Moving to Panama from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Panama — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Panama, you would find that Panama is 45.3% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,402,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly PAB32,652 in Panama to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Panama City averages 93°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Panama.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,402,000 → PAB32,652
To maintain the same standard of living in Panama
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 60.9% less
Groceries
pay 28.5% less
Transportation
pay 50.9% less
Housing
pay 36.2% less
Childcare
pay 30.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 55.8% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Panama stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs better than Panama 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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland generally does better on environment, though Panama leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Iceland performs better than Panama across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Panama leads in top income tax rate.
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
Iceland performs better than Panama across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Panama City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Panama City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Panama
Visa Free
Panama passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
Generally yes: Panama runs about 56% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Panama?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,402,000 comparable salary, that's around PAB8,163 in Panama for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Panama?
With 15.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Panama can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Iceland and Panama.
Is Panama safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Panama across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Panama is 11.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland. About 33% of people in Panama feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Panama compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Panama leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 17.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Panama, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Panama scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Panama compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Panama City is 93°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Panama City receives around 75.1 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Panama?
The official language in Panama is Spanish. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
