane belt we enjoy very mild weather, with lots of sunshine throughout the year. Even during the May through November “rainy season” we have mostly sunny mornings, with an hour or two of rain in the afternoon. Daily highs in the city and beaches are usually around 88 F, with lows around 78 F. In mountain towns like Boquete and El Valle, temperatures are 10 to 15 degrees cooler. There’s truly something for everyone here.
Panama’s location also made it the ideal “Hub of the Americas.” Completed in 1914, the Panama Canal has helped make Panama one of the richest countries in the region. These days big ships pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for each transit. Panama is also a flight hub. It’s just over three hours from Miami, and many of the airlines that serve the U.S. offer direct flights here. Panama’s Copa Airlines is one of the best regional airlines, while Tocumen International Airport is the best airport in the Central America/Caribbean region as well as one of Latin America’s top 10 passenger-friendly airports.
It’s easy to travel in-country, too. We have reliable inter-city buses and domestic flights to multiple destinations. The capital, Panama City, is home to Central America’s only light-rail or metro system. The infrastructure here is top-notch across the board. Panama is one of few countries in the region that boasts well-paved roads, potable tap water, and top-notch Internet and cellphone connections.
And yet Panama remains affordable and accessible. The Pensionado or Pensioner visa has earned Panama a top score, year after year, in the “Benefits and Discounts” category of the index. The program was created to ensure retired Panamanians could live with dignity as active members of society. If you have a pension—regardless of your age—you too can apply to become a resident pensionado.
The main requirement is straightforward: you must have a pension of at least $1,000 a month. Once you become a retiree resident of Panama, you gain access to all the pensioner discounts offered to locals. The savings are almost too good to be true…25% off power bills, 50% off movie and show tickets, 25% off plane fares, 20% off medication, 25% off meals at restaurants, and the list goes on.
Panama isn’t the cheapest country in the region, but given all it has to offer, it is incredibly affordable. Including rent, it costs me about $2,600 a month to live well in cosmopolitan Panama City. I live in a nice apartment just a seven-minute walk from a metro station. I can take an air-conditioned train and get downtown in 10 minutes for $0.35. If it’s a late night, an Uber home costs me $3 or $4.
On my budget I can afford to go out often. From film and music festivals to gourmet restaurants and wine expos, I’m spoiled for choice. This is Central America’s most modern, happening city. It’s incredibly international, and whatever your interests, they’re likely to be represented here. There are language and cultural institutes, museums and galleries, sporting and fitness events of every type…. From sky-diving clubs to motorcycle enthusiasts, I’ve seen it all.
My vacations and weekends away are inexpensive, though they seem very glamorous to my friends back in the U.S. I can get a round-trip ferry ticket to Taboga Island for $20 (the trip takes 45 minutes). Contadora Island is a little more upscale—the ferry costs about $98 and takes less than two hours. Or I can hop in my car and—within an hour and at very little expense—find myself in a completely different environment. There are beaches like Chame, Gorgona, and Coronado…the mountain town of Cerro Azul…Campana National Park…again, I’m spoiled for choice.
Staying home is fun, too. In Panama City we now have great options for everything from sushi and sashimi to pizza and pasta. Many restaurants offer delivery, and with services like Uber Eats things have only gotten easier. The food scene is so exciting that in 2019 UNESCO recognized Panama City as an Ibero-American Capital of Culture with a rich culinary landscape.
Of course, you don’t have to be in the city to enjoy a great meal. I’ve had excellent Indian food in Caribbean Bocas del Toro, Peruvian in the mountain hamlet of Boquete, Argentinian in beachy San Carlos, Cambodian in the rural village of Santa Fe, and Italian in the crater town of El Valle.
At supermarkets and shops across the country you’ll find cheap local produce and products as well as imports from around the globe. From European cheeses to primo aged beef, you can get pretty much anything you want. And when it comes to wine, the prices and selection are unbelievable. (By the way…from wine shops to pharmacies to supermarkets, there are plenty of companies here that offer home delivery.)
Then there’s the worry-free healthcare: Panama’s private facilities are among the best in the region. And there are English-speaking doctors all over the country. I pay $10 to $20 to see a doctor, $40 for dental cleanings, and $100 for five chiropractic sessions. My health insurance is less than $150 a month. I no longer worry about getting older and having medical bills eat up all my savings.
Add to that the warm and welcoming people I’ve met here…the fertile land yielding abundant crops…the two coastlines lined with beaches…and it’s easy to see why I choose to stay. I’ve been here since 2005, and my life has just gotten better and better. Sure, I enjoy traveling and exploring different parts of the world. But I’m always thrilled to come home. For me, Panama still checks all the boxes.
