Is Retiring in Panama Right For You?

It’s no secret that many Baby Boomers are worried about retirement. The average Social Security check is only about $1500, which, for most people, is not enough to live comfortably in the United States. Some financial advisors recommend that Baby Boomers keep working as long as possible. But that does not sound like much fun!

There’s a better solution!

Move to Panama, where you can live on your Social Security check without dipping into savings. A couple can live well in many areas of Panama for just $2,000 a month, including rent.  Many singles live in Panama on $1200-$1400, including rent. Everyone has different lifestyles, so your budget will depend on where and how you live.

Is retiring in Panama right for you?

Since 2010, I’ve been offering all-inclusive 6-day 7-night Panama Relocation Tours. I’ve helped tens of thousands of people retire in Panama. We live a better lifestyle in Panama for less than it would cost in the United States.

But, as much as I love living in Panama, I know Panama is not right for everyone.

To help you decide if moving to or retiring in Panama is right, I’ve identified the 5 most important factors for someone to consider before retiring in Panama. About 65% of the people on a Panama Relocation Tour move to Panama within a year. The 35% who do not are usually people who have a problem with one or more of the items below after doing some soul-searching:

1. Family – Can you move away from your family?

If you have grandkids, aging parents, or grown children who depend on you, you might need to put your desire to move to Panama on hold.

Does your whole life revolve around your grandchildren? Do your family members rely on you for emotional or financial support? If you answered yes to one or both of these, it may not be a good time to retire in Panama. Or would flying back home a few times a year be sufficient? Because of the lower cost of living in Panama, you’ll be able to afford more flights back home to see your family. Will that be enough? Only you can decide! It’s certainly something to take into consideration. 

Perhaps your family will want to move to Panama too!

Once you get a Pensionado Visa in Panama, you can get a 25% discount on your international flights. With other visas, you’ll need to meet the age requirements of 55 for women or 60 for men to get the discounts.

You can stay connected with Skype video chats to stay in touch with your family. And, with a Panama cell phone, there is no additional charge for international calls, so you can call family as often as you want. ( I pay $35.33 a month for my Panama cell phone, which includes international calling)

2. Health – Do you have a serious chronic illness or mobility issues?

Your health insurance may not cover you in Panama. US citizens must know that Medicare Parts A and B cannot be used in Panama. Some Medicare Advantage plans will cover urgent care or emergencies overseas.

So, you need to determine your health insurance options in Panama and the costs. This article has information about Panama health insurance options. If you have pre-existing conditions, you may be excluded from Panama insurance for the first two years, or you may not be able to get Panama health insurance.

In Panama, you can use public hospitals regardless of age or pre-existing conditions. There is no monthly fee. It’s about $2 to see a general doctor or $5 for a specialist. You’ll also need to pay out of pocket for any medical procedures, which will be much more affordable.

Ideally, to control your medical costs, you will get health insurance that will cover you in Panama. There are a variety of different Panama health insurance options to select from. Some health insurance options have age restrictions. We discuss health insurance in great detail during a Panama Relocation Tour.

Even if you can get health insurance in Panama, it will usually not cover any medications, so you’ll need to pay for medications out of pocket. Some medications are not available in Panama. You can check medication prices and availability at the links to a pharmacy in this article.

You can get health insurance, which only covers you in Panama, or international health insurance, which covers you anywhere in the world. I pay $117 per month for Panama-only health insurance.

A big plus is that many of Panama’s doctors speak English, and it’s usually less than $20 to see a general doctor, even if you do not have insurance. Specialists costs about $50 to $100 per visit.

Even though health care in Panama is excellent, you need to evaluate your own health situation before deciding to retire in Panama and move away from the doctors (and health insurance) you have used for many years. This is especially important if you have a serious chronic illness, mobility, or other handicap issues. Panama is, unfortunately, not a handicapped, friendly country.

You must also determine if your medications are available in Panama and what they cost. To help you do that, we take you to several pharmacies during a Panama Relocation Tour. You even have time to meet with an English-speaking doctor during the tour for him/her to help you evaluate the viability of moving to Panama if you have pre-existing health problems.

3. Finances—If you stop working, how much will you have to live on? Can you afford relocation costs?

You’ll need to determine how much money you will have to live on when you retire in Panama. Some singles live well on less than $1200 a month, including rent. A couple should plan on $2,000 a month, including rent. Some areas of Panama, like Panama City or the Coronado area, are much more expensive so you’ll need to double this budget.

During a Panama Relocation Tour, we show you various areas at various price points to help you determine the perfect place to retire within your budget.

To live in Panama full-time, you must get a residency Visa. The minimum requirement to qualify for a Pensionado Visa is $1,000 per month in lifetime income for a single person or $1250 per month for a couple. Will you qualify? If not, there are other Visa options, but they are more costly and require a $200,000 investment in real estate or $200,000 into a 3-year CD in Panama.

There will be initial costs involved when you relocate to Panama too. You need to determine how much cash you have on hand to cover the upfront moving expenses like getting a Visa, renting a house, health insurance, stocking up on groceries, and maybe even buying a car. This article will help you determine what your budget needs to be.

4. Patience – You must learn to embrace the “Tranquilo” mentality.

Many things are done differently in Panama than what you are familiar with. In some cases, you’ll think Panama is the better way. But sometimes, you could get frustrated because things don’t happen the same way or as fast as you like. You will need to learn to be more patient.

Once you’re retired, you don’t need to be in such a hurry anyway!

You will be very disappointed if you expect Panama to be just like the United States or Canada but cheaper.

There are many very modern parts of Panama, but not all areas are modern. You won’t find the same stores. There is no Walmart. You’ll find what you need in Panama, and you’ll find most of what you want in Panama, too. There’s always Amazon for other things. It takes about a week to get an Amazon order delivered to Panama.

The primary language is Spanish in Panama, so you will hear Spanish being spoken everywhere you go. If you live in a town with a high concentration of ex-pats, more English is spoken, and you can get by without knowing much Spanish.

You cannot expect Panamanians to speak English. You can usually communicate your point using Google Translate with a big smile.

Your patience will be tested in Panama. Eventually, you will succumb to the Tranquilo mentality.

5. Attitude – Are you a flexible and tolerant person?

If you retire in Panama because you really want to experience living there—all while reducing your expenses—you will have an amazing adventure.

But, if you retire in Panama because you are running away from something (like politics or legal issues), you may feel bitter and unhappy daily in Panama.

Your attitude is the biggest factor of all.

In many ways, Panama is very much like North America was in the 1960s but with high-speed internet and cable TV.

If you are flexible and can adjust to a new environment, you will love your new life in Panama. But if you want everything to be like “back home,” you will be disappointed.

When you wake up daily to see Panama’s stunning beauty, it will help put you in the right mood.  It also helps to reduce stress, knowing that you can live very well in Panama for a fraction of what it would cost for a similar lifestyle in North America.

The TEST DRIVE PANAMA

Panama Relocation Tours’ whole purpose is to give you a one-week overview of life in Panama. The Tour is a way for you to test drive Panama without the commitment of relocating.

A Panama Relocation Tour can help you decide if Panama is right for you and where to live in Panama. A Panama Relocation tour may help you decide that Panama and living abroad are not right for you.

Either way, the Tour helps you decide about retiring abroad.  The information you get during a Panama Relocation Tour will help you avoid a costly mistake when you retire in Panama!

Retiring in Panama isn’t for everybody.

But retiring in Panama is worth serious consideration if you are concerned about how to afford retirement and maintain a good lifestyle.

Retiring in Panama sure beats the alternative of working longer!

Thousands of people who came on a Panama Relocation Tour have discovered that they can live better for less in Panama. You can too!

In Panama, you can alleviate stress, perhaps stop many medications, meet interesting people, enjoy much better weather, improve your health, even lose weight (many do), enjoy fresh food 365 days a year, and enjoy a fun and active retirement.

Not a tour kind of person?

We also offer the Online Complete Panama Relocation Guide, which has the same information that you’d get on a tour, including reliable contacts for immigration lawyers, real estate agents/property managers, where to buy health insurance (regardless of your age), how to get your pets into Panama and much more.   You’ll also get invited to a private community forum and get details about how to do a self-guided tour in Panama’s most popular places to retire.

Panama could be the prefect solution for you! It’s certainly worth considering!

Join us for a Panama Relocation Tour to discover if Panama is right for you.