An expat in Panama explains what movers can expect to pay and the pros and cons of raising kids abroad

Tech Insider : Economy
View from the Baha'i temple above Panama City.
Mac Davidson moved to Panama City nearly a decade ago.

Mac Davidson

A couple moved from Virginia to Panama sight unseen. The lower cost of living, stress-free life, and mild weather have made them happier than ever.

Tech Insider
Kelle Sparta and her husband Jeff Brandon.
Kelle Sparta and her husband, Jeff Brandon.

Kelle Sparta

A boomer from Texas retired in Panama for the low cost of living and lifestyle. She said it feels like 'Christmas every day.'

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy
Photo shows Saundra Lohr in Panama City, Panama.
Saundra Lohr, 68, moved to Panama City to retire in 2021.

Photo courtesy of Saundra Lohr

I spent 8 days in Panama and returned feeling like I visited 3 different countries. Here's why it's worth a trip.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Side-by-side images of the author in Panama.
Side-by-side images of the author in Panama.

Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I had the most luxurious stay of my life in Panama. Now, I want every tropical vacation to include a private island.

Tech Insider : Travel
Isla Palenque is a five-star private island resort off the coast of Panama.
The author outside her casita at the Isla Palenque private island resort.

Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Boquete, Panama, was once a quiet town home to rainforests and coffee farms. Then came the retirees.

Tech Insider : Travel
A view of Boquete, Panama.

Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Stepping inside TapOut Sports Zone Bar and Grill in Boquete, Panama, is like stepping inside suburban America.

I stayed in a gorgeous 2-story overwater bungalow for $180 a night, and I didn't even have to shell out for the Maldives to do it

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
green and yellow overwater bungalow in panama
Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge in Panama has overwater bungalows.

Eibhlis Gale-Coleman

A boomer moved from Texas to Panama for her retirement. She loved it so much she 'accidentally' started a tour company helping expats move.

Tech Insider : Economy
Jackie Lange
Jackie Lange started Panama Relocation Tours shortly after moving from Texas in 2010.

Jackie Lange

The US will pay for migrants' flights out of Panama to close a route used by over 700,000 people to reach the US-Mexico border

Tech Insider : Politics
Migrants arrive to Bajo Chiquito village, the first border control of the Darién Province in Panama, on September 22, 2023.
Migrants arrive to Bajo Chiquito village, the first border control of the Darién Province in Panama, on September 22, 2023.

LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images

A retired boomer moved from Florida to Panama to start life anew after her husband and son died. Everything is cheaper, she said, and life has been much calmer.

Tech Insider : Economy
Janet Sussman
Janet Sussman moved from Florida to Panama over a decade ago.

Janet Sussman

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