Colegio Europeo
National
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
Cost of Living inPanama City, Panama
Panamá, Panama408KCapitalHigh incomeRemote-work friendly
Image credit: 123Hollic
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Your money goes 1.94x further
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Panama: $37,516/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 53% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Overall
2.1x further
Prices are 53% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
3.5x further
Prices are 71% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
1.9x further
Prices are 46% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
2.3x further
Prices are 57% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Income Category
High
World Bank GNI
GDP per Capita
$37,516
PPP, International $
City Population
408K
Monthly Costs
Rent
1BR City Center$1,320/mo
1BR Outside Center$1,031/mo
3BR City Center$2,182/mo
3BR Outside Center$1,578/mo
Food
Cheap Meal$10
Mid-Range (2 people)$50
Milk (1L)$1.85
Eggs (12)$2.93
Transport
Monthly Pass$21
Gasoline (1L)$0.91
Utilities
Basic (85m² apt)$130/mo
Internet (60+ Mbps)$48/mo
Education
Preschool$500/mo
Intl Primary School$11,717/yr
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost — the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
This describes Panama as a whole. Enrollment rules and school quality can vary within the country, so check with schools in Panama City.
Quality
Limited public-school fit
Expat access
Possible for residents
conditionalInstruction
Spanish
Local-language fluency usually matters.
PISA / outcomes
Qualitative only
Using curated quality notes for now.
Why this quality rating
Panama’s public system is not the route most internationally mobile families use when they have other options.
Why the expat-access rating looks like this
Resident access is possible, but Spanish-medium instruction and weaker average quality make the public path less compelling for expats.
❓ Homeschooling
Not explicitly addressedMinimal requirements
Panama requires school attendance but does not specifically address homeschooling. Many expat families homeschool without interference. The school attendance law is not actively enforced for foreign residents.
Homeschool legality in Panama — check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
1 confirmed school
2 more suggested by AI, not verified
- National1
Schools' websites are found with Wikidata and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), and each is checked on the school's own site.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Panama City, Panama.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$900
monthly · confidence 0.65
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$1,800
monthly · confidence 0.65
Source: curated family relocation research
Getting Around
The concrete mobility picture for Panama City: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Walkability score: 79/100 (transit supported). This is derived from the verified mobility profile and is used by the walkability gate.
Walkability
79/100
mobility profile transit backbone
Airport
Major regional hub
Panama City is a major Latin America connection point.
Urban transit
Metro and bus
metrobus
The metro helps a lot, though some neighborhoods still feel car-heavier than Lisbon or Vienna.
Rideshare
Uber widely available
Ride-hailing is normal and often easier than driving.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Panama.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
133 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 7 months ago
Healthcare system
GoodGood national coverage help, but households still pay a large share themselves.
Public care
MixedBroad public coverage and country-level outcomes are comparatively strong help, but patients still shoulder a meaningful share of costs.
Private care
LimitedThe private footprint is not very visible yet and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
82/100
2023
Physicians
1.63/1k
2022
Hospital beds
1.95/1k
2023
Out of pocket
40%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
79.8 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
37/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
5.3/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedCountry-level outcomes are comparatively strong help, but the private footprint is still thin and price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Pharmacy: 48Clinic: 42Dentist: 26Hospital: 12Doctor: 4Laboratory: 1
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Panama yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
Hospital Santa Fe
Hospital · Emergency
Hospital Paitilla
Hospital · Emergency
Hospital del Niño
Hospital · Emergency
Ciudad Hospitalaria Camino de Cruces
Hospital · Emergency
Complejo Hospitalario Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid
Hospital · Emergency
Clínica Bella Vista
Hospital · Emergency
general
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-11-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Safety Index54/100
Crime Index47/100
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
Political Stability+0.25
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2024 annual wages in Panama City, Panama · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
budget hotel
$194.64Survey-verified436% more
childcare preschool
$500.00Estimated68% cheaper
eggs dozen
$2.93Estimated39% cheaper
gasoline liter
$13.59Survey-verified1220% more
inexpensive meal
$11.01Survey-verified48% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$48.08Estimated29% cheaper
luxury hotel
$194.64Survey-verified59% cheaper
milk liter
$1.85Estimated52% more
monthly pass
$13.59Survey-verified80% cheaper
rent 1br
$550.72Survey-verified70% cheaper
rent 3br
$2181.92Estimated31% cheaper
utilities basic
$129.92Estimated39% cheaper
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
visa freeUp to 180 days
US passport holders can stay up to 180 days without a visa.
Long-Term Visa Programs
digital nomad
Remote Worker Visa
9 monthsRenewableMin. $3,000/mo income
Migrated from legacy digital_nomad_visas row 21
retirement
Pensionado Visa PanamaDuration variesMin. $1,000/mo income
retirement
Rentista Visa PanamaDuration variesMin. $2,500/mo income
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Panama City compared with the US?
Your money goes about 1.9x further in Panama City than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate.
Is Panama City cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Panama City is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 53% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Panama City.
How does rent in Panama City compare with New York City?
Rent in Panama City is about 71% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City).
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Panama City?
Groceries in Panama City are about 46% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 57% cheaper than the same benchmark.
About Panama City
Panama City is the capital of Panama, sitting on the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and serving as the country's overwhelming political, financial, and logistical center. The economy is built on canal revenues, banking and offshore services, the Colón Free Zone trade flows, regional headquarters for Latin American operations, and Tocumen International Airport's role as the dominant Latin American transit hub. Relocators should weigh a dollarized economy (Panama uses the US dollar alongside the balboa), the well-known Friendly Nations and pensionado residency programs, and good private healthcare against a hot humid tropical climate year-round, significant traffic congestion, and stark inequality between the financial-district skyline and surrounding informal neighborhoods. Spanish is essential outside expatriate-heavy areas; English is widely used in banking and tourism.
Tropical climate: warm year-round, rainy May-NovemberExcellent fiber internet: reliable 50+ Mbps readily availableLarge, established expat community with support networksMixed walkability: downtown modern but car-dependent outer areasDiverse international food scene with local Panamanian cuisineVibrant nightlife with casco viejo bars and clubsMultiple coworking spaces: Casa Coworking, ATLAS, MacroWorks popularSafety varies by neighborhood: Casco Viejo and Punta Pacifica generally safe
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