Very useful information, thank you! $40 / month on average for car insurance?! I hadn't seen that stat before. Even more reason to like Panama. I also checked our your link to property rentals and saw a beautiful condo I've bookmarked for future reference. I liked and subbed, and will watch for more videos from you. Grace and peace!
I pay $185 a year with ASSA insurance. And NOOO. Panama isn’t a place to buy a property!!! Many skyscrapers are empty! Many developments on the beaches are sold with 20% or less. Means: 80% didn’t got sold at all. Imagine that you can buy brand new houses - finished in 2014!!! Would you buy a house, finished in 2014 in the USA in 2024? Noooo YOU WON’T! Most properties are completely overpriced in Panama! If you rent it buy a unit in a gated community and pay for “maintenance”. Maintenance is mostly not done! Paint is falling off the walls and iron. Nobody cares. Cheap labor? Well. Hire cheap labor and search your wallet every week! I live in Panama for 5 years now. Stay just away from real estate agents! They rip you off! Rent, explore. Ask local people for average prices of properties and rent. Again. DON’T TRUST REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN PANAMA. If you can, just buy directly from the owner. Agents will double or dribble the price if they find an idiot. (That’s what I got as advice from a real estate agent) “Americans don’t think. They just pay! 😮 This is just another “I RIP YOU OFF” advertisement! - No offense. I bought a lot and building my house by myself. The craftsmanship is just horrible in Panama! And I’m sure. I will stay 80% under the Panamanian estimate for building a house in the size of my project. Remember! The average income for local families is $650 for each adult!
Thank you for your time. I found the video to be brief but extremely informative. I will surely be requesting a free copy of your book and reading it , I'm certain, with bated breath.
Hello. I just found your channel and requested a copy of your book. I'm looking forward to my first visit to Panama at the end of January and I'd like to stay for one month to visit several areas to determine where I might want to live. I am very hopeful that your book will assist me in finding rentals that total less than $500 for the month as well as a reputable tour guide in each area that can show me around. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos.😊
Thanks for your support, we're so glad you found us! We're going to be adding more topics to our "Cost of Living" playlist in the coming months, so keep checking back. (If you've subscribed, you can turn on notifications to get notified about newly released videos.)
BTW, is the car buying process in Panama the same as it is in the US? Do they have years-long financing plans or leases, or is it a requirement to pay cash? Are there short-term leasing options?
The point is not the absolute cost but availability of less expensive options than US and freedom to move around if bored with one. If more and more Americans move to any one destination, then the cost differential will obviously diminish. We should thank all the folks are not relocating so that the ones that move can enjoy them at lower cost of living.
Panama and most of Central America is way more expensive than it should be. Southeast Asia is much cheaper and speak more English. :) huge no on anywhere in Central America….
Oh, I'm sorry you feel this way. I find that my life in Panama is more than 50% less expensive than it was when I lived a comparable life in Dallas, TX.
I disagree. I visited SE Asia and Panama last year. SE Asia is cheaper, but: *Much longer flight from US than Central America (18 hours +/- vs 8 hours nonstop). *Long term visa is more expensive and immigration is more complex. Thailand's government changes rules frequently. *Cannot safely drink tap water (So what are they washing your food in?). *Hot water on tap is not common. *Wet baths are very common. Do you like showering with your toilet? *Sex trade is even more common, with associated crime and scams. *Drive on left side of road. (And driving is a high risk undertaking, Thailand's traffic death rate is roughly twice as high as Panama's.) *Currency exchange is an issue. (Panama uses the US dollar, no exchange to bother with.) *English is more common than some parts of Central America, but Spanish is MUCH easier to learn than any SE Asian language. *Burning season. Enough said. *Tropical storms/earthquakes/tsunamis - none are issues in Panama. *Proximity to China, with related geopolitical tensions - possibility of war. Several Central American countries don't even have militaries. No place on this Earth is perfect, but IMO Panama is a much better value than SE Asia, all things considered.
I live in Panama/I cut my expensive in half & I live in a modern highrise condo building. I've gone 🐳🐳🐳🐳 watching/it was a lot cheaper than it would've been if I had flown out to the West Coast to see them.
You need to compare apples to apples. Of course it will be cheaper in a country like Panama than the US. But if you compare Latin American countries only, Panama is one of the most expensive. As of December 2024, only Costa Rica was more expensive than Panama. I have lived in three Latin countries and visited a few others and without question Panama cost me the most. But we need to understand her target audience. She focused on Americans and the cost of living is cheaper compared the US. If someone is really looking to cut costs then Colombia or Argentina would be much better options right now.
Not even close. I spend less than half of what I spent in Florida. It's interesting how someone can make an assumption on a place that they've never been to. I love here/I'll never come back to that dumpster 🔥 called America. They take all of your 💰💰💰/People are okay with it until they can't afford it anymore.
Not interested in any of those countries where Spanish is needed ! --- Rules out most all of Central - and S America. Many US expats don't really speak Spanish and it is an isolating element with business signs menus and the like ? More English is spoken in much of Europe and S E Asia - than in the Americas ! (go figure - halfway around the world even) --- US expats can enjoy up to 70% lower cost of living in the Philippines (!) depending on lifestyle and location. Half of all US citizens have passports now and obviously are looking for greener pastures - away from - Biden's America !!! --?-- 🤔
You need very little Spanish in Panama, especially in the expat communities. When I moved to Panama, I literally knew 5 words of Spanish! Thanks for posting.
The Philippines is poverty stricken and seems to cater to old men who want young girls. The girls seem to be looking for old men willing to take care of their entire family. What about all the homeless expats all over the Philippines.
@@shayscott7498 Every country has "poverty stricken" - and many expats are alone w/o "young girls" and retired comfortably - travel the islands - enjoy the white sand beaches - world class scuba diving - etc: --?-- A nice climate for many - and a low cost of living !
Very useful information, thank you! $40 / month on average for car insurance?! I hadn't seen that stat before. Even more reason to like Panama. I also checked our your link to property rentals and saw a beautiful condo I've bookmarked for future reference. I liked and subbed, and will watch for more videos from you. Grace and peace!
Thanks for watching and subscribing. :)
I pay $185 a year with ASSA insurance. And NOOO. Panama isn’t a place to buy a property!!! Many skyscrapers are empty! Many developments on the beaches are sold with 20% or less. Means: 80% didn’t got sold at all. Imagine that you can buy brand new houses - finished in 2014!!! Would you buy a house, finished in 2014 in the USA in 2024? Noooo YOU WON’T! Most properties are completely overpriced in Panama! If you rent it buy a unit in a gated community and pay for “maintenance”. Maintenance is mostly not done! Paint is falling off the walls and iron. Nobody cares. Cheap labor? Well. Hire cheap labor and search your wallet every week! I live in Panama for 5 years now. Stay just away from real estate agents! They rip you off! Rent, explore. Ask local people for average prices of properties and rent. Again. DON’T TRUST REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN PANAMA. If you can, just buy directly from the owner. Agents will double or dribble the price if they find an idiot. (That’s what I got as advice from a real estate agent) “Americans don’t think. They just pay! 😮 This is just another “I RIP YOU OFF” advertisement! - No offense. I bought a lot and building my house by myself. The craftsmanship is just horrible in Panama! And I’m sure. I will stay 80% under the Panamanian estimate for building a house in the size of my project. Remember! The average income for local families is $650 for each adult!
Yes, Melissa very informative information😊
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Thank you for your time.
I found the video to be brief but extremely informative. I will surely be requesting a free copy of your book and reading it , I'm certain, with bated breath.
I'm glad you found it helpful, and I hope you enjoy the book!
Hello. I just found your channel and requested a copy of your book. I'm looking forward to my first visit to Panama at the end of January and I'd like to stay for one month to visit several areas to determine where I might want to live. I am very hopeful that your book will assist me in finding rentals that total less than $500 for the month as well as a reputable tour guide in each area that can show me around. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos.😊
Thanks for your support, we're so glad you found us! We're going to be adding more topics to our "Cost of Living" playlist in the coming months, so keep checking back. (If you've subscribed, you can turn on notifications to get notified about newly released videos.)
You're fun!!
Thank you! And thanks for watching. :)
BTW, is the car buying process in Panama the same as it is in the US? Do they have years-long financing plans or leases, or is it a requirement to pay cash? Are there short-term leasing options?
The point is not the absolute cost but availability of less expensive options than US and freedom to move around if bored with one. If more and more Americans move to any one destination, then the cost differential will obviously diminish. We should thank all the folks are not relocating so that the ones that move can enjoy them at lower cost of living.
Panama and most of Central America is way more expensive than it should be. Southeast Asia is much cheaper and speak more English. :) huge no on anywhere in Central America….
Oh, I'm sorry you feel this way. I find that my life in Panama is more than 50% less expensive than it was when I lived a comparable life in Dallas, TX.
Please tell me where in Panama you are, my family are looking for a place to live in Panama @@choosepanama
I disagree. I visited SE Asia and Panama last year. SE Asia is cheaper, but:
*Much longer flight from US than Central America (18 hours +/- vs 8 hours nonstop).
*Long term visa is more expensive and immigration is more complex. Thailand's government changes rules frequently.
*Cannot safely drink tap water (So what are they washing your food in?).
*Hot water on tap is not common.
*Wet baths are very common. Do you like showering with your toilet?
*Sex trade is even more common, with associated crime and scams.
*Drive on left side of road. (And driving is a high risk undertaking, Thailand's traffic death rate is roughly twice as high as Panama's.)
*Currency exchange is an issue. (Panama uses the US dollar, no exchange to bother with.)
*English is more common than some parts of Central America, but Spanish is MUCH easier to learn than any SE Asian language.
*Burning season. Enough said.
*Tropical storms/earthquakes/tsunamis - none are issues in Panama.
*Proximity to China, with related geopolitical tensions - possibility of war. Several Central American countries don't even have militaries.
No place on this Earth is perfect, but IMO Panama is a much better value than SE Asia, all things considered.
I live in Panama/I cut my expensive in half & I live in a modern highrise condo building. I've gone 🐳🐳🐳🐳 watching/it was a lot cheaper than it would've been if I had flown out to the West Coast to see them.
You need to compare apples to apples. Of course it will be cheaper in a country like Panama than the US. But if you compare Latin American countries only, Panama is one of the most expensive. As of December 2024, only Costa Rica was more expensive than Panama. I have lived in three Latin countries and visited a few others and without question Panama cost me the most. But we need to understand her target audience. She focused on Americans and the cost of living is cheaper compared the US. If someone is really looking to cut costs then Colombia or Argentina would be much better options right now.
Sounds like panama is just as expensive as the us.
It's actually about 50% cheaper. You save money on: insurance, property taxes, domestic services, tipping, and more!
Not even close. I spend less than half of what I spent in Florida. It's interesting how someone can make an assumption on a place that they've never been to. I love here/I'll never come back to that dumpster 🔥 called America. They take all of your 💰💰💰/People are okay with it until they can't afford it anymore.
Not interested in any of those countries where Spanish is needed ! --- Rules out most all of Central - and S America. Many US expats don't really speak Spanish and it is an isolating element with business signs menus and the like ? More English is spoken in much of Europe and S E Asia - than in the Americas ! (go figure - halfway around the world even) --- US expats can enjoy up to 70% lower cost of living in the Philippines (!) depending on lifestyle and location. Half of all US citizens have passports now and obviously are looking for greener pastures - away from - Biden's America !!! --?-- 🤔
@KB3TLE ...Typical entitled uppity, grumpy gringo attitude. Yes, PLEASE dont move here
You need very little Spanish in Panama, especially in the expat communities. When I moved to Panama, I literally knew 5 words of Spanish! Thanks for posting.
The Philippines is poverty stricken and seems to cater to old men who want young girls. The girls seem to be looking for old men willing to take care of their entire family. What about all the homeless expats all over the Philippines.
@@shayscott7498 Every country has "poverty stricken" - and many expats are alone w/o "young girls" and retired comfortably - travel the islands - enjoy the white sand beaches - world class scuba diving - etc: --?-- A nice climate for many - and a low cost of living !
@@shayscott7498 What places do you recommend? Thanks.