Panama Real Estate Market VALUES! PLUS More Price Comparisons VLOG

We've been pounding the housing market in Panama for 2 weeks and the real estate market is a mess when talking about values.   We are only referring to Panama City real estate in this video commentary.

       

Hacking Panama City! Panama Vlog!

We're hacking Panama City, Panama! Come and enjoy Panama with us today! We're having a great time!

    

We 're in Bogota, Colombia and Then Panama! Latin America Travel VLOG

We're in Bogota, Colombia and it looks like Cuenca Ecuador!  Next stop, Panama! Latin America Travel Vlog.

 

What's the Proper Way to Compare to U.S Prices? Cuenca Ecuador Gringo Targeting VLOG

We've always said we shouldn't compare but if we were to compare, what's
the proper way to compare to U.S prices? We're enjoying another day in
Cuenca Ecuador.

       

Hey Gringos, If You Go to Mexico, Ecuador or Panama THIS Will Happen, But You Can Stop It!

Yes, if you're a gringo you can ALWAYS count on this happening to you. It doesn't matter if you go to Mexico, Ecuador or Panama but there are ways you can stop it.

                


Hello Friends!
For 6 years now we have posted great information about crucial insights that provide the other side of living abroad. From us, you'll get REALITY. We are now making exclusive videos for those people who want a deeper understanding of life in a developing country; to find out more about visit us on Patreon.

Ecuador Residency: Will Ecuador Do What Panama Did? INSIGHT VLOG

Ecuador Residency: After awhile you see the same patterns emerging in some of these Latin American countries. And we're just wondering if Ecuador will do what Panama did?

                    


Hello Friends!
For 6 years now we have posted great information about crucial insights that provide the other side of living abroad. From us, you'll get REALITY. We are now making exclusive videos for those people who want a deeper understanding of life in a developing country; to find out more about visit us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/HMFamilyLife

FUN in the JUNGLE in PANAMA CITY, PANAMA VLOG

Finding peace surrounded by nature is not too hard when you travel to Panama City, Panama. In fact, it's right here in the city!  The jungle is in the city! Come hiking with us through the tropical forest. This is the Metropolitan Nature Reserve Park and Wildlife Refuge of Republic of Panama City.

               


Hello Friends!
We have posted something new, several times per week for 6 years about crucial insights and every day life experiences that provide the other side of living abroad. From us, you'll get REALITY. We are now making exclusive videos for our devoted followers who are ready for the big move abroad and need a deeper understanding of life in a developing country; to find out more about this other platform, come see us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/HMFamilyLife

Crossing Bridge of the Americas & BIGGEST Mall in Latin America - PANAMA

Crossing over the Bridge of the Americas, which some say connects South and North America, you can see the Panama Canal Locks on one side and the Balboa (distinguished neighborhood) Yacht Club of Panama City on the other. Nice Views.

                 


Hello Friends, we hope you have enjoyed this video. People have asked, "Why don't we hear about this aspect of life abroad from other bloggers/vloggers?". Well, it's because we don't have an agenda to glamorize or "leave out" any portion of life abroad. We tell like it is. We vlog several times per week, sharing crucial insights and every day experiences to help others know what its really like to live in a developing country.

Do You Want This Kind of Inflation to Happen to Cuenca Ecuador? UPDATE 2016

Update 2016 - Once again, bringing you the info that no one else talks about. A few days ago we made a video titled, when prices go too high frugal folk move out. We often wonder what the local (national) does when he can't find decent rental housing for his family?

***

Do You Want This Kind of Price Inflation to Happen to Ecuador?



Click to see this Shed for sale in Majagual of Veracruz Panama $155,000

Somewhere in Panama outback, shed on 3/4 acre - $155K

Update 2016 - it was almost 5 years ago when we first wrote this article (November 2011) about higher prices in Panama. They weren't always high though. It only took just a little while for prices to spiral to where they are today.



This has been happening in Ecuador: Salinas and Chipipe condos, Cotacachi houses, Manta condos, Puerto Lopez, Quito, Cuenca and other high foreigner traffic areas. 



And actually real estate market in Ecuador has always been overpriced, especially in the Andes. We see only a little change in the RE market from 5-years ago, unless its resells from foreigners targeting foreign buyers; However in rents, foods, plane travel, tourist services, restaurants, local Mercados, etc, prices have inflated and some drastically, like the rents have in Cuenca and certain coastal communities.

We used to joke around that you couldn't even buy a shed in Myrtle Beach South Carolina for $150k, and now you can't even buy a shed in Panama for $150K Well, I guess that joke in our family has come to have some truth to it in Latin America now. Panama Realtor is promoting this shed for sale as “priced to sale” property! It may be priced to sale for those who truly have a purpose for such a structure in the middle of nowhere.

Who is really going to buy this shed on a 3,643 m2 lot (less than an acre) in some spot, away from everything in Panama? It is not even all the way enclosed in. And don’t think any of the farm equipment, boat, or the goat come with this shed. All you get is the dirt floor on almost an acre of land.

After clicking the link above take a look at some of the other ridiculous prices now in Panama from this realtor newsletter. Check out the rents!! We're wondering how the average Panamanian can afford living in their own country of birth? Why are we showing you this? Well, this could and probably will happen to Ecuador. 



Update 2016 - It's already happening in well trafficked areas. Rents have doubled in Cuenca and Quito; and some of the resells we are seeing on the coast like in Salinas and Chipipe are outrageous! We're shaking our heads..."Simply silly prices!"  This is still a 3rd world country but people are behaving as if its Myrtle Beach South Carolina!



We've been closely watching the market since we arrived and some of the stuff is totally off the wall. We're certain there are many foreigners stuck in their real estate right about now.  To be able to get any kind of profit margin from property investments, you have to be one of the first people on the scene. You've heard of the saying, "Early bird gets the worm", right?" 



Flash Back to 8-Years Ago in Panama



We used to be pretty excited about the housing market in Panama about 8 to 10 years ago (now in 2016, it would be 15 years ago) when you could buy a fixer upper house on an acre of land for 35K, or a fixer upper condo in Panama City for just $25K. Seriously! Panama only just 8-years ago was cheaper than Cuenca is now.



Update 2016 - problem is the foreigner enclaves of Panama (Chiriqui Province) that were once touted as cheap are now not only crime ridden but expensive. They're also stuck in their property. They can live there but be in fear of getting robbed and violently. We just updated an article about crime in Panama with new stuff happening in these gringo enclaves according to someone who has lived in this community for 9 years! Click to read "Why foreigners minimize crime in these paradise cities". 



Now look at Panama. What has happened with Panama is gringo inflation. Our dream of moving to Panama did not materialize because we just were not yet ready to pick up our life and move to a foreign country. Moving your whole family to another country takes careful planning and absolute due diligence, otherwise it may not work out. So be sure you do your home work. And be on the lookout for higher rents and housing prices in Cuenca and the coastal areas of Ecuador in the coming years.



That was five years ago (2011)...and this is today (2016).



Update 2016 - We're not picking on the gringos but its difficult to not make the gringo the focus of inflation in paradises all over the world where foreigners flock. Foreigners aren't the only ones who raise prices; they contribute to it BC they are willing to pay the over-inflated prices that the owners and RE agents bestow upon them and then they brag about how cheap it is. They pay erroneous deposits and continue to compare to back home. That's how gringos contribute to inflation in these "so called' best places to live cities. 



Now to end this post I'd look for a shed for sale in Ecuador on 3/4 of an acre to compare with Panama but Ecuador doesn't have any sheds. SERIOUSLY. For a full week we scoured our rental resources looking for a casa with a shed in the yard and there aren't any! 



So we'll show you something else. I picked this one to show you because the ad says incredible price! Are you ready? 

This tiny cement block house can be built for $15,000 (look it has a tin roof) on a little over half an acre is $134,000. That is incredible alright. 

tiny house on 1/2 acre

kitchen in the casa - incredible!

And this is the $134,000 kitchen. 



next...



Let's show you a foreigner resell now.  Are you ready for this?

But first we have to let you know that...

1. this home is not on the beach,
2. nor does it have beach view
3. and its in an area (Esmeralda Province) where foreigners are warned to stay out of according to their own government advisories issued from the State Travel Website. They do not allow their own embassy personnel to go here. And this house is targeted for resell to gringos.

4. This home is not secure...expect to be robbed at some point, if you are a foreigner living in this area of Ecuador.  

5. This area of the coast is the poorest of the whole Ecuador coast. 

2/2 $155,000

There are oodles of houses in this area for less than half that, why?  Because its too dangerous to live there. There's all kinds of really bad deals like this one in Ecuador. And gringos in Panama that ignored those issues and just had dollar signs in their eyes, buying property and then doubling the price for the next gringo, they're needing an underwear change right about now.  It's a big scary world out there. Heck you can even get a better deal than that in the states right now.



We aren't saying don't buy in Ecuador because there are still deals out there if you know what to do, where to go and speak Spanish and when you buy from the local people and not from a website in English.  Buyer beware...that's all we're saying.  For the ins and outs of the whole of the Ecuador coast, check out the DIY Ecuador Coast Guide.



And rental prices in well trafficked areas are continually going up so be prepared for that when you get here. Cuenca certainly is not the cheap retirement haven it was once touted to be just a few years ago. 



Until we inform you again with what's happening in Ecuador and elsewhere abroad, you might want to read these articles about the real estate market in Ecuador.

• Buying Real Estate in Ecuador? (we know most foreigners are not) Read this First!

• How We Have Always Avoided Gringo Targeting in Ecuador

• The Fallacy of Real Estate Purchasing Power and the Fickleness of Cheap Edens

Why Crime is Minimized in “So-Called” Paradises Abroad, Like Panama for Example?

Disclaimer: there is nothing in this article that is not already public knowledge on the Internet; we go the extra mile and dig deeper, putting it all together, helping people make sense out of the content that could be misleading people every single day. Sometimes we have to go beyond what’s just inside the box and look at what’s happening outside the box; we can do that because we have no agendas or vested interests.
 

Did You See the Big White Elephant in the Living Room!?
 

People have a tendency to “sweep things under the rug”, so to speak; we like to call it, ignoring the big white elephant in the living room”.  When it comes to crime in these pumped up cities abroad, even we got hooked in, just by reading what people are saying online. But we weren’t hooked for long.
 

Unfortunately Google Search has disappointed us, which doesn’t happen very often.  It just goes to show that they can have all of their fancy algorithms in place and cute little panda bears in tip-top shape and the search will bring up inaccurate content, like when you type in EXPAT SAFETY IN CORONADO PANAMA.
 

First, add this keyword phrase into Google: Are Expats Safe in Coronado Panama?  And this website pops up (Best Places in the World to Retire), and the first three positions in the search is this website; it’s like they have the whole crime market controlled by the real estate developers/brokers and tourist operators who are just about the only ones commenting about crime on this particular website.
 

You can either click here to go to the website or you can simply see the screenshots we took off the website to show you what is going on here.  Something is terribly wrong with this picture. Take a hard second look: notice anything similar about the commenters? Clicking on an image will enlarge it.

 

next…

No such thing as “safer than the u.s.”.  The u.s. has many different regional areas some with way too much crime and others not so much.  Lumping the term u.s. when referring to say, Los Angeles, or Chicago etc. is misleading at best.  There are many areas in the Midwest and others that have virtually almost zero crime.

 next...

next…

next...

Did you notice anything about the commenters as a group?
Anyone can walk on the beach and enter into the Coronado community. It’s as easy as walking into a mall.
 

We know that if we were moving to Coronado community, we’d want to hear from people who DO NOT HAVE A VESTED INTEREST!!  What about you?



                    


We did a bit more digging because Google really makes you do that to get the “real skinny about crime in Coronado” and found this from an ordinary expat, not a property owner, NOT working in the tourist or real estate business and here’s what he has to say, which puts things into better perspective. 

We concur.
 

The reality is most expats will not go to page 2 of Google. And very few will continue searching once they read what the above website says.  So, here is many folks, looking to retire in Panama, still being mislead from people with vested interests. Folks, please do your due diligence and scour the Internet and talk to Panamanian locals that are not in the real estate or tourist services about crime.


UPDATE 2016 - LOOK, finally after we wrote this article someone finally stepped up to the plate and let it all out! Foreigners need to know this stuff. Make sure you enlarge the photo to read it. 

 

Our Story
 

Here’s our story. Before we went to Panama on a scouting visit we did the online research just like anyone would, we went to the first three websites and read the same comments from that same website that we are showing you today.  We thought, “Oh Panama seems safer than Ecuador”!  After all, that’s what Google search is putting out for folks searching about crime in Panama in Coronado.
 

Seriously, we thought Panama was pretty safe going in from what people were saying and we walked around all over in “off the beaten path” areas of Panama City and we both felt uneasy in some of the areas, which is typical when you walk off the well tread areas. We asked several different people about crime in Panama City and there are two areas we were told to stay out of, even during the day. One taxi driver mapped the areas out for us, which is on another video coming soon.
 

One night while we were still in Panama, I decided to do more research than just the first page of Google and I ended up on the second and third page which brought up a lot of really horrific crimes against expats in Panama. Not trying to scare anyone; that’s not our intention. We only want to inform you that Panama is not what it seems on the surface of things. Still wondering why you have to dig to find this stuff.
 

Folks with vested interests will minimize crime, they will downplay it, and they will compare crime to many places in the U.S and say it is much better in the paradise they are hyping up abroad…and until they are a victim of a serious crime, that’s how they are going to play it.
 

Mr. and Mrs. Diligence says that even one armed robbery and home invasion against one expat couple or local couple should not be swept under the rug, and yet armed robbery and home invasion are frequently happening in expat communities and everyone seems to minimize it and keep it hush-hush!
 

Have you ever talked to someone who has had a gun pointed at their heart? We have talked with several expats who have had just a wallet or cell phone taken and they feel like they’ve been raped, imagine your home getting broken into and armed thugs pointing pistols at your head? Imagine it! Are you going to still be saying “Coronado is relatively safe; I feel safer here than I did in Colorado.”
 

People who have been victims of crimes have been hurt, they have been seriously trespassed upon and minimizing the crime issues in expat communities abroad does not help anyone!
 

We now leave you with a few comments from expats and expat victims of crime in Panama.…maybe it will get some of the minimizers to think about the other person instead of always themselves and how much money they can make from the foreigner.  (Click on images to enlarge)

June 25, 2014 the two girls were confirmed dead

And if you’re thinking that living out in the country in Panama somewhere will be safer, guess again.  Read the whole story from an expat victim here.

Source: Panama Forum
 

There are many uneasy expats that have been emotionally damaged, leaving comments about their experience of being a crime victim. Reading their stories will bring chills down your spine. These are the things that you will not hear from the travel abroad press or other folks with vested interests. Not all crimes are published as many expats are staying hush-hush so they can sell or rent out their homes in these expat enclaves to unsuspecting expats.
 

Panama has a lot going for it, and could be a great place to live, but minimizing and/or sweeping serious crimes against foreigners under the rug is a crime against humanity in and of itself.  You are not helping to improve Panama by doing this.  You are prolonging the problem.  Instead, let us all get it out into the open where maybe someone in authority decides it’s time to do something positive about it.
 

Until we write again…
 

We think you might also like these articles.
 

• The Fallacy of Real Estate Purchasing Power & the Fickleness of Cheap Edens

• Crime against Expats in Ecuador vs. Panama: Is There a Difference?

• How Do Ecuadorians Protect Themselves from Crime?

We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Is There Resentment of the Foreigner in Panama? Why the Increase of Crimes against Expats?

There are crime waves going on in expat communities in Panama. The crimes are becoming more and more violent. What's causing these crime sprees in expat towns and communities? Resentment of the foreigner is mounting up. The biggest complaint from expats living in these areas is the authorities aren't doing anything about it and sometimes they are part of the problem. Scary...



                




We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Talkative Taxi Driver, Caught in a Downpour & Fish Mercado in Panama City

It rains at least once a day in Panama City during the rainy season; and it doesn't just rain, it pours!! We got caught in one of the downpours and the streets became flooded fast. About an hour later, it cleared up, the sun came out and everything dried up. Panama City is very tropical and green. We also walked through the fish market located just outside of Casco Antigua. 

                      


We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Webcam Inside the Albrook Mall in Panama City, Panama

Did we tell you that this mall is really big? Albrook is the biggest mall in Central America. It is so big we still have not seen it all. So far we have counted four different food courts located in this mall. This is a short video of people shopping and enjoying their day.

                 


We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!

Quito Ecuador vs. Panama City - Which City is Better for You?

Quito Ecuador and Panama City, Panama are two very different types of cities. One is tropical, hot and near the coast, while the other is temperate, mild, and in the Andes Mountains. Recognizing these three differences should give the reader a very good idea of which city they would like to retire to as far as climate and weather are concerned. 

Quito Ecuador

However, for those few folks who still cannot decide which city they prefer, here are some of the positives and negatives of both cities. BTW, these are facts not our opinions.  The only one that would be considered our personal opinion would be we think both cities have natural beauty about them; the mountains of the Andes and the bay of Panama City.  For a few of our personal opinions, please see our notes below the tables. 

Panama City, Panama

We don't think comparing countries based on personal opinions really does any justice for people. Like we learned as children, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. That means you have to behold it; other people cannot behold a country for you.

Quito, Ecuador Positives and Negatives Facts 2015

Quito	Positives	Negatives
Getting There	1. International Airport	1. Flights can be expensive- about 25% higher than in 2014
Health Care	1. Health care in Quito Ecuador has consistently ranked one of the best in South America.  2. Several modern and clean hospitals with US standard equipment, services and doctors. 3. Less than half the cost of US prices; sometimes 1/4 of US costs.	None
Crime & Safety	1. During the day Quito is relatively safe if you don't act rich or flash your valuables.	1.High incidence of petty thievery in certain areas near and in the Mercado's.   2. Some vagrancy, especially in old town.   3. Taxi kidnaps of tourists is a risk  4. High percentage of petty thievery occurs at night to tourists.  5. Violent crime such as armed robbery, home invasions and sexual assualts on the rise in Quito.  Source: OSAC
Shopping	1. Numerous US style grocery/ departments stores.  2. Four huge shopping Malls and many strip type malls.  3. Inexpensive produce at the local Mercado's.  4. Several health food stores to buy natural products.  5. Quito has a lot of locally produced brands of foods, so you can shy away from the high-priced imports	1. With the exception of fruits and vegetables you can buy at the local Mercado, food is expensive.  2. electronics, furniture, appliances, tools, and other household items all cost double or more than in the US.
Public Transportation	1. Trolley - 2. City Buses  3. Ecovia and they all cost $0.25 cents.  4.Taxi - taxi fares range from $1.50 to $5 anywhere within the city limits. To and from airport $25 to $30	1. Both the Ecovia and Trolley are overly crowded.  2. Higher incidence of pick-pockets on public transportation.  3.Need to be careful with taking taxis because of kidnap express robberies.  4. Disabled people will have a problem getting on Ecovia and Trolley without assistance.
Weather and Climate	1. Fairly mild temperatures year round.	1. No seasons.  2. Some winter days can get chilly.  3. More cloudy days than sunny.  4. Homes and apartments stay chilly (no central heating).  5. High altitude can pose problems for COPD patients.
People	Pleasant and helpful	1. Gringo gouging and targeting
Environment, Services and Ambiance	1. Beautiful city with majestic mountains surrounding the whole city. 2. Numerous restaurants, live theaters, cinema and shopping.  3. Many different types of indigenous cultural tourist attractions, tour buses, museums and attractions. 4. Quito has been named as one of the top 20 best places to go visit in 2015  5. Quito is home to four HUGE lovely parks that have tennis, basketball, volleyball and other sports courts.	1.Erratic, unorganized drivers. 2. pedestrians need to be careful when crossing the street without traffic lights 3. Noisy  4. Some pollution from the diesel buses
Internet & Infrastructure	1. Internet is fair to good in the city.  2. WIFI spots situated throughout the city. 3. Good to excellent roads	1. Internet may not be in all hotels. If you need Internet, make sure the hotel has it before booking. 2. Internet more expensive than in the US.
Rental & Utility Costs	1. Low to moderate priced rentals - unfurnished $300 to $450      2. Very low utility (electric, water, gas, etc) bills.	1. Tourist rentals and areas are very high priced.

 Panama City, Panama Positives and Negatives Facts 2015

Panama City	Positives	Negatives
Getting There	1. Close to the US 2. Fair to Good Airline Prices	None
Health Care	1. Good Healthcare at US Standards. 2. Several modern and clean hospitals 3. Half the cost of US prices, according to expats that have used the services. Source 1: Numbeo Source 2: Huffington Post	1. Some of the major hospitals crowded with AIDS patients - Aids and HIV are epidemic in Panama City. Source: Panama newspaper - La Estrella de Panama
Crime & Safety	1. minor crime infractions (petty theft and pick-pockets) are few, comparatively speaking with other Latin countries.  FYI: Violent home invasions high in other areas of Panama like Boquete and Coronado.	1. Statistics show over 650 murders in 2013  2. 201 street gangs. 3. Violent crime high because of organized crime. Panama city sees a lot of sexual assaults.  Source: Insight Crime
Shopping	1.Good prices for electronics, appliances, furniture, hardware, clothing, shoes, stuff.  2. Prices for everything (except food) is the same price or better than in the US. 3. Several big shopping Malls. 4. Good discount department/clothing stores. 5. Mercado produce prices are good to inexpensive.	1. Everything in the grocery stores is imported. No locally produced brands. 2. No natural health food stores
Public Transportation	1. Excellent modern city buses $0.25  2. Excellent modern Metro subway $0.35  3. Taxi prices are fair to good - $3 to $7 in the city. Airport transfer $30	None
Weather and Climate	1. Mostly sunny days with tropical weather. 2. Little pollution because few diesel buses. 3. Panama City opens to the bay so smog escapes.	1. Too hot for some people. 2. Humid
People	Gregarious and helpful	1. Gringo gouging & targeting
Environment,     Services and     Ambiance	1. Numerous restaurants, theaters and shopping malls.  2. 3-mile long walking, biking, jogging path along the bay (BalboaAve.) This area also has exercise equipment, tennis courts, volley ball, basketball courts and children’s playground, all in a very well manicured tropical setting with beautiful views of the bay and city. 3.  Several large parks; many tourist attractions, tour buses, museums and attractions.	1. No Beach nearby (closest beach is an hour by car and 2-hours by bus)   2. No public restrooms!  3. Erratic drivers  and lots of traffic.   4. noisy.  5. Some pollution from the diesel buses called “Red Devils”.   6. No organized garbage service, therefore garbage all over and it smells.  7. Many areas with exposed manholes; dangerous for walking.  8. Broken up sidewalks through out the city.  9. Many areas are not wheelchair friendly.  10.  Heavy prostitution in the tourist areas.  Source. Wiki - Prostitution in Panama City
Internet & Infrastructure	1. Internet in Panama is fair to good. WIFI is virtually everywhere.  Cost of Internet is about the same as in the states  2. Panama City has fair to good roads.	1. Internet can be spotty in hotel rooms at certain times of the day.
Cost of Rentals & Utilities	None	1. High rental prices in the city of Panama City - $900 to $5000 2. AC needs to run all day and all night; you will have high utility bill.

Other notes about crime & safety comparing Panama City and Quito: According to 28 expats living in Quito and 22 expats living in Panama
City, the expats that live in Panama City felt relatively safer than
expats living in Quito.  See this comparison at Numbeo here.



Our personal observations about crime & safety in Panama: we felt a safer vibe in Panama and we also observed the locals using
their expensive electronics on the streets, counting wads of cash out in
the open, and leaving their luggage and back packs on travel buses while
they went to eat lunch. The only time we felt uneasy was when we were
inside or near the Mercados.  Panama City definitely has its share of crime and in bad
neighborhoods which we'll talk about in another article.  



Our notes about Internet: Internet (WIFI) for both Quito and Panama can be spotty in some hotel rooms. If you need Internet, before booking a hotel
room, check to make sure you can actually get on the Internet in your room. Most
lodgings have WIFI in the room with the modem router in the halls for
good connections, but it doesn’t mean your room will have a good
connection. 



Our personal notes about tourism: Comparing Quito and Panama City for expats with children... Quito wins hands down without a doubt. In our personal opinion Panama City does not cater to families with children, of any age. Panama city would not be considered a very family-friendly city.



If you liked this article, we think you might like this one too!

• Quito or Cuenca Ecuador? Which City is Best for Your Retirement? 


• Panama Is Not a Better Place to Retire, According to Us!

We're an Expat Family of Five, Living Frugal, Healthy and Happy Abroad. We live in Cuenca, Ecuador and travel the Ecuador coast whenever we get a chance. We just adventured throughout the country of Panama for five weeks! Come along and enjoy some of our experiences with us!