Panama, Panama City

Overview

Panama, Panama City Panama City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. Panama City has more than 80 banks, more than 15 of them being national. The city also boasts several tourist attractions, and is a stopover for other nearby destinations in the country as well as a tourist destination in its own right.

Panama is in Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica. The climate is tropical maritime, hot, humid and cloudy with a prolonged rainy season (May to January), and a short dry season (January to May).

The official language is Spanish. In Panama City and Colón, most Panamanians speak English, which is widely used in business circles. The country's indigenous languages such as Kuna and Ngöbe-Buglé are well preserved and mainly spoken in rural areas. The main religion is Christianity.

The Economy of Panama is free market economy with a history of low inflation. It is based mainly on the services industry, heavily weighted toward banking, commerce, and tourism.

North American business practices heavily influence the business culture. Expatriate business dress is conservative in the form of a suit for meetings.

The security risk for expatriates in Panama is low, but medium for Colón and high for Darién. Risks include petty, street, and violent crime, with kidnapping being a high risk in Darién.

The currency of Panama is the Panamanian Balboa (PAB). ATMs are widely available and most international cards are accepted.

Medical facilities in Panama City are generally good, but elsewhere are limited. Cases of Zika virus and Chikungunya virus have been reported. Malaria and dengue fever are common.

The population of Panama City is 881,000 (2018 est.), while the inflation rate (CPI) is 1.2% for Panama as at June 2018.

For a single Expat, the personal income tax rate in Panama is progressive up to 25%.

Cost Of Living

The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in Panama City as at 1 July 2018 is average in comparison to other places in the world.

In Panama City, the cost of each basket, based on local prices, compared to the international average, is categorized follows (Exact cost of living percentages only available in personalised reports):
1) Alcohol (where available) & Tobacco: Very Low
2) Clothing: Average
3) Communication: Average
4) Education: High
5) Furniture & Appliances: High
6) Groceries: Low
7) Healthcare: Average
8) Household Accommodation: High
9) Miscellaneous: Very High
10) Personal Care: High
11) Recreation & Culture: Average
12) Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels: High
13) Transport: Low

Panama City is for example 11.4% more expensive than Houston TX for groceries, 50% more expensive for household costs than Kuala Lumpur, and -4.7% cheaper for transport costs than Dubai.

Panama City is ranked as a some hardship location.

The hardship premium for Panama City for an expat from Perth, is for example 10%, i.e. host location (Panama City) premium of 20% minus home (Perth) location premium of 10%.

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The cost of living for expatriates / professional migrants in Panama City as at 1 July 2018 is average in comparison to other places in the world.

Panama City is ranked as a some hardship location.