Panama Living

Cost of living.

Even without all the benefits listed above, you’re still ahead of the game when it comes to your day to day living expenses as compared to the United States, Canada and Western Europe. For example, a housekeeper or gardener averages about $6 to $7 per day -- or hire a live-in for less than $300 per month.

Electricity runs from 10 to 12 cents per kilowatt hour -- the country uses North American 110 voltage. Live in the highland areas where you’ll need no air conditioning or heat, and you’ll spend around $50 per month -- live in the hotter lowland areas, use AC every day, and pay considerably more. If you’re a retiree, the 25% discount will certainly help.

Of special note, Panama is the only Central American country where you can drink water straight from the tap nearly nation wide. But if refreshing pure water isn’t enough, a cup of locally grown coffee in a village restaurant can cost as little as 30 cents, the same cost as a can of local beer purchased at the supermarket. Shop for local fruits, vegetables and meats and your grocery bill will be considerably lower than in the U.S. -- satisfy your craving for Oreo cookies, or other imported goods, and you’ll pay more.

Same thing with restaurants. You can eat like the locals for a couple of bucks-- expect a heaping plate of chicken, pork or beef, rice, beans, plantain and a vegetable. Order a filet mignon at a mid-range restaurant for $6 to$10 -- or dine at an upscale Panama City restaurant and pay about what you would in a mid-size U.S. metropolis.

Going to the movies, at $5 or less, is a lot more reasonable than in the U.S. Add popcorn and soda and instead of the $40 or more you’d pay in any big city cinema, you’ll get through the door for less than half this. Entertainment options like concerts, sports, museums, even a night at the disco, cost 50% of what they do in the states. However, hang out in one of the Panama City casinos and you can lose your money just as quickly as you do in Vegas.