Expat Story: Retiring in Panama

ABOUT

Christopher Minori worked in network security for a major company in GA, USA. Originally, he’s from NYC, but he spent 8 years in Vt in the army and 30 years in GA. Currently, he only speaks English fluently, but being in Central America now, he is slowly learning Spanish. He is a published playwright and author of a popular series of books.

Moving to Boquette

When and why did you move to Panama?

We moved in 2021. Both my wife and I wanted to retire young at the same time. My wife was 42 at the time, I was 54. Due to the cost of healthcare in the US, there was no way to retire there. One of us would have to keep working so that we got the benefits. We were watching House Hunters International at the time and saw there were places where we could live for very cheap. So we drew up a list of our must-haves and started looking at various countries. Well, Panama kept showing up in the top three countries for expats to retire to. It was great weather, inexpensive, great healthcare, easy to get residency (at the time) and close to the States (we have children in the US). That’s where we wound up landing on.

How did you get set up?

We ported our US cell numbers to Google voice. We also got a Panamanian cell plan/number and we set up WhatsApp (Panama pretty much runs on that. Even if you order food, you do it through WhatsApp). Part of getting our residency was having 5k in a local bank. We hired a Panamanian attorney to help us with residency paperwork and setting up a bank. We got our driver’s licenses by visiting the US embassy in Panama and transferred our US license to a Panamanian one.

please tell us about medical insurance.

We have not gotten medical Insurance yet. For regular stuff, we just pay out of pocket because it’s so cheap. $20 Doctor visit, $4 hospital visits, $12 x-rays, etc. We are planning on getting catastrophic insurance in case one of us gets cancer or something. I’ve been researching and it looks like it’ll cost us about $200/month, a far cry from the 2k we’d have to pay in the US.

What did you bring with you?

We brought 4 suitcases, and got rid of everything else. We decided if it didn’t fit in those 4 suitcases, we didn’t need it. For my wife, this was easy, she doesn’t need “things”. For me it was harder. I’m a huge Doctor Who fan, comics guy, movie guy, etc. Basically, I gave away the things I love most first, and that made giving away the rest of my stuff pretty easy.

How did you find an apartment? Did you use a website or agency? How much is rent?

My advice is don’t look for a final apartment until you touch ground. We found that online ads were often misleading. We rented an airbnb for 6 months, and then hired a broker. I’m 6’5″ and something we hadn’t counted on was that the average Panamanian was shorter than I am, so a lot of places had doorways that would hit me in the forehead. We finally found an amazing 2 bedroom house in the middle of town with a gorgeous yard for $950/month. When you add our utilities, it came to about $1k. Because of the weather here, very few places have A/C or heat, so electricity is very cheap. To compare, before we moved here, the 800 sqft 1 bedroom we rented in Georgia was $1400/month.

What surprised you about life there?

How laid back it is. As an American, everything is so fast-paced that it actually takes time to get used to a slower-paced life. We’d go into a restaurant and it might take 15-20 mins before someone comes to see us because they were checking out something on their phone. That’s just accepted here. And waiters won’t often come to refill drinks or even ask how the food is because they don’t believe in interrupting your dinner. It becomes quite refreshing once you’re used to it. I also love how welcoming Panamanians are of Americans. I’ve been elsewhere in the world where Americans aren’t always welcome, due to our politics and sometimes entitlement. But the US has a great relationship with Panama.

Living in Panama

What were the biggest or most impressive insects / wildlife you've seen?

I’ve seen monkeys, sloths, a few snakes, scorpions and tons of insects. We got visited once by a cockroach so big I thought it was a bat at first. One of the coolest things was when a flock of parrots came to our house to roost in our trees.

What are the main differences between Americans and Panamanians?

Americans tend to be very much about money, working, and things; a car, a huge house, lots of toys and electronics. Many Panamanians are quite poor and only work to be able to afford the basics they need and spend the rest of their time with their families. Most Panamanians own a home, but often they might just be some cement walls with no doors or windows, no running water or electricity, but they are happy just the same. Very few Panamanians have debt. That’s an embarrassing concept to them.

What should people consider before deciding to move to Panama in 2023?

You’ve got to visit first. Panama is not the 3rd world country many think it is, but it depends on where you live. Some places have dangerous drinking water, some have no roads, and others have full infrastructure. Boquete, where I live, has roads, local stores, tons of restaurants, and great internet. If I want fast food or most electronics, I have to travel to David (2nd biggest city in Panama) which is about 40 minutes from here. Also, don’t buy a house for at least a year. There’s 50 different microclimates here and you may want to try a few out before you settle. Buying houses is easy, selling them is not.

Do Panama people speak English? Do you need Spanish to live comfortably there?

In some places they do. There’s a lot of English spoken in Boquete, but there’s a lot of Spanish-only too. The Panamanians love it when expats try to use Spanish, even my broken Spanish! I have a few friends who speak no English, but between Google translate and pantomime, we get by.

Where do foreigners live?

All over, but the largest expat communities are Panama City, Coronado, David, and Boquete.

What apps do you find useful in your daily life in Panama?

Absolutely Whatsapp. Everyone uses it here. A lot of places like pharmacies and restaurants don’t use their phones and only respond via whatsapp.

What is your favorite city in Panama (other than Panama City)?

Boquete. I actually don’t like Panama City that much. It’s just a city like NY, Atlanta, Chicago, or any other. It’s not a good representation of the country. You have to drive about 30 mins outside of Panama City to really see Panama.

What is the most recent thing you've read in the news about Panama?

Something about Iran sending warships to the Panama Canal. Apparently, they want a presence in Latin America. The US guards Panama and the canal, so it’ll be interesting to see what the US response will be.

What do you think about young Panamanians? How are they similar or different to older generations?

Young Panamanians are a bit less conservative than the older generations. They like to party, enjoy hanging out with their friends. It’s really not that different than the difference in the US between Boomers and Millennials, although there’s much more mutual respect between Panamanian generations.

What are your favorite things to do in Panama, specifically?

I run an authors’ group for writers and am on the board of the community theater. There’s a bar here in town that I like to frequent because there’s a lot of regulars. I love greeting new people in town. I’ve become somewhat of a welcome wagon.

How much money do you need to live comfortably in Panama as a retiree?

It really depends on what you define comfort as. We like to go out a few times a week, but mostly we hang out at home or with friends. My wife and I live on about $3000/month. If you don’t need much of a lifestyle or want to live in a less infrastructure city, you can live for less. You can also go much higher if you prefer an extravagant lifestyle.

Does your family feel safe?

Very safe. There’s not a lot of crime here. So little that a few cars have been recently broken into and that’s big news. You can own a gun, but it’s a very expensive and overly complicated process, so almost no-one owns one and there’s very little shootings in the news.

What are the biggest challenges that Panama faces today?

Poverty. There are a lot of poor people in this country. In Boquete, because there’s a lot of tourism and expats, the cost of living has been going up and it worries me how this will affect the Panamanians who live here. Also, you have to be patient. We have what we call Panamanian Time here. If you call a repairman and they tell you they’ll be there Tuesday at 11, they might mean this Tuesday. Or they might mean 2 Tuesdays from now.

What are your favorite Panamanian restaurants?

I love the Fish House, Mike’s Global Grill, Smurf House and Casa Vieja. Boquete is a huge restaurant district. And I admit, I’ve always been hooked on Burger King so I head to David once in a while to treat myself.

Final Thoughts

Can you tell us something else about Panama that we might not know?

Panama is striving to be carbon neutral and has a plan to make that happen by 2030.

What are some local artists that you recommend checking out?

There’s tons of music here. Everyone seems to play in a band. My favorite musician is this amazing violinist named Denzl. He and I have become great mates.

What are your favorite areas / beaches in Panama?

I’ve been to La Lajas a few times and like it there. The beaches in this area have black sand because of the volcano we live near. I’m not really a huge beach person. They tend to be very hot and humid and swarming with mosquitos.

How should people learn more about Panama?

You’re best off looking on the internet. Just remember cost-wise, a lot of that is outdated. There’s a ton of Boquete and Panama Facebook groups and these are great for advice and getting the most recent info.

Are there any experiences there that you are particularly proud of or that surprised you ?

I’m a writer, and I premiered my new show in Panama and it was a huge hit. Wasn’t sure how this crowd would take my weird writing, but they loved it!

Was it easy making friends and meeting people?

To me, this is the most important key to being an expat. You need to run out and make friends with everyone you can. Otherwise, you’ll feel stranded and alone. When my wife and I first landed, after two days of not knowing anyone, not speaking the language, not understanding the customs, or where anything was, we were thinking, “Oh shit. What have we done?” On the 3rd day, we went to Mike’s Global Grill and after 6 hours of drinking, met so many friends and knew we’d made the right decision. Make finding friends your number one priority. Actually, learning that “Bano” means bathroom is the number one priority. Making friends is a close 2nd, though.

What are some disadvantages to living in Panama?

Stores don’t have a huge variety of items. Getting Amazon shipped here is very expensive. Where I live is a very small town so the rumor mill runs rampant. Get in an argument with someone and the whole town will know it within 10 minutes. The roads, when you have them, are not great. Panama is probably not good for anyone with mobility issues.

What are your plans for the future? Are you working on anything particular?

I retired last year to be a full time author and playwright. I’m currently working on my newest novel and expect it to be published in the next few months. I’m also directing the Panamanian premier of Little Shop of Horrors this October. The town is already excited about it (Theater is huge here). And I’ve got a lot of video games to play, lol! Here are the links to my Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.

Any advice to immigrate to or work in Panama? What visas do Americans need?

Bring a job with you. Getting employment in Panama for an expat is extremely difficult. It’ll also cost you money because you’ll need a work permit even if you have a visa. However, Panama only considers you as employed if you are actually working for a Panama company. If you are working a remote job from the US, they don’t consider that employment and will not tax any of that income. There are a bunch of Visas, but the two most common are the Pensionado and the Friendly Nations Visa. Pensionado is the easiest. As long as you have a lifelong pension (like social security) that is a minimum of $1000 or $1200 for a couple, you can get a visa. And you get a ton of discounts on everything if you have that. The Friendly Nations, which is what my wife and I have used to be easy to get, but they changed it so it’s a bit more difficult to get now. Things in Panama can change day-to-day, so it’s best if you get an attorney to help you through the immigration process.

Thank you Christopher for sharing your story! I cannot believe you’ve seen SLOTHS in the wild. A few points you mentioned actually reminded me of India, for example the Indian Standard Time 🙂 I wish you luck in your new projects!