EN · 28 articles

Daily life

Cost of living, services, paperwork.

• The climate in Panama: why you never miss winter (vs France, Canada and the USA)26.8 °C average year-round, the sea at 28 °C twelve months a year, and zero winter. Panama's climate vs Paris, London, New York and Montreal — dry/rainy seasons explained, the 4 climates within an hour's drive, and the honest truth about humidity.4 min
• Living in Panama: pros and cons (the honest verdict before you move)Neither postcard nor catalog of fears. The balanced verdict on moving to Panama: 9 real upsides (cost, taxation, dollar, climate, healthcare, security) and 9 honest downsides (humidity, bureaucracy, language, distance). What we'd tell a friend on the fence.4 min
• Saving time in Panama: domestic staff, services and the automated homeIn Panama, delegating is normal, accessible and affordable. A maid at USD 500/month, driver, nanny, gestor — plus the appliances that automate the repetitive. Real 2026 costs, by-the-book employment rules (CSS, 13th month, notice) and the 3-step method to decide what to delegate.5 min
• eSIM Panama 2026: HolaFly before Tocumen so you don't struggle on arrivalLanding at Tocumen with no connection = 45 min in the +Móvil kiosk line + an inflated $80 taxi. With a HolaFly eSIM activated before the flight, you open Uber from the jet bridge and pay $35 to get home.7 min
• The bird nobody knows is Panama's emblemYou expected a toucan, maybe a sloth. Panama chose a nine-kilo killer hidden in the Darién canopy. And that choice tells you everything about the country.6 min
• Life 360 for expat families in Panama: tracking teens, school pickup without Uber stressWith a teen at an international school and two parents at work, knowing the school run went as planned without calling 8 times = what Life 360 solves. 2-month family test in Panama City.6 min
• Bocas del Toro Carnival 2027: the Caribbean alternative to Las TablasBocas Carnival is the Caribbean version of Panamanian Carnival: beaches, reggaeton, a younger crowd, island vibes. For anyone who finds Las Tablas too intense, Bocas is the right alternative.6 min
• Las Tablas Carnival 2027: the complete guide to Panama's biggest carnivalPanama's "Mardi Gras" draws 200,000 people over 4 days in February 2027. Here's the on-the-ground guide to living Las Tablas without paying 3x the tourist price.6 min
• Driving license in Panama: complete 2026 guide (foreigners, validity, ATTT, fines)90 days with your foreign license. After that, it's mandatory ATTT conversion or fines. But what no one tells you: the conversion requires apostilled documents that take 6 weeks to obtain from your home country. Plus the traps specific to US/EU drivers (medical, translation, photo class).8 min
• Getting married in Panama in 2026: procedure for foreigners, documents, timelines, divorceMarriage in Panama is open to foreigners with clear but under-documented conditions. Systematic apostille, prenuptial medical exam, 30-day legal waiting period, choice of marital regime that determines everything after. And Panamanian divorce — often faster than you'd think.8 min
• The harpy eagle: Panama's national bird (that 99% of Panamanians have never seen)More powerful than a grizzly, able to lift a whole sloth, yet 99% of Panamanians have never seen one. And it has been the national animal since 2002. Here are 12 facts that will amaze you.6 min
• Home services in Panama 2026: maid, nanny, driver, gardenerA full-time maid costs USD 300-500/month in Panama. A nanny USD 400-700. Here's the complete home-services matrix for expats, with legal aspects and recommended platforms.4 min
• Internet and carriers Panama 2026: Cable Onda vs Tigo vs +Móvil vs Más MóvilYou arrive in Panama: 100 Mbps fiber at USD 35/month and unlimited mobile SIM at USD 18/month. Here's the field comparison of the 4 serious carriers for expats in 2026.7 min
• Living in Panama's provinces: Boquete, Coronado, Pedasí, Bocas — the 8-question testNot every expat who moves to Panama is cut out for the provinces. Many arrive dreamy then realize at 6 months they'd have been better off in Panama City. The 8-question test that filters before you sign the lease.9 min
• Expat setup 30 days in Panama City: the complete 2026 action planYou land in Panama City. You have an Airbnb for 1 month. You don't know which neighborhood to pick, how to open a local bank account, where to find decent mozzarella, how not to get ripped off in a taxi. Here's the 30-day action plan with real addresses, real prices, and the mistakes to avoid.9 min
• Healthcare in Panama for expats: hospitals, insurance, prices (2026)You live (or will live) in Panama. Which insurance to choose between an international private plan and a local one? Where to go in an emergency? How to find an English-speaking doctor? What does it really cost to give birth in Panama? Here's the complete guide to Panama's healthcare system for expats in 2026.8 min
• Panama, the new Dubai? The 2026 comparison tested under a microscopeSince 2024, you increasingly hear 'Panama, the new Dubai' in expat and investor circles. Really? I dissected the comparison on 9 concrete criteria. Verdict: yes for 4, no for 5, and the 8-figure difference no one mentions.9 min
• Buying a car in Panama (new, used, leasing): the 2026 guideWe bought our first car in Panama in 6 weeks, with one false joy and a real ordeal. Here are the real procedures, the traps, the up-to-date prices, and the buy vs lease decision.4 min
• Panama driving license: exchange from France/US, validity, procedures 2026First 90 days: foreign license valid. Past that: Panamanian license mandatory. France, US, Canada, UK, Spain, Italy and more have direct-exchange agreements with Panama — here are the 6 steps, real costs and pitfalls.5 min
• Panama vs Costa Rica: which to choose for moving in 2026?The two LATAM destinations most often weighed by Anglophone retirees and nomads. We live in Panama, we've traveled Costa Rica, we know people in both. Here is the no-fluff comparison.8 min
• 60 days of life in Panama City: what surprises, what irritates, what we loveTwo months after our late March 2026 arrival, we take time to lay out what we've actually understood about Panama City. Not a beach top-10 — a raw editorial account of what surprised, irritated, delighted, and what we've learned to avoid.6 min
• Your first 72 hours in Panama City: step-by-step checklistLanding at Tocumen with two suitcases and an Airbnb booking is easy. Doing the right things in the next 72 hours, so you don't waste 2 weeks struggling, is what decides your first month.6 min
• Cost of living in Panama City 2026: real budgets by profileHow much does it really cost to live in Panama City in 2026? Field-verified budgets by profile, with the exact amounts I've been paying every month since September 2024.10 min
• Discover Panama: 8 places that make you want to stayPanama packs into a tiny footprint what other countries take weeks to deliver: two oceans, jungle, untouched islands, cool mountains, a modern capital. Here are the 8 places that really decide whether you'll move in.8 min
• Panama climate month by month: when to arrive in 202628 to 34°C year-round, two seasons (dry and rainy), no real surprises. But there are nuances month by month — and massive regional differences.6 min
• Panamanian cuisine: 12 dishes you absolutely must eatPanamanian cuisine is a crossroads of Caribbean, Pacific, Spanish and African flavors. Here are the 12 dishes to try in your first 72 hours, with where to find them and how much you pay.7 min
• Get a Panamanian phone number: SIM, eSIM, expat plan (2026)30 minutes to get a Panamanian phone number. Here are the real differences between +Movil, Más Móvil, Tigo and Claro in 2026 — and why this is the first thing to do at the airport.4 min
• Who is Panama for? (And who is it NOT for)Not everyone fits in Panama. After 18 months on the ground and accompanying 4 readers, here are the profiles that thrive, those who leave, and how to know where you stand.7 min