The More Touristy The Town The More It Costs. Your Choices Matter Too (e.g., A 25 cent sno-cone vs a 75 cent soda)
The higher costs of Panama City seem to radiate out. The costs of Coronado and El Valle, which are both fairly close to Panama City, are significantly higher than Boquete's, which is much further away from Panama City.
You should know that Coronado and El Valle have been the playground of wealthy Panamanians for generations.
Typically, a wealthy family will live in Panama City. But also own a beach place in Coronado and a place up in the cool mountain air of El Valle. So El Valle and Coronado have always had more of a resort or vacation town feel.
While Boquete, until about 15 -20 years ago, was a simple agricultural town.
You Can Buy Your Favorite Brands In Coronado
Coronado is on the Pacific Ocean about a 1 hour drive from Panama City.
Coronado is a very easy entry point for expats. It is all ready to go with many of the amenities you are used to easily available. You will love Coronado if that is what you want. You will hate it if you want to move to Panama to live "with the peoples" and have a different-from-home lifestyle.
The town is gated. You must be okayed to go through. I'm not sure what qualifies as being okay. Last time I went, which was awhile ago, I don't recall the gate being manned.
We have never stayed in Coronado. When we drove through, it seemed like a ghost town. Lots of empty houses. We found it hard to find a way onto the beach. Of course, we were there in the off-season.
Another Panama site, PanamaForReal.com, did a post describing Coronado. Chris, the author, stayed in Coronado for a few days. His impression is of a much more vibrant town. You can see it here.
Costs in Coronado are similar to costs in Panama City. Coronado presents many of the same temptations to spend money that Panama City does. Plus, it is only one hour from Panama City.
Some people report that the overall atmosphere is full relaxation & indulging the senses.
Coronado many ways to spend money
Of course, you can spend less. But if that is your goal I would suggest living some where else. Somewhere that you won't be surrounded by so many opportunities to spend more.
El Valle Is A Good Place To Cool Off
El Valle, as the name states, is in a valley. It is at 3,000 feet and about 2 hours from Panama City.
It is a quiet town that comes alive on Sundays. On Sundays El Valle has a very popular market. Unlike most markets in Panama, this one features Panamanian handicrafts.
Cost of living in El Valle is less than in Panama City. For instance you can hire a maid for less and housing can be, but is not necessarily less. You will also not need to use your AC much, if at all.
I have read reports that the cost of living in El Valle is $3000 a month, but looking at costs it seems like you could comfortably live there for less than that.
I am more familiar with Boquete than with El Valle or Coronado. I go up there
Boquete is cooler, rainier, and getting more expensive
occasionally. I was just there 2 weeks ago to go zip-lining for my daughter's 13th birthday. It was a blast. They had added 2 new lines since we were there last.
Every time I go to Boquete it has more things to do both for tourists and ex-pat residents.
The influx of foreigners has made Boquete more expensive than other towns in Chiriqui.
However, if you don't have to pay rent or a mortgage you can still live there comfortably for about $1600 a month.
One of the biggest costs you will have is housing.
I am only going to examine rents here, not homeownership.
Typically, if you buy, you will pay in one lump sum, or maybe over 2 - 3 years. Which means, once you have paid for your home, your monthly cost of living will be much less. You, of course, will still need to pay utilities.
Also, if your house is titled, you will also need to pay property taxes. Property taxes are low, a maximum of 2.1% of the value of the property. Usually that means 2% of what you paid for the property. Of course, if you qualify for the tax exemption, you won't need to pay that either.
Boquete Seems Like A Bargain, But David is Cheaper
In Coronado, rents can be quite high - $1000 to $5000 a month.
I am assuming that most of you reading this are not going to be springing for the $5000 month rental. The fully furnished condo, right on the beach, with pool, sauna, for $2000 month seems like a pretty luxurious option.
To get a reasonable cost of living estimate, I am assuming both a maximum and minimum costs
To check out the rental prices in Coronado, click this compreoalquile.com link.
Compared to Coronado, Boquete is a bargain with rents from $600 to $1800 a month. You can look at Boquete rental prices here.
When I looked there were only 2 rentals listed in El Valle. One with a 6 month lease, was $1000 a month. There was also a house for $2500 a month. You may find more rental options in El Valle, when you click this rental listing link.
People chose to live in these "more expensive" places for a number of reasons.
Of course, towns with lots of expats are not for everyone.
If not, you can choose a town in which expats live, but not in overwhelming numbers.
For instance, Volcan or Puerto Armuelles. Or you can choose a place that is completely off grid.
There are plenty of places well off-the-beaten-path in Panama.
Below I have a line item cost of living charts for each of these 3 towns. Use these as a jumping off point for your own calculations.
As you will see some items like internet, cable, water and garbage are basically the same where ever you are. It is mostly food, entertainment and housing that vary.
Keep in mind that if you will buy your house without a mortgage you will have a much lower monthly budget in Panama.
