Moving to Panama from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Costa Rica to Panama — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Panama, you would find that Panama is 14.5% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,000,000 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly PAB63,900 in Panama to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Panama City averages 93°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Panama cheaper than Costa Rica?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 25.4% less
Groceries
pay 11.2% less
Transportation
pay 29.3% less
Housing
pay 4.0% more
Childcare
pay 37.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.3% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Panama?
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,000,000 → PAB63,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Panama
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Panama
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Costa Rica to Panama, based on official data.
Who's moving to Panama?
Top countries of origin for Panama's foreign-born residents.
- 119,553
- 50,702
- 22,427
- 16,867
- 15,517
- 9,711
- · · ·
-
7.9,320
Costa Rica
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Costa Rica to Panama.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Panama performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Costa Rica performs better than Panama across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Costa Rica generally does better on infrastructure, though Panama leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Costa Rica performs better than Panama across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Costa Rica performs better than Panama across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), General Directorate of Revenues, Panama (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Panama vs Costa Rica
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | San Jose | Panama City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Panama City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá
Can you move from Costa Rica to Panama?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Panama. To live, work, or study long-term in Panama, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Panama's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Panama
Visa Free
Panama passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Panama than Costa Rica?
Yes — Panama is on average about 14% cheaper than Costa Rica. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Panama?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly PAB15,975 in Panama on a CRC34,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Panama?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Panama has 18.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Panama safe for expats?
Panama performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Panama is 11.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Panama compared to Costa Rica?
Costa Rica generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in suicide rate. There are 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Panama, compared to 26.9 in Costa Rica. Panama scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Panama compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Panama City is 93°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Panama City receives around 75.1 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Panama?
Both Costa Rica and Panama share the same official language: Spanish.
