Where to retire in Panama
Retirees in Panama choose between the capital, the cool highlands of Chiriquí and El Valle, the dry Pacific coast and Azuero, and the Caribbean islands of Bocas del Toro.
Below, eleven places compared with the official weather, census and health data, each with its own page.
| Place | Type | Average temperature | Rain a year | Months under 100 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boquete Cool highland valley in Chiriquí, coffee farms and trails, about 20 °C all year. | Highlands | 20.5 °C | 3,206 mm | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar |
| Coronado Beach town on the Pacific Riviera, about 1.5 hours from the capital. | Beach | 27.8 °C | 1,520 mm | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Panama City The capital: international airport, the largest hospitals and two World Heritage sites. | City | 27.0 °C | 1,840 mm | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Bocas del Toro Caribbean islands, rain all year, Afro-Caribbean culture, 45 minutes by air. | Island | 26.6 °C | 3,350 mm | none |
| El Valle de Antón Village inside an old volcano crater, trails and birds, 2.5 hours from the city. | Highlands | not measured | 3,018 mm | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| David Capital of Chiriquí: airport, regional hospital, gateway to the highlands. | City | 27.2 °C | 2,603 mm | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Volcán and Tierras Altas The coolest district in Panama, at the foot of the Barú Volcano. | Highlands | not measured | 2,909 mm | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar |
| Pedasí Small beach town in Azuero: dry season, whales, turtles and surf. | Beach | 27.1 °C | 1,564 mm | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Santa Catalina Surf village in Veraguas and the gateway to Coiba National Park. | Beach | 27.2 °C | 2,741 mm | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar |
| Las Tablas Capital of Los Santos, home of Carnival and the pollera; the driest place here. | Town | 27.5 °C | 1,060 mm | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Chitré Largest town in Azuero, the warmest place here, with two hospitals. | Town | 27.9 °C | 1,066 mm | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |
How to read the comparison
Temperature and rain come from the stations of the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama (IMHPA): the average of each month over the station’s whole record. “Dry months” are the months with less than 100 mm of rain on average, a threshold we chose. Where there is no official station in the town, we say so instead of guessing. Population is from the 2023 census and health facilities from the Ministry of Health list.
Highlands or coast
The highlands are cooler and much wetter: Boquete averages about 20 °C and its town station recorded more than 3,000 mm of rain a year. The Pacific lowlands are hot, about 27 to 28 °C, and the Azuero towns of Las Tablas and Chitré are the driest, with about 1,060 mm. Bocas del Toro, on the Caribbean, has no dry season at all.
Cost of living, honestly
The only official cost figure by region is the basic food basket of the Ministry of Economy and Finance: B/. 367.03 in Panama City and San Miguelito and B/. 343.81 in the rest of the urban areas, which include David, Chitré and Las Tablas, in July 2026. There is no official figure for Boquete, Volcán, Coronado, El Valle, Pedasí, Bocas or Santa Catalina. The balboa is at par with the US dollar.
Festivals and seasons
Each region has its calendar: the coffee and flower fair in Boquete, Carnival and the pollera in Azuero, the Sea Fair in Bocas and the whales off the Pacific coast.
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