Fernshore
Get a sample report

City in Panama

Panama City

Panama City is the capital, with 1,086,990 residents in Panamá district in the 2023 census. Panamá province had 172,499 foreign-born residents, and an IB World School is in Panama Norte. Mean daily highs are 32.6 °C or more in every month. [N1] [M1] [Panama City S1] [W1]

Country
Panama
Region
Panamá
Population
1,086,990 in 2023. Panamá district, Census 2023 (INEC); the district, not the city proper and not the province. [N1]
Settings
In a city [N1]
Weather
Warm all year [W1] [W2]

Why it is here

Why Panama City is on the list.

A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.

  • Panamá district had 1,086,990 residents in the 2023 census, above the 500,000 line and the largest of the 82 districts in the table (the next is Arraiján, 299,079). [N1]
  • Panamá province had 172,499 foreign-born residents in the 2023 census, 12.0% of its population (107,676, 6.3%, in 2010); the table is by province, so it covers the capital district and the rest of the province. [M1]
  • InterNations names Panama City among its popular expat locations, and The Rio Times (2026) calls the capital the natural landing pad for first-time arrivals; both are private. [E1] [E2]
  • The Metropolitan School of Panama, in Green Valley, Panama Norte, says it is an IB World School for the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes. [Panama City S1]

The Fernshore Index

How it grades, factor by factor.

Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.

The country

More on Panama.

Cities

Other cities in Panama.

Questions about Panama City.

How big is Panama City, and how many foreigners live there?

Panamá district had 1,086,990 residents in the 2023 census, the largest of 82 districts (the district, not the city proper). Panamá province, which includes it, had 172,499 foreign-born residents, 12.0% of its people (6.3% in 2010). The table is by province, so it does not isolate the capital.

Cuadro 3. Población en la República, según provincia, comarca indígena y distrito: censos de 2000, 2010 y 2023, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Contraloría General de la República; Cuadro 6. Población en la República y población nacida en el extranjero, según provincia y comarca indígena: censos 2010 y 2023, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Contraloría General de la República. Checked 15 October 2026

Read the long answer

What do rents cost in Panama City?

One-bedroom adverts opened on 15 October 2026 asked B/.1,125 (San Francisco) and B/.1,450 (Bella Vista) a month; two-bedroom adverts asked B/.1,000 to B/.1,700. InterNations, a private source, gives US$800 to 1,200 for a single-room flat. These are asking rents, not a city average.

Apartment in San Francisco, 1 bedroom, 102 m2 (ID 70594), PanamaRE, panama-real-estate.com (private property portal); Furnished apartment in PH Lemon Tower, Calle 50, Bella Vista (ID 70748), PanamaRE, panama-real-estate.com (private property portal); Apartment in San Francisco, 2 bedrooms, 80 m2, white goods only (ID 70597), PanamaRE, panama-real-estate.com (private property portal); Furnished apartment in PH Excelsior Plaza, Calle 50, 2 bedrooms (ID 70771), PanamaRE, panama-real-estate.com (private property portal); Furnished loft-style apartment in PH La Loma Vista Tower, Carrasquilla (ID 70740), PanamaRE, panama-real-estate.com (private property portal); Expats in Panama (InterNations Panama page), InterNations (private expat network, not official). Checked 15 October 2026

Read the long answer

What is the weather like in Panama City?

Mean daily highs are 32.6 to 35.4 °C in every month (WMO), so no month is at 30 °C or under. The Tocumen station (1977 to 2010) records 1,917 mm of rain a year: about 10 mm in February and about 330 mm in October. The rainy season runs from May to about November.

Climate information for Panama City (WMO World Weather Information Service), World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service (data supplied by Panama's national meteorological service); Caracterización climática para los distritos de Panamá y San Miguelito, según los datos de la estación meteorológica Tocumen, Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (ETESA), Gerencia de Hidrometeorología, Centro del Clima de Panamá (published on the site of the Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá, IMHPA); Rainfall regime of Panama, Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá (IMHPA). Checked 15 October 2026

Read the long answer

Which parts of Panama City does Canada list as high-crime?

Canada advises a high degree of caution in the corregimientos of Calidonia, Curundú, El Chorrillo, Panamá Viejo, Río Abajo, Santa Ana and 24 de Diciembre, and in San Miguelito and Colón Province. Bella Vista, San Francisco and Carrasquilla are not on the list; petty theft and break-ins still occur.

Panama travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 15 October 2026

Read the long answer

Are there international schools in Panama City?

The Metropolitan School of Panama, in Green Valley, Panama Norte, says it is an IB World School for the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes. The Rio Times, a private source, says the capital has the deepest concentration of international schools. Fees and places are unknown.

Accreditations and memberships: Metropolitan School of Panama, Metropolitan School of Panama (Nord Anglia Education; the school's own site); Building a Social Life: Expat Communities in Panama, The Rio Times (news site, article of 17 June 2026; private, not official). Checked 15 October 2026

Read the long answer

Sources

Where each figure comes from.

Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.

  1. [N1] Cuadro 3. Población en la República, según provincia, comarca indígena y distrito: censos de 2000, 2010 y 2023, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Contraloría General de la República. Checked 15 October 2026. Panamá district: 1,086,990 residents in the 2023 census (the district, not the city proper and not the province, which is 1,439,575).
  2. [M1] Cuadro 6. Población en la República y población nacida en el extranjero, según provincia y comarca indígena: censos 2010 y 2023, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC), Contraloría General de la República. Checked 15 October 2026. Foreign-born residents by province, 2010 and 2023: Panamá 107,676 (6.3%) to 172,499 (12.0%); Panamá Oeste 33,916 (5.2%) in 2023 (not shown separately in 2010); Chiriquí 7,494 (1.8%) to 12,596 (2.7%); Los Santos 918 to 2,424; Bocas del Toro 3,026 to 2,946. Provinces only: the table has no district or town figures.
  3. [Panama City S1] Accreditations and memberships: Metropolitan School of Panama, Metropolitan School of Panama (Nord Anglia Education; the school's own site). Checked 15 October 2026. Says it is an IB World School accredited to offer the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes; address Calle Primavera, Green Valley, Panama Norte, Panama City.
  4. [W1] Climate information for Panama City (WMO World Weather Information Service), World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service (data supplied by Panama's national meteorological service). Checked 15 October 2026. Panama City station (9.05 N, 79.37 W). Monthly mean daily highs 32.6 to 35.4 °C (October lowest, April highest); rainfall 10.1 mm (February) to 330.7 mm (October). The service marks the rainfall record as 1971 to 2000 and gives no period for temperatures. These are not 1991 to 2020 normals; no month has a mean daily high of 30 °C or less, so there are 0 comfortable months.
  5. [W2] Caracterización climática para los distritos de Panamá y San Miguelito, según los datos de la estación meteorológica Tocumen, Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (ETESA), Gerencia de Hidrometeorología, Centro del Clima de Panamá (published on the site of the Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá, IMHPA). Checked 15 October 2026. Tocumen station, period 1977 to 2010 (not 1991 to 2020). Average daily maximum 32.6 °C (October) to 35.3 °C (April) in every month; rain 10.0 mm (February) to 329.6 mm (October), 1,917.4 mm a year. No month has a mean daily high of 30 °C or less. IMHPA's own climate pages (imhpa.gob.pa) show current data only, no 1991 to 2020 normals table was found.
  6. [E1] Expats in Panama (InterNations Panama page), InterNations (private expat network, not official). Checked 15 October 2026. Says InterNations has 21,965 members in Panama. Its Q&A names Panama City, Boquete and Coronado as popular expat locations and gives rent ranges for each (single-room flat US$800 to 1,200 in Panama City, US$500 to 800 in Boquete, US$700 to 1,000 in Coronado). No publication date shown; read on 15 October 2026.
  7. [E2] Building a Social Life: Expat Communities in Panama, The Rio Times (news site, article by Ana Clara Santos, 17 June 2026; private, not official). Checked 15 October 2026. Descriptive; the article gives no headcounts. It says Boquete has a dense, organised expat community and has long drawn North American and European retirees; the Pacific beach corridor is anchored by Coronado and is a major retirement and second-home hub; the capital has the deepest concentration of international schools. Read through a page-summary tool, so the quotes are short.
  8. [C1] Price level index (GDP), Panama, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 45.08 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026 (data.worldbank.org pages were not used; the API was).
  9. [Panama S1] Global Peace Index 2026, A3 map poster with the overall ranking, Institute for Economics and Peace (Vision of Humanity). Checked 15 October 2026. Panama ranks 81st of 163 countries (score 1.976), down 6 places. Read from the poster; the full report PDF was not opened.
  10. [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Panama: 82 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.
  11. [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Panama ranks 2nd of 31 countries in the Ease of Settling In Index.
  12. [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Panama ranks 6th of 31 countries in the Quality of Life Index.
  13. [K1] Decreto Ejecutivo No. 198 de 7 de mayo de 2021, que crea la Visa de Corta Estancia como Trabajador Remoto (Gaceta Oficial Digital No. 29290-A, 20 May 2021), República de Panamá, Ministerio de Seguridad Pública (published in the Gaceta Oficial). Checked 15 October 2026. Article 1: a short-stay (non-resident) visa for foreign remote workers with foreign-source income of at least B/.36,000 a year; nine months, renewable once for the same period; carnet B/.50. Article 2: B/.250 payment, insurance, a letter showing at least B/.3,000 a month, a sworn statement of no local job or service. The Gaceta is a scan; the text was read by OCR. The Servicio Nacional de Migración requirements sheet (migracion.gob.pa) could not be opened (the address returned a page-not-found). Later changes were not checked.
  14. [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Panama, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2023: 18.13 per 100 people (2024 and 2025 have no value), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  15. [R1] Decreto Ejecutivo No. 320 de 8 de agosto de 2008, articles 10 and 200 to 203 (Gaceta Oficial Digital No. 26104, 13 August 2008), República de Panamá, Ministerio de Gobierno y Justicia (published in the Gaceta Oficial). Checked 15 October 2026. Article 10 lists the permanent permit for jubilado o pensionado. Article 200: a lifetime pension of at least B/.1,000 a month (B/.750 with a property worth more than B/.100,000). Article 201: certification letters and B/.250 per dependent. No age minimum is stated. This is the 2008 text; amendments (for example Decreto Ejecutivo 26 of 2009) were not checked.
  16. [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Panama fact sheet, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 491, global rank 70 (global average 488). The live country page (ef.com/wwen/epi/regions/latin-america/panama/) shows the same score and rank on 15 October 2026.

Your circumstances

See how this applies to you.

A report applies this research to your citizenship, work, money and priorities, and shows what we could not confirm.

Find your best match

Free, about 6 minutes

Find your best match, Free, about 6 minutes, Free · 6 min. Starts the free interview.

Choose which optional cookies to allow.

EssentialAlways on

Needed for core site functions and saving your choice.

Help us understand how the website is used.