People who decide to relocate to Panama, sometimes would prefer to move into an expat community – A place that has a high concentration of expats. Living in such a community would make it easier for expats to adjust to their new life in Panama, part of it is because the English language will be more common in different places, such as banks, restaurants and more. In Panama, there 3 main expat communities: Coronado, Panama City and Boquete.
Living in an expat community will make it harder to learn Spanish, and you will surely have a much better life in Panama if you manage to learn some basic Spanish. In Boquete for instance, you will find that so many people speak English that you won’t feel any need to learn or speak Spanish. On the other hand, this is also a disadvantage – Spanish is the official language in Panama, so you need to learn at least a little Spanish before you decide to relocate. Doing this will allow you to communicate with local Panamanians who don’t speak English.
Social events are a big advantage in an expat community, since most expats living in an expat community are social people. There are many activities for expats in an expat community and they happen quite frequently, such as music events, parties, a theater, social games like poker, trivia or bingo and more. Moving to a non-expat community will make it harder to find such activities, and if you do, they will happen seldom. If you desire those kinds of activities, you will probably have to create them yourself. Bottom line is, if social events are your thing, your life in Panama will be more enjoyable in an expat community.
In regard to properties in Panama, if buying a house is what you are looking for, you will probably pay more for a house if you move to an expat community. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a cheap house, but it will definitely not be an easy task. On the other hand, there are bigger chances that the houses in such a community will look like houses in North America, hence you might like it better. It is advisable that you contact a real estate agent to help you find exactly what you need.
Renting a house isn’t very different than buying. Renting in an expat community might cost a little more than a non-expat community.
MLS Acobir, is the most preferred property list in Panama. If you want to buy or rent in Panama, Please contact us.
