Don’t Move to Boquete, Stay There
This was recently posted on the Boquete Guide Blog and I couldn't resist sharing it here. Be sure to read to the end to capture the spirit of the whole piece. Jennifer and Lee do a great job of expressing my my sentiments in this piece.
I was reading a Yahoo group posting about moving to Panama City, they were not discussing Boquete Panama but it is close enough to exploit the thread.
The theme of the debate was that there is no longer an economic advantage to moving to Panama City from the US. Although both sides made points I will make mine succinct. If you are considering a move to Panama just for economic reasons, do not come here.
Not everything is cheaper here, it never was. With the decline in housing prices in the US you might be able to buy well there; if cheaper is your goal, stay there. Electricity costs more per kilowatt hour in Panama, ignore the fact we in Boquete do not need heat or cooling. If the cost of electricity is the deciding factor, stay there. Imports of all kinds including cars cost more here, fuel costs more here, so if those are the factors stay there.
LAP says, Panama is still cheaper than many parts of the U.S. and Canada too especially the gas.If you like second class healthcare at the highest prices in the world, stay there. If you need to go to see a doctor in Boquete expect to pay $7 for a consult, if you need health insurance expect to pay less than in the US. If do need a hospital the closest is in David with a new clinic being built in Boquete. If you need a world class hospital you need to go to Panama City. We do have LifeFlight Panama for medical evacuation. If you want to wait in an overcrowded emergency room, stay there.
Much of our food is grown in this area so if you don’t like fresh vegetables but prefer food designed for shipping not flavor, stay there. If you prefer your beef with hormones and antibiotics, your chicken grown in a cage, your pork never having had the room to walk, stay there. The farm animals here are content until they reach the slaughter house.
Laws are different here, they are enforced differently and nothing is more frustrating than dealing with the government here, it moves like frozen molasses. If you prefer to deal with your Federal, State, County and Municipality, stay there. Here in the wild west of Panama we rely more on our neighbors than the law. If you prefer government in your life everyday, stay there.
If your goal is to come to Panama so you can live like you do there, stay there! Half the people that move here leave, half stay. Marriages fail, new relationships are born. Unless you are ready for major life changes, stay there.
Those who thrive here are those who have decided to make their new life a different adventure. Come here to explore a new culture, make new friends, be part of a community, enhance your knowledge, share your life experience, enrich your life and most important do not feel that you come from a superior culture consider Boquete. If those are not your goals, you know the refrain, stay there.
Very well spoken. Too many people looking for another home want to transplant not just themselves, but their whole baggage as well. The way i look at it, know exactly what you're getting into and appreciate it for what it is, not what you want to transform it into. The indigeneous state of things is the attraction.
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If living is not substantially cheaper, I may not make the final move there. We plan a two week holiday next year. Not everybody is rich and can afford Boquete country clubs. I'm looking for a rent of $500 to $800 for a modest but decent dwelling. I am interested in El Valle. I always study cultures before I visit. The very thought that America is superior is stupid to me. In fact, I'm not sure I want to transplant myself and , in doing so, upset the Panamanian culture or environment.
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Right you are. With the frustrations of learing to navigate in our new country it is critical to remember all the reasons for living here and to always be good guests. It's not perfect and no place is but there are so many wonderful chapters in this new life when it is approached with the right attitude.
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My wife and I are considering retiring in Panama on my teacher pension from Oklahoma. ($1300 a month) I will be 59 1/2 and can draw on from my IRA till I get my Social Security. We have a small son and will need to find a school for him to attend. We would like to locate on the coast below David. How are the local schools rated? I lived in the Zone as a boy and have fond memories of Panama. I would like my son to grow up in such a place and enjoy the people and culture of the country. My wife is from India and I have been to 29 countries, I feel we could learn Spanish and adapt, slow down and fit in to a local pace of life there. Any info would be appreciated.(such as the possibility of finding rental houses in that area)
Thank you,
John H
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Ho! I loved this article, kept me smiling as I read it. It makes me want to move to Panama more and more, not just stay on a resort for a week or two. I want to move to Panama because of the beaches, the weather, the scenery, the culture, the people. If one chooses to immigrate to another country, you should love it first and be open to change. That's what it's all about.
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Mark,
I am a black American. Does Panama have a racial problem like we have in the USA?
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i AM A LITTLE CONFUSSED!! After reading the "say there" womans comments I can't tell if Panama is a cheap place to live or not. International Living proclaims it to be so cheap, as do many other sites. They all say that you can live very well on $1,200 a mo. we plan to retire in 2 yrs. and will take in apprx. $3,800 a mo. will we live well,(no live-in, no partying,no yardman)as we will be paying cash for any home we purchase, NO housenote. Pls. answer this question as best you can. I figuered that with all the discounts that Ex-pate's get that this would really make living in Panama very very affordable..........
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Not to worry at that kind of monthly income you will live like Royalty in Panama!
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