# Panama City for Digital Nomads

> Skyline & dollars

Panama City, Panama, Latin America

Canonical page: https://nomadbase.com/destinations/panama-city
Last reviewed: 2026-08-05

Every figure below carries its source and measurement date. Where no reliable source exists the field is left out rather than estimated.

## Panama City at a glance

Panama City is the Americas logistics answer: a banking-and-flights hub that shares its working day with the US East Coast, prices in dollars, and connects the hemisphere from one airport. The measured internet backs the skyline — a median download of 62.4 Mbps (M-Lab: median download speed) is deep enough for any job — and there is a dedicated remote-worker visa rather than a workaround (Government sources: Short Stay Remote Worker visa, checked 2026-07-29).

The trade is climate and texture. No month of the year lands in the comfortable felt-temperature band (Nomadbase comfort index: months in the mild comfort band, from 2025 data) and it rains on 280 days (Copernicus ERA5: 2025), so life runs air-conditioned, and the city itself is more useful than lovable — towers, malls and traffic, with the charm concentrated in Casco Viejo. The national homicide rate of 12.78 per 100k (UNODC: national rate per 100,000) is a country figure that daily life in the better districts does not resemble, but it is the honest context for keeping city habits.

It suits you if your clients are American, you want a hub you can leave from in any direction, and air conditioning does not depress you. It suits you less if you came for walkable charm or an outdoor life — this is a base you operate from, not a postcard you live in.

| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Median download of 62.4 Mbps (M-Lab: median download speed) and dollar pricing | No month lands in the mild comfort band (Nomadbase comfort index: from 2025 data) — hot and humid year-round |
| US passports get 180 visa-free days, EU passports 90 (Government sources: checked 2026-07-29), plus a dedicated remote-worker visa | Rain on 280 days a year (Copernicus ERA5: 2025) — the wet season is most of the year |
| The hemisphere's hub airport and full US Eastern overlap | National homicide rate of 12.78 per 100k (UNODC: national rate per 100,000) — district judgement is part of daily life |
| Casco Viejo gives the city one genuinely walkable, beautiful quarter | Outside Casco, the city is car-scaled towers and malls |

## Key figures

| Figure | Value | Source | Measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality PM2.5 (modelled) | 10.5 µg/m³ | Copernicus CAMS via Open-Meteo, modelled 30-day mean | 2026-08-10 |
| Airports within 100 km | 3 within 100km | OurAirports, major and regional airports with scheduled service | 2026-07-29 |
| Nearest major airport | 17 km | OurAirports — nearest major airport is Tocumen International Airport | 2026-07-29 |
| Cafés mapped | 170 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Coworking spaces mapped | 5 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Gyms mapped | 20 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Queer venues mapped | 0 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Bars, pubs and clubs mapped | 157 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Nightlife share of cafés | 14.9 per 100 restaurants & cafés | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Restaurants mapped | 886 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Vegan-friendly places mapped | 5 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Vegan share of cafés | 0.5 per 100 restaurants & cafés | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Vegetarian-friendly places mapped | 6 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Vegetarian share of cafés | 0.6 per 100 restaurants & cafés | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Yoga studios mapped | 3 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-08-05 |
| Banking access index (country) | 3.75 score 0-10 | Nomadbase business rubric (country level), checked 2026-07-31 | 2026-07-31 |
| Banking in practice (country) | The reason to be careful. Post-FATF compliance made Panamanian banks slow and selective even for locally registered companies; references, source-of-funds files and months of waiting are normal. Do not assume the account follows the company. | Nomadbase business rubric (country level), checked 2026-07-31 | 2026-07-31 |
| Company setup index (country) | 8 score 0-10 | Nomadbase business rubric (country level), checked 2026-07-31 | 2026-07-31 |
| Company setup in practice (country) | A Panamanian S.A. is formed through a lawyer and filed at the Registro Público in about a week, with unrestricted foreign ownership and territorial taxation — the reason Panama is on every list. | Nomadbase business rubric (country level), checked 2026-07-31 | 2026-07-31 |
| Average cloud cover | 79 % | Copernicus ERA5, 2025 annual average | 2025-12-31 |
| Nomadbase climate comfort index | 2.3 index 0-10 | Nomadbase comfort index from Copernicus ERA5 2025 monthly means | 2025-12-31 |
| Mild months (felt 18–27 °C) | 0 months/year | Nomadbase comfort index from Copernicus ERA5 2025 monthly means | 2025-12-31 |
| climate monthly profile | [{"m":1,"t":31.7,"r":0.42,"c":0.5},{"m":2,"t":31.3,"r":0.39,"c":0.54},{"m":3,"t":31.7,"r":0.16,"c":0.65},{"m":4,"t":32.2,"r":0.63,"c":0.86},{"m":5,"t":33,"r":1,"c":0.9},{"m":6,"t":32.7,"r":1,"c":0.95},{"m":7,"t":32.6,"r":0.94,"c":0.91},{"m":8,"t":32.5,"r":0.97,"c":0.9},{"m":9,"t":32.5,"r":1,"c":0.93},{"m":10,"t":32,"r":0.94,"c":0.88},{"m":11,"t":31.8,"r":0.97,"c":0.9},{"m":12,"t":31.3,"r":0.77,"c":0.59}] | Copernicus ERA5, 2025 monthly means (felt temperature, rain-day share, cloud share) | 2025-12-31 |
| Rain days per year | 280 days/year | Copernicus ERA5, 2025 full-year count | 2025-12-31 |
| Dry days per year | 85 days/year | Copernicus ERA5, 2025 full-year count | 2025-12-31 |
| Average temperature (year) | 27 C | Copernicus ERA5, 2025 annual average | 2025-12-31 |
| Average temperature (summer) | 27 C | Copernicus ERA5, 2025 summer average (Jun-Aug) | 2025-12-31 |
| Average temperature (winter) | 26.9 C | Copernicus ERA5, 2025 winter average (Dec-Feb) | 2025-12-31 |
| Country price level (US = 100) | 49.7 US=100 | World Bank price level index for Panama, 2025 (US = 100) | 2025-12-31 |
| Coworking desk per month | 111 EUR/month | Published price: MyOffice Panama, hot desk monthly (128.39 USD incl. ITBMS tax) — the only operator publishing a monthly rate, checked 2026-08-05 | 2026-08-05 |
| cost eating out monthly modelled | 51 EUR/month | Modelled eating out for Panama (country level, not city): Eurostat DE reference 2022 scaled by World Bank price level 49.7 vs 81.2 (2025) and ICP 2021 category structure | 2025-12-31 |
| eSIM data, 30 days | 31.5 EUR | Published price: Airalo, 10 GB / 30 days, checked 2026-08-05 | 2026-08-05 |
| cost food monthly modelled | 185 EUR/month | Modelled groceries for Panama (country level, not city): Eurostat DE reference 2022 scaled by World Bank price level 49.7 vs 81.2 (2025) and ICP 2021 category structure | 2025-12-31 |
| cost leisure monthly modelled | 88 EUR/month | Modelled leisure for Panama (country level, not city): Eurostat DE reference 2022 scaled by World Bank price level 49.7 vs 81.2 (2025) and ICP 2021 category structure | 2025-12-31 |
| cost transport monthly modelled | 9 EUR/month | Modelled local transport for Panama (country level, not city): Eurostat DE reference 2022 scaled by World Bank price level 49.7 vs 81.2 (2025) and ICP 2021 category structure | 2025-12-31 |
| English proficiency (EF EPI) | 492 EF EPI score | EF EPI 2025 (city level, transcribed via Wikipedia) | 2025-11-01 |
| Hospitals and clinics mapped | 150 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-07-31 |
| Pharmacies mapped | 158 count | OpenStreetMap, within 15km | 2026-07-31 |
| Internet download (median) | 62.4 Mbps | M-Lab median of 855 tests within 50 km, last 7 days | 2026-08-11 |
| LGBTQ+ legal index (country) | 5 score 0-10 | Nomadbase legal-position rubric (country level), checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| LGBTQ+ in practice (country) | The Supreme Court closed the marriage route in March 2023 and the National Assembly blocked adding sexual orientation to the anti-discrimination law in 2024; gender marker change exists but only after surgery. Tolerated but legally thin. | Nomadbase legal-position rubric (country level), checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| Kitesurf spots mapped nearby | 0 count | OpenStreetMap, within 30km | 2026-08-05 |
| Surf spots mapped nearby | 0 count | OpenStreetMap, within 30km | 2026-08-05 |
| Getting by in English (0–10) | 3.68 score 0-10 | EF EPI 2025 (city level, transcribed via Wikipedia) | 2025-11-01 |
| Beaches mapped within 30 km | 45 count | OpenStreetMap, within 30km | 2026-07-31 |
| Mapped coastline within 30 km | 178 count | OpenStreetMap, within 30km | 2026-07-31 |
| Nature reserves and parks within 30 km | 11 count | OpenStreetMap, within 30km | 2026-07-31 |
| Hiking routes within 30 km | 12 count | OpenStreetMap, within 30km | 2026-07-31 |
| Population | 1540000 people | Wikidata population figure, 2026 | 2026-12-31 |
| Homicide rate (country) | 12.78 per 100k | UNODC intentional homicide rate for Panama, 2024 | 2024-12-31 |
| Women, Peace and Security index (country) | 7.57 score 0-10 | Georgetown WPS Index 2023 (country level, transcribed via Wikipedia) | 2023-10-01 |
| Tap water in practice (country) | Tap water is safe in virtually all cities and towns including Panama City — the notable exceptions are Bocas del Toro and remote comarcas, where bottled is required. | Nomadbase tap-water tier (country level), checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| Tap water index (country) | 7 score 0-10 | Nomadbase tap-water tier (country level), checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| Working-hours overlap with Central Europe | 2 hours/day | Nomadbase overlap of a 09:00-17:00 day against Open-Meteo time zone (America/Panama), standard time; Europe reference UTC+1 | 2026-08-10 |
| Working-hours overlap with US East | 8 hours/day | Nomadbase overlap of a 09:00-17:00 day against Open-Meteo time zone (America/Panama), standard time; US East reference UTC-5 | 2026-08-10 |
| UTC offset | -5 hours from UTC | Open-Meteo time zone (America/Panama), standard time | 2026-08-10 |
| Remote-work visa route (0–10) | 10 score 0-10 | Dedicated remote-work visa: Short Stay Visa for Remote Workers (checked 2026-07-29) | 2026-07-29 |
| Visa-free days (Australian passport) | 90 days | Editorial visa research, checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| Visa-free days (Canadian passport) | 180 days | Editorial visa research, checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| Visa-free days (EU passport) | 90 days | Editorial visa research, checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| Visa-free days (UK passport) | 90 days | Editorial visa research, checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| Visa-free days (US passport) | 180 days | Editorial visa research, checked 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |

## Scores (0–10, blend of public data and community reports)

| Category | Score | Public data | Community | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cost | 4.44 | 4.44 | — | 0 |
| internet | 7.93 | 7.93 | — | 0 |
| safety | 1.56 | 1.56 | — | 0 |
| climate | 5.23 | 5.24 | — | 0 |
| amenity | 2.84 | 2.85 | — | 0 |
| fun | 5.57 | 5.57 | — | 0 |
| vegan | 1.13 | 1.13 | — | 0 |
| water | 7 | 7 | — | 0 |
| flights | 4.36 | 4.36 | — | 0 |
| visa | 8 | 8 | — | 0 |
| lifestyle | 3.34 | 3.34 | — | 0 |
| vegetarian | 0.29 | 0.29 | — | 0 |
| nightlife | 4.41 | 4.41 | — | 0 |
| nature | 7.44 | 7.44 | — | 0 |
| health | 3.14 | 3.14 | — | 0 |
| lgbtq | 5 | 5 | — | 0 |
| locals | 3.68 | 3.68 | — | 0 |
| business | 5.88 | 5.88 | — | 0 |
| women | 7.57 | 7.57 | — | 0 |

## Visa & entry (Panama)

EU passports get 90 days visa-free, US and Canadian passports 180 — the split dates from September 2021 and still stands. The Short Stay Remote Worker visa (Executive Decree 198 of 2021) buys 9+9 months at $36,000/year foreign income, filed in-country through a Panamanian lawyer.

### How long you can stay

EU, UK and Australian passports get 90 days visa-free; US and Canadian passports get 180 — set by the September 2021 immigration resolutions and unchanged since. On entry you can be asked for an onward ticket and proof of solvency of $1,000 (or a credit card). There is no routine tourist extension for visa-free entries: when the days run out, you leave. Overstays are fined, and rapid-turnaround border runs draw increasing questions.

### Staying longer as a remote worker

The Visa de Corta Estancia como Trabajador Remoto (Executive Decree 198, May 2021) requires foreign-source income of at least $36,000/year — a fixed figure in the decree, roughly $3,000/month, not index-linked. For family groups a higher combined amount applies; $48,000/year is the widely reported figure, but the official PROPANAMA page lists only the individual threshold, so confirm before filing. You must show a foreign employment contract or self-employment with effects entirely outside Panama, plus international health insurance.

The visa runs 9 months and renews once for another 9 — 18 months maximum, and it deliberately does not convert into residency. Fee: $250 to the National Migration Service. You apply at the SNM’s Special Procedures window after entering Panama, through a legal representative — factor in $1,000+ in lawyer fees and apostilled, translated documents. If Panama is a long-term candidate, look at the Friendly Nations or Qualified Investor permits instead; the remote worker visa is a bridge, not a path.

> Visa rules change frequently. This information was last checked on 2026-07-29. It is not legal advice — confirm with the official source before booking: https://www.propanama.gob.pa/visa-para-nomadas-digitales/

## Living in Panama City

### Where to stay

The short version: charm or convenience, pick one. **Casco Viejo** is the restored colonial quarter — beautiful, walkable, touristy, and the only district that feels like a place rather than a plan. **El Cangrejo** is the practical middle: dense, central, full of restaurants and mid-rise flats, long the default for foreigners on a budget. **San Francisco** and **Coco del Mar** are the modern residential towers near the coastal parks, and **Punta Pacifica** is the glass end of the market. The metro spine matters more than the map suggests — pick a building near a station and the traffic stops being your problem.

### Finding a place

Furnished tower apartments are the standard product, found through local brokers, Encuentra24 and the building-by-building Facebook groups. Supply is deep and landlords are used to foreigners, so the process is quick by regional standards; negotiate on longer commitments, because listed prices assume short stays. Check the air conditioning and the water pressure on the actual floor before signing — buildings age faster than their lobbies.

### Working from here

The coworking scene is thinner than the skyline implies, concentrated around the banking district, but home internet is the real workhorse here — fibre is standard in the towers and fast enough that most people simply work from the flat or the building's business lounge. Cafés work for meetings more than for full days.

### Getting around

The metro is the pride of the city and the only one in Central America — clean, cheap, air-conditioned and immune to the traffic that eats every road at rush hour. Ride apps cover everything the metro does not; nobody who can avoid it drives at peak times. Walking is realistic only within districts: the city was built for cars, and the heat votes with the drivers.

### Money

The currency is the US dollar, which removes a whole layer of friction — no exchange maths, no conversion fees on dollar income. Cards work in the malls and towers; small fondas and taxis want cash. ATMs are everywhere and standard bank fees apply.

### Staying safe

The rules here are district rules. The neighbourhoods you would live in are calm and heavily trafficked at all hours, Casco Viejo is policed for tourism, and the areas flanking it — El Chorrillo, Curundú — are not for wandering, which every local will tell you unprompted. Ride rather than walk after dark outside the core, keep the phone out of sight at kerbs, and the city is undramatic in practice.

The other hazards are environmental: tropical sun, sudden downpours that flood underpasses, and pavements that end without warning.

### Seasons

There are two seasons and both are hot. The dry season, roughly January to April, is the city at its best — breezy, brighter, the months to schedule visitors and beach weekends. The rest of the year is the green season: humid, with an afternoon downpour you could nearly set a watch by. The rain rarely costs a full day, but it decides the shape of every one — outdoor plans happen in the morning, and everything else happens under air conditioning.

### Meeting people

The expat and remote-work scene concentrates in Casco's cafés and the banking district's gyms and bars, and it skews corporate — bankers, canal-economy consultants, regional managers — more than backpacker-nomad. English goes far, Spanish goes further, and the standing tip is to say yes to the first weekend beach invitation, because that is where the social circles actually form.

### Staying active

Early morning is the sports season of every day: the Cinta Costera and the Amador Causeway fill with runners and cyclists before the heat arrives, and both routes run along the water with the skyline as a backdrop. Tower gyms and the fitness chains carry the midday hours, and the Metropolitan Natural Park — rainforest inside the city limits — gives trail walkers monkeys before breakfast.

### Time off

The canal's Miraflores locks are the compulsory visit and better than they sound. Beyond the city, the Pacific beaches at Coronado and San Carlos are the standard weekend, Taboga and the Pearl Islands are a ferry away, and the mountain town of El Valle de Antón sits in a volcanic crater two hours out — the local answer to the heat. With the hub airport, Colombia, Costa Rica and the Caribbean are all weekend range.

## Frequently asked questions

### How fast is the internet in Panama City?

Median download speed is about 62.4 Mbps. Source: M-Lab median of 855 tests within 50 km, last 7 days.

### What visa do I need for Panama City?

EU passports get 90 days visa-free, US and Canadian passports 180 — the split dates from September 2021 and still stands. The Short Stay Remote Worker visa (Executive Decree 198 of 2021) buys 9+9 months at $36,000/year foreign income, filed in-country through a Panamanian lawyer. Last checked 2026-07-29. Always confirm with the official source before booking.

### What is the weather like in Panama City?

Winters average 26.9 °C and summers 27 °C. 0 of 12 months average a comfortable 18–27 °C (felt temperature). Source: Copernicus ERA5, 2025 annual average.

### Can I work European or US hours from Panama City?

A 09:00–17:00 working day in Panama City overlaps 2 hours with Central European time and 8 hours with US Eastern time, at standard time.

### Are there coworking spaces in Panama City?

5 coworking spaces are mapped in Panama City, plus 170 cafés to work from. Source: OpenStreetMap, within 15km. Counts are a floor, not a census — coverage depends on local mappers.

### How do you get to Panama City?

The nearest major airport is about 17 km away. 3 airports with scheduled service within 100 km. Source: OurAirports — nearest major airport is Tocumen International Airport.

## Sources

- **Copernicus CAMS** (© ECMWF/Copernicus) — Modelled air quality, used only where no ground station exists. A 40km model cell, not a measurement on the corner — the page says which of the two you are looking at. https://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/
- **OurAirports** (Public domain) — Airport locations and types. Distances are to the nearest major airport with scheduled service. https://ourairports.com/
- **OpenStreetMap** (ODbL) — Community-mapped places: coworking, cafés, gyms and diet options within 15km. Counts are a floor rather than a census — coverage depends on local mappers. https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright
- **Copernicus ERA5** (Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information) — ECMWF’s ERA5 reanalysis, retrieved through Open-Meteo. Temperatures, rainfall, cloud cover and wind are daily values for the last complete calendar year. https://open-meteo.com/
- **Nomadbase comfort index** — Our own reading of ERA5 data, not a measurement: a month-by-month score for how comfortable the felt temperature is, damped for rain and cloud. The formula is published. https://nomadbase.com/destinations#how-we-score
- **World Bank** (CC BY 4.0) — Price level of household consumption at market exchange rates (US = 100) — a national figure that anchors the cost score where no city-level source exists yet. It measures what arriving with foreign income feels like, which is why a weak currency lowers it. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI
- **Published prices** — Prices read by hand from the operator’s or authority’s own published price list — a transit tariff, a coworking rate card, an eSIM store — on the date shown. Checked quarterly; the linked page is the source. https://nomadbase.com/destinations#how-we-score
- **M-Lab** (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Internet speed from real speed tests run by people in the city, aggregated over a seven-day window. https://www.measurementlab.net/
- **Nomadbase country research** — Hand-maintained country tables for the LGBTQ+ legal position and tap-water safety, compiled from advocacy databases (ILGA World, Human Dignity Trust), national authorities and government travel advice, and scored with a published rubric. Country-level by nature — city reality can differ, which is what the practical note is for. https://nomadbase.com/destinations#how-we-score
- **Wikidata** (CC0) — Structural facts taken from the place’s Wikidata entity — resident population, which mirrors a national census figure, and elevation above sea level. The year is the one Wikidata records for that figure; where the entity was the wrong scale for the place we describe, the number has been replaced by a hand-sourced one from the statistics office instead. https://www.wikidata.org/
- **UNODC** (Free with attribution) — Intentional homicide rate from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime — a national figure, because no free source measures crime per city. The year next to the number is the year the country last reported. https://dataunodc.un.org/
- **Government sources** — Visa and entry rules come from the responsible authority for each country, linked in the visa section and re-checked by hand on the date shown.

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