Now the market in Boquete does offer some good buys again but one of the best buys is right next door – this area is just like Boquete but offers pre-boom prices!

Panama’s highlands are spring-like…their hillsides covered with wildflowers.

Look in the right places (like Volcan, below) and you’ll also find quiet village streets with homes that start at $37,000…

Find the Most Affordable Retirement in Panama

It’s a stunning drive to Volcan—and that’s not just travel writer hype. As the road winds up into the mountains, one vista after another unfolds. I have driven this road many times over the past four years, and it’s still as invigorating as ever.

As I reach 3,000 feet, I turn off the air-conditioning and roll down the windows; the air is fresh and clean. The roadsides are festooned with thousands of red, pink and white impatiens. They look like they were carefully planted by a talented landscaper, but they’re a simply great gift of nature.

Passing through the small village of Cuesta de Piedra, I get a glimpse off to my right of the majesty that is Panama’s highest peak, the 11,400 foot Baru Volcano (pronounced “bah-ROO”). The jagged peaks of this sleeping giant carve through a swirl of clouds and mist.

Volcan sits in a valley that opens westward onto a wide plateau. At 4,200 feet, it’s easy to see why the town is famed for its “eternal spring” climate. It is framed to the north by the Tizingal Mountain and to the east by the slopes and volcanic plain.

The combination of spring- like weather and abundant fresh fruit and vegetables has led some writers to describe the area as the “Shangri-La Valley.” A brief look at the gravestones in the local cemetery reveals that many residents lived well into their eighties and nineties.

Volcan is a bustling town of about 10,000 people, of which about 250 are expats from the U.S. and Canada. The town has four supermarkets, four hardware stores, three banks (two with ATMs) and over 30 places to eat. If there is a global recession, the people in Volcan haven’t heard.

The local economy has been buoyed in part by nearby hydroelectric projects. This will soon make Panama virtually energy independent and pump millions of dollars into the local economy. But agriculture is the real driving force behind the provincial economy. Chiriqui provides up to 80% of all the milk, meat and vegetables consumed in Panama.

The greatest savings here stem from the climate. There is no need for air conditioning, fans or heating. I use an electric washer, dryer and dehumidifier, but my average power costs stay low at around $68 a month. I cook with gas that costs me about $2 a month; my water bill is $4 a month; and garbage pickup is also $4 a month.

At Dalys’s restaurant a bottomless cup of coffee will cost you 40 cents. A hearty breakfast is about $2.50. Dalys’s is famous for serving an enormous glass of wine for $1.35. If you want to eat tipico, or “typical fare,” for lunch, a tasty mound of beans, rice and chicken will set you back a princely $1.75.

Volcan’s supermarkets offer just about everything that would expect to find in North America. And at the local organic kiosk you can walk away with a bulging bag of vegetables—the freshest in the county—for less than $8.

Prices for homes range from $37,000 to $150,000, and there are also lots available on  which you can build the retirement home of your dreams. If your pocket book is well funded, then the clear blue mountain sky is the limit; there are large land tracts, trout-bearing rivers and streams, and views to die for. If you are spending over $150,000, you’ll have a selection of North American-style homes to choose from.

Note: This is the very last day you can sign up for the Ultimate Overseas Retirement Plan. It’s the complete package for anyone interested in Panama, including the new edition of the Panama Owner’s Manual…a special report detailing a step-by-step guide to The World’s Best Retirement Program…and a collection of recordings from a special seminar held in Panama.

The recordings are a real bonus—they include presentations from expats, experts, doctors, and retirees about living in Panama.

This entire package is worth more than $170…but you can get it for just $79 if you sign up with this link -
Ultimate Overseas Retirement Plan

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When you hear the President speak it’s no wonder Panama is flourishing under his leadership. Although the interviewer, in typical FOX fashion, comes across as an arrogant, ignorant ass - regrettably reinforcing the stereo typical image of the condescending American -  Martinelli carries himself with class and as a confident yet humble leader – something the interviewer would be wise to observe.

Regardless, the interview and some of the pop-up stats give one a good idead why Panama continues to be one of the Best Places to Retire.

It’s interesting to note Martinelli discussing and affirming Panama as a ‘service’ based economy. It certainly leads credence to the idea of Panama continuing to develop as a premier retirement destination and also for regular tourism.

Of course the nice part about invest ing in Panama and Panama Real Estate in particular is the fact they have one of the best and safest ways to register land. Unlike the dodgy and easily abused U.S. system Panama uses the Torens system of land registry whereby titles are registered in a central, nation wide system.

This interview also points out Panama having on of the highest ranking economies in terms of competitiveness and the fact Panama’s economy grew over 6% in the past year.

Check it out -

Of course economic growth and stability is another reason to consider investing in Panama and why I maintain Panama is the Best Place to Invest your retirement savings.

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We love Boquete. We have visited multiple times and have just completed a stay. I wanted to share what I feel is a bit of an unrealistic expectation for first time visitors. An interesting conversation with a fellow traveler we met this trip spurs me to write this review.

All of the beauty and kindness that is reported regarding Boquete, and Panama in general, is fair and true. The geography can be breathtaking. The climate is yours for the choosing (unless you want to snow ski!) and the relaxation and eco-possibilities are endless. Panamanian food is, by and large, very reasonable in price. Boquete itself can run about $3.00 per person for a wonderful, typical breakfast and/or lunch (don’t expect ooooh’s and ahhhhh’s since the food is generally very good but a bit bland by most comps); $10 for a very good dinner and if you wanted to eat at one of the finest (Panamonte Inn) in town, a dinner for 4 will run about $100 total, including a nice glass of wine each.

Accommodations are varied and can run from hostel rates up to $300 a night. We personally love the Boquete Garden Inn and it’s name speaks its reality.

Here is where I need to sound a bit negative but i do not mean it that way at all. The town of Boquete, the downtown central business district, is NOT Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills! It is NOT the thriving, fast paced, hotbed of love, music, food and life that is Panama City. It is NOT House Hunters International snips of lush, pristine, manicured lawns. The town itself, the town center, is NOT a quaint Italian Tuscan village. It is NOT a Spanish park. It is NOT a little Alpine village of Switzerland. It is, quite simply, the town of Boquete. It is a small village town. It has poverty. It has a very mixed pot of small shops, stores, real estate offices, a church and construction, along with some actual homes in the middle of it all. The traffic is pretty congested for a small town. The buses all spew diesel fumes. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way. People walk where they want to walk. They park where they want to park. Once in a while a child will potty where they need to potty. The crazy thing is, it all works. There is not threat or unsafe feelings. Quite contrary. It is a walking town. The people go about their business….locals, the native Panamanian “Indian” families, tourists and animals alike! I love it. That was my expectation on my first trip. We have been blessed to travel in 1st, 2nd and 3rd world countries and kind of knew that House Hunters was a TV show. Oh, don’t get me wrong…..beautiful homes exist in the Boquete area fit for the wealthy. There are some that are being worked on. There are some that need work. Get the picture?

In closing, our fellow traveler said “When I first arrived in town my heart sank. I wondered what in the heck made this hole in the wall rank in the Top 10 International Living places to retire and live in. Then after a week, I stared to see. I changed my expectations and now I see where this grows on you every day.” With that, I leave you with a wish that you have the opportunity to visit this slice of beauty on earth and experience the fine folks of Panama in general. I bet you can’t just go once…………

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Panama’s Casco Viejo is the oldest city on the Pacific Coast of the Americas. A few hundred years ago, several fires destroyed most of the colonial buildings. That’s why so few true examples of Spanish colonial architecture exist today.

This part of the city, the so-called “second city,” is steeped in history, with a real sense of tradition. See what Jessica found there, below.

Music, History, Art: A Day in Colonial Panama City

Guest post By Jessica Ramesch

It’s Jazz Festival “free day” in Casco Viejo. Every year, a week of concerts all over the city culminates here, with a free concert to beat all free concerts. A big stage has been erected in the Plaza de la Catedral. The crowd is “eclectic Panama”…surfer types, preppy soccer-moms, kids from the neighborhood…a human hodgepodge swaying to the music.

A sonorous bass sends vibrations over the cracked concrete to where I stand; it makes my feet buzz. Vendors in the plaza are selling smoky kebabs. There’s even raspao, fruity snow cones you can get topped with sticky condensed milk (for five cents extra) and the powdery crunch of malt. The man making mine has no machine to crush the ice; he scrapes it with a big shaver, packing the fine crystals into a conical cup. I pay him 30 cents.

Today’s Casco Viejo is a mix of the contemporary and the crumbling, a study in contrasts. You find over 300 years of history here in the colonial sector, often referred to as the “second city.”

In fact, locals say Panama City is three cities in one. Modern Panama is the third city, famous for its skyscraper skyline. The first Panama City, founded in 1519, was burned to the ground by the dreaded Captain Morgan (not just a brand of rum). In 1673, the city was rebuilt here as Casco Viejo, where fortress walls high above the water made a good defense. The architecture here is the nation’s prettiest—with French, Italian, and, of course, Spanish influences.

I’ve spent the day taking in this second Panama City. The coolest thing I’ve ever seen is…

Editor’s note: Subscribers to the IL magazine can read on in the The September issue of  International Living Magazine

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On 27 March La Prensa reported that the government has allocated $283 million dollars to expand several highways. The size of the expenditure and the location of the changes broadcasts the intent. Panama wants more residential tourism, more immigration of people with money into the interior of the country.

Divisa to Chitre gets four lanes, this is the gateway to the Azuero Peninsula, a rapidly developing area of beaches.

San Felix to David gets four lanes, this part of the Interamericana between David and the Capital currently has no passing lanes. This will make the trip to David from Panama City much faster and safer.

Finally four lanes from David to the little mountain pueblo of Boquete Panama. I can report the survey crews are all over this project already.  I have no idea how or even why they are doing this unless they also plan to eventually continue the road on to Bocas del Toro.

Boquete is now a dead end and although four lanes will make the ride to David faster and less dangerous the current need is not there. This is an investment in Boquete.

If you are here and can remember 3 years back in time and look at the changes and investment in both David and Boquete over three years the effect is startling.  David has a major shopping center with a large three story department store, Conway. It has new hotels, it has new restaurants, now retail stores. I notices today a BMW dealer is opening, Honda opened last year. The cow town is in transition, fast.

This government is following through on the expansion of the David Airport so Copa and other airlines can stop here. They want the wild west of Panama to grow, fast.

If you are  from the school of thought that says get in when things are about to explode and profit from it, this is the time to jump on Western Panama. If however you are from the group that came here because it was not Florida or Arizona, it might be time to start looking for alternatives.

When I arrived I felt I had entered a time machine and went back fifty years, now it is only thirty, soon there will be continuity with North America. I am not sure if this is good for anyone, except the investors and the people who want to terraform Panama into another mini USA. Panama is an opportunity now but the change might destroy the very essence of why I am here.

By Lee Zeltzer of boqueteguide.com

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Volunteer Boquete has developed a campaign that was officially kicked off on December 24^th with the first Community Cleanup in Boquete. With the new campaign, the foundation will be hosting a community wide event on Earth Day (April 22). “We have found a need in the community and we plan to address it because it needs to be done” said Kaytee Hoverson, project coordinator. In the meantime volunteers from the program, as well as local volunteers, have targeted areas of litter and attacked them head on.

A group of dedicated volunteers picked up litter on Christmas Day and then again the first week in January. While this hearty band of volunteers separates recyclables out of the trash picked up, they plan to further coordinate with Boquete’s recycling program ReALBoquete.

Project plans include researching joining forces with Boquete’s workforce for a more concerted effort, placing trash cans around the city in problem areas, building a regular volunteer base to pick up litter on a regular basis, and working with schools to educate young people about the litter problem.

As of this writing, a meeting was scheduled with Mayor Manolo Ruiz, to present him with a very concise 17-point topic list, outlining detailed solutions to litter problems in the Boquete area.

This is not just a group picking up trash, states Hoverson, but “…a long term project to make Boquete the cleanest, most beautiful town in Panama.”

More information about how you can be a part of this important program is available at www.unexpetctedmomentsofmagic.org or by calling 720-1025.

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I was going to do a complete review of what happens when you get sick in Panama – hospitals, emergency care, health insurance, etc. but then I was reading Richard Detriches Blog, a fellow ex-pay who lives on and off in Panama, and I discovered Richard had done a great story on all of those things. What is cool is that he focused on health care services in Chiriqui, Panama so you can get a good idea of what it is like to get care when you live in Boquete or somewhere between Boquete and David, the Panamanian provincial capital.

Here’s  Richard’s explanation of health care in and around Boquete Panama -

Hospitals: David, Panama

In David, the third largest city in Panama, 45 minute drive from Boquete, there are four large hospitals. The Maternal & Child Hospital is a National Hospital focusing primarily on material and pediatric care. It is only two years old and was a gift from the people of Taiwan, with whom Panama has diplomatic relations. Almost next door is the Social Security Hospital which serves people who are working in Panama and paying into the Social Security system. Just down the Pan American Highway is Hospital Mae Lewis, a private hospital that is used by locals and gringos. And a few blocks off the Pan American Highway is Hospital Chiriqui, a private hospital that is generally preferred by expats because of their “insurance” program (more on that later). Hospital Chiriqui. Additionally, scattered around David, there are almost a half dozen tiny private hospitals owned and run by a consortium of doctors. In some ways it isn’t very efficient, yet the hospital costs are low. A private room runs about $60 a day! Of the private hospitals, Hospital Chiriqui has the most “bells and whistles” including a state-of-the-art MRI machine, one of two in Panama.

Unlike in the US, in Chiriqui any doctor can practice in any hospital and you are not limited to only certain hospitals where your doctor happens to be on staff.

Emergency Care in Panama

Here is where things can get a little dicey.

If you happen to be one of the very few people to get bitten by one of our famously poison snakes, like the fer de lance which is fairly common in Chiriqui . . . and let me quickly add that your chances of getting bitten by a poisonous snake are about the same as your chances of getting struck by lightening or winning the lottery! . . . if you are bitten by a snake anywhere in Panama you are generally about 45 minutes from a Social Security hospital which is where the anti-venom is kept. So you have plenty of time to get to the hospital where you will find that rather than immediately giving you anti-venom there is a long waiting/observation period while they test your blood and wait to figure out what kind of snake bit you and what type of anti-venom you need. Almost everyone, except for Indians living in very remote areas, recovers. So although the fer de lance and bushmaster can be “deadly”, your chances of dying if you get assistance are very slim.

OK, we got that out of the way!

When we first came to Panama my wife asked our Boquete doctor, “So if I’m having a heart attack, what do I do?”

His response: “First you call me. I’ll come to your house and call an ambulance. We’ll stabilize you in David, and if necessary, once you are stabilized, we will fly you to the Panama City where the hospitals and doctors who specialize in invasive procedures are located.”

Good enough . . . but when we say “ambulance” do NOT think of ambulance service in the US! There have been times in Boquete when we had four different ambulances . . . and none were working! And an ambulance here is primarily a means of transportation. Don’t think a team of trained “EMTs” on call . . . or an ambulance with any sort of equipment on board. Over the years we’ve been in Boquete the expat community has worked hard and raised money to improve ambulance service, but it still is nothing like what we were used to in the States.

One Couples Panama Health Care Experiences

One afternoon my wife started having some kind of episode. She was dizzy, had no feeling in her arms, was weak, and couldn’t stand up. It looked like some kind of allergic reaction and I feared she was going into anaphylactic shock. (We have experience with this: I am highly allergic to shellfish of any kind in any amount, and my daughter is highly allergic to chocolate.) Without 911 or any similar kind of emergency help, I called our friend Brad, and together we carried Nikki to my car, and I went to the doctor’s office (the same guy who treated her when she was thrown off the horse . . . the story I told yesterday). It turned out the good doctor was on vacation and the gal who was filling in not only didn’t speak any English, but wasn’t that familiar with his office. Eventually she found the oxygen mask, started an intravenous drip, got Nikki stabilized and agreed we needed to get to the hospital in David. She called the ambulance . . . and the “fun” began.

The doctor called the ambulance, then said to me, “They don’t have any gas. They want to know if you can pay for the gas?” Yes!!!

So the ambulance and attendants arrived . . .

First problem: the doctor’s makeshift treatment room and the gurney that wouldn’t fit in.

Second problem: the ambulance crew hadn’t the slightest idea how to move a patient from a bed onto a gurney. Somehow we managed.

Third problem: Nikki was too big for the ambulance. Panamanians are shorter. So they couldn’t close the back doors of the ambulance all the way. She wouldn’t fit! So the creative solution was for the ambulance attendant riding in the back to wedge himself between the side of the ambulance and press his feet against the gurney to keep Nikki from sliding out the back doors, which were flapping in the wind.

Fourth problem: Nikki had an IV drip going and there was no place to hang the drip in the ambulance. The attendant in back was busy trying to keep the gurney from flying out the back, so Nikki had to hold her own IV bag.

OK, we stopped and got $20 worth of gas. Then we began racing down the mountain to David with lights and sirens going.,

Fifth problem: Nobody in Panama is going to move for an ambulance! Only the expats will pull over out of force of habit. So I’m in front, the driver is laying on the horn so people eventually will move out of the way.

Sixth problem: We start to get one of our famous, afternoon “rainy season” cloudbursts when the water is coming down in torrents. In front the windshield wipers are barely working and in back the doors are flapping in the wind and the water is coming in soaking Nikki and the attendant who is bravely still holding the gurney in place with his feet.

The reality: Supposedly “laughter is the best medicine” and Nikki, although the center of the drama, couldn’t help but find the humor in the situation.

Fortunately we arrived at Chiriqui Hospital and into the tiny emergency ward. It took a while, but Nikki was stabilized and a team of internists eventually discovered that she had developed an allergy to aspirin. She spent two nights in the hospital, before coming home. The ambulance ride:(for those of you who remember the original Disneyland . . . definitely an “E-ticket” ride!) $20 for gas, and another $5 (in gratitude) for beer for the guys. Hospital: emergency room, two nights, and physicians $225.

Yet another story . . . my wife keeps things interesting!

Nikki was experiencing tingling in her arms, chest pain, yada yada . . . with her history . . . “Come on, Nikki, don’t be a hero! Let’s get it checked now. If it’s nothing, fine . . . if it’s not, “golden hour” and all that stuff.” So we go to Boquete to the new clinic for such emergencies that Hospital Mae Lewis has opened. The only problem is there’s only a receptionist staffing the clinic. No doctor . . . not even a nurse . . . receptionist and janitor. The receptionist informed us that the doctor was going to be coming in an hour and that we could sit and wait. OK, so this is to be an “Emergency Clinic” . . . right. And if it is a heart attack, we’re going to sit here and twiddle our thumbs for an hour and hope that the doctor actually does show up as scheduled . . . which, in itself, would be somewhat of a miracle anywhere, let alone in Panama. And I’m about to have a “Richard-goes-ballistic” attack . . .

I remembered that a friend I had met because he had read this blog, lived in an apartment upstairs. He is a retired neurosurgeon who still consults via video cam in complicated surgeries around the world. Although he wasn’t a cardiologist, I knew he had his own personal encounter with a massive heart attack and open heart surgery, so I went upstairs and asked him if he could just come down and take a look at Nikki. Gracious friend that he was he put on his slippers, found his stethoscope and came down and took a look. His verdict, “I can’t say what is going on, but I can say with 99.9% certainty that she is not having a heart attack.”

So . . . forget paramedics and 911.

As “oldsalt1942? commented about yesterday’s post, “You get better or you die, and that’s the reality of health care in the vast majority of the world. You get better or you die. Period. And let’s face it, you can’t take life too seriously because none of us are getting out of here alive.”

Health Insurance in Panama

Folks handle insurance in different ways. People who worked for the Canal or the US military in Panama have their own insurance. Some people worked for companies who still provide their retirees with the insurance they were promised when they retired. Some have their own policies from the States or some international insurance policy. Like most insurance when you are trying to get insurance after retirement you find that the insurance companies don’t cover preexisting conditions, which is exactly what you are worried about. And by the time most people reach retirement age they have preexisting conditions.

When you turn 65 of course and are collecting US Social Security you have Medicare. However, Medicare only covers treatment in the US. So unless you want to return to the US when you need medical care, which some folks elect to do, you are not covered. When I looked at the cost of Part B for me, and what all was not covered by Part B, I decided that for me it was cheaper to just pay the full amount for the procedure in Panama. So we, basically, self-insure . . . with a couple of exceptions.

Panama Travel Health Insurance

Since we travel a lot, we purchase annual travel policies from a company in Scandinavia that cover us when we are away from Panama for emergency medical care except in the US. When you include the US the cost is prohibitive, and at least when I am in the US, I could use Medicare. My wife is too young for Medicare! Since we are on ships a lot, it is important for us to have insurance that covers medical evacuation. I think anyone is crazy who takes a cruise without having travel insurance that includes coverage for evacuation. The cruise line wants you off the vessel and into a hospital as soon as possible, firstly for your own medical welfare, and secondly to avoid legal responsibility. A medical evacuation from a ship by helicopter can easily run $10-15,000! Get insurance!

Hospital Chiriqui does have an insurance scheme called Medical Services Chiriqui, or MSChiriqui which we use. It is not really “insurance” but more of a discount plan. A doctor visit that usually would cost $40 with a MSChiriqui coupon costs us $20. There are discounts on almost all hospital services and treatment, somewhat akin to a major medical plan in the US. In our case when my wife required an angioplasty and stents, because the procedure is not available at Hospital Chiriqui, we went to Hospital Paitilla in Panama City and the MSChiriqui plan covered half of the cost. After you have belonged to the plan for 2 years it does cover pre-existing conditions. The plan now costs us about $1200 per year for both of us.

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If you are looking for a great place to retire, vacation or invest you may want to consider Panama. This small and often overlooked country has something to offer people from all over the world. Over the past five years people from the United States and Canada have been discovering Panama to be a great place to live and many consider it the best place to retire.

The official language of Panama is Spanish with English being the official second language. Many native people of Panama are bilingual and with plenty of shop owners, taxi drivers, police and government officials speaking English. If you are not comfortable rediscovering your high school Spanish or playing charades with the locals then you may want plan on spending more time in Panama City. However, adventuring out into the interior is nothing to shy away from. Just make sure you carry a good Spanish-English dictionary and a playful heart. The people of Panama are very friendly and gracious. They will go out of their way to understand and to help you. If you are planning to move to Panama, your best bet is to learn at least a little Spanish so you will be more comfortable in your environment and better able to blend in with the community.

Panama uses the US currency which makes it very easy to shop and get around in Panama. No hassles with exchange rates and no worries over the ever changing value of the dollar. The one thing you will notice right away is that everything is cheaper. It’s often unnecessary to break a $20 bill for a nice dinner and thats for a party of two. Food is cheaper and so is travel and accommodations. If you decide to move to Panama you will discover Panama Real Estate for a fraction of what it would cost in other places. You will find beautiful Panama City condos, ocean-side properties, cool mountain retreats and much more.

A booming Panama City is another reason why Panama is considered one of the top places to live. Don’t mistakenly think this country is underdeveloped or underprivileged just because it is so cheap to live there. The capital city of Panama has been a major financial center for two decades and it is continuing to grow each day by becoming a popular vacation and retirement spot. New shopping centers, restaurants, night clubs and other attractions are being built in this beautiful area, giving you plenty to see and do.

The sense of community in Panama is strong and vibrant. The people are very friendly and peaceful. Community members work together to achieve common goals and to help their fellow neighbors. Neighborhoods are safe and residents look out for one another. Just another reason why Panama is one of the Top Places to Live. For more Panama information visit LearnAboutPanama.

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Almost anywhere in Panama is affordable provided you know how to begin your search  and how to make contact with reputable vendors. Whether you long for active city living, a warm and laid back beach lifestyle or the cool and comfort of Boquete in the highlands of Panama you will find  most anything you’re looking for – all in an affordable range when compared to that of other countries. In addition to cheap real estate, it’s important to know the many reasons why Panama is such as great place to live and why it can save you so much money.

You may be surprised to hear that Panama is actually one of the cheapest places to live. There are many other great things about this county- including property rights for foreigners guaranteed by law to exceptional retiree discounts. You can live in Panama for a fraction of what it costs to live in many other countries and the best part is that you don’t have to sacrifice.  With the moderate climate and abundance of fresh local produce and sea food you can live better in Panama on the same amount of money than what you did in your home country. If you buy or build a new house in Panama, in some cases you don’t even have to pay property taxes for up to 20 years!

There are other areas where you can save by living in Panama, too. For example, have you ever thought about your food expenses and how much it costs you to buy those “convenience” foods all the time? You can save on your food costs as well since many fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables are available and very affordable. They are also healthier than manufactured foods. In addition to great housing at affordable prices, there are also numerous off-shore tax benefits to living in Panama.

When it comes to Panama weather you can enjoy a pleasant tropical climate which is mild and sunny most of the year. Not only is this a pleasant place to spend your time but it also helps you save on heating and cooling expenses that come with living in other parts of the world. Panama adopted the US currency back in 1904 and has not printed its own money since. If you are already from the US and moving to Panama, this will be an easy adjustment for you. There is also the added bonus of a Panama retirement and you don’t have to wait until you are 60 to make it happen.  Moving to Panama is a smart decision for anyone looking for a cheap place to live in the tropics.

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