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I’ll make it short; DONT DO IT!!! Panama is expensive than Europe, very unsafe, poor health system, very corrupt police and authorities in general, unreliable public services (after each rain power shutdown).

@Illinois Gator My husband and I retired here four years ago. He's originally from here, but we lived in Chicago together for 34 years before retiring here. There are several expat retirees living in our building and I've seen plenty in my neighborhood (El Cangrejo).

With that said, Panama definitely has its challenges. Traffic can be hellish and the drivers are horrible: rude and unskilled. Panama is not cheap. For a decent meal, be prepared to pay $75-$100 with drinks and a glass of wine for two people. I honestly can't imagine living here if I didn't speak Spanish. The idea that many people are bilingual is BS. Many doctors and most wealthy people are bilingual, but it's very difficult to find service people who are, except in hotels.

On the plus side, if you're into shopping and dining, there are lots of options. There are a couple of small museums, but nothing great. Rent is generally reasonable, especially if you're coming from a big city in the US. Property taxes are very reasonable, if you decide to buy, and you may find a place with a five or ten year exemption. COPA Airlines, the national carrier, flies just about everywhere in the western hemisphere and is almost always on time, but it's not cheap.

If you want to find out more, email me at [Sent in private]

Ken

@manper

How long have you lived there?

Four years.

@kgilberg59

Why do you stay if it is so awful?

Who said it was awful? Chicago has horrible traffic, too. The drivers are better and more courteous there though.

Here we live in an incredible apartment with a view of the city skyline, the Pacific and the Panama Canal. It would have cost at least double in Miami.

We love our neighborhood here because we have most everything we need in walking distance. And since we're retired, we try to schedule driving outside of peak hours, so it's not so stressful.

Our neighborhood is very diverse with a mixture of locals and foreigners of every age and background. It's very pet friendly.

I didn't want to retire to Florida because I didn't want to be just another old person talking about my next doctors appointment.

And without getting too much into politics, we wanted to live in a place where we felt we could make a positive impact on LGBTQIA+ rights and not a state trying to roll back the clock.

If we had stayed in the US, Florida would have been the only option to consider because my 90 year old mom lives there. Panama is a relatively short flight away.

You mentioned a resort in Panama City, which left me scratching my head. Where are you staying? There are no beaches in the city.

Since your first words to me were....I'll make it short; DONT DO IT!!! , it was an assumption on my part. 

All the reasons you listed for living there are the same reasons we are thinking of moving there.   There is a great deal going on in the US that we do not really like and just feel we could be happier outside of the country when we retire. 

That is why your first words do not make much sense.   

As for where we are staying, it is actually further outside of Panama City than I thought, I was mistake due to its proximity to the Canal and Canal museum.

We are staying at the The Westin Playa Bonita Panama

I think you should reread that comment. It wasn't from me. His name is Manper.

I don't get his comment about power outages. They're more frequent than in the US, but not an everyday ocurrance. Most high rise buildings have backup generators and backup water tanks, so speaking from personal experience, we've never been without power.

The public healthcare system here sucks, but as an expat, you probably won't deal with it. The private Healthcare system here is excellent. Hospital Punta Pacífica is ranked number 7 in all of Latin America. Doctors here spend time with you, not the five minute slots you get in the US. I've never had to wait more than a few days to get in to see a specialist, not the months you can wait in the US. Many have been trained in the US and many speak English. The cost of an office visit varies from about $60 to $120. Half or less of what you'd pay in the US.

Of course, Medicare will not cover you in Panama. You will have to get medical insurance and many will not cover you after 65, but some will.

@kgilberg59

My apologies, I thought I had replied to him.   

Thank you for your insights, this is just what we were looking for.

I am a retired Marine and Tri-care select will cover us there if my information is correct. 

I apologize again for the error on my part. 

No worries. I posted my email address above. Feel free to contact me there.

I'm just stopping in to see what's new in Panama.

I did a big Latin America stint (nearly 10 years) between Panama, Chile and Argentina.

There are definitely challenges, especially in relation to safety, health coverage, corruption, and the general get-the-gringo vibe. Panama definitely has these issues, and so, as @manper indicates, you gotta be careful. In particular, Panama dollarized (1 balboa = 1 USD), so it has become rather expensive, along with the USA. Non-dollarized might offer better value. Argentina's economy is a bit of basket case, with rampant inflation, but that's actually a great deal for anyone with income/pension in hard currencies.

On the other hand, as @kgilberg59 says, it's perfectly possible to live a very relaxing life if you have income and a nice place to live. Panama geographic proximity to the USA makes it very convenient too, only beaten by Mexico.

We lived for some years, between Panama City and Playa Coronado. We had a fancy high-rise on Avenida Balboa with a glorious view of the ocean. If you're used to Miami, it'll be a bit frustrating to have the sea right in front of you, but not be able to swim/sunbathe. :-) However, Coronado (and the neighbouring San Carlos, Gorgona, Chame) is a great little beachside community. We found it a little small for full-time living, but there are plenty of expats there, and in Panama City.

We ended up back in Europe, as it's easier to visit my pops. And I like the network of low-cost (and short) flights all across Europe with Ryanair/Wizzair/EasyJet, compared to the cost of Copa and Latin American jaunts. I recently became a Permanent Resident of Bulgaria. Low cost of property, low cost of living, very safe, and very easy to get access to the public healthcare system. The people are very welcoming of foreigners, so nobody is treating me like a rich gringo and trying to see what they can scam out of me. Much happier here than in Panama, wish I'd come here sooner and skipped the Latin America adventure completely. But better late, than never. :-)