# Retiring in David

David is the capital of Chiriquí and the service town for Boquete, Volcán and the Gulf of Chiriquí, with the province’s airport and its regional hospitals. It is hot, about 27 °C (81 °F), with a dry season from December to April.

[Free consultation](/contact/)

[Photo: The original uploader was Moto-gundy at German Wikipedia., Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David-Panama.jpg)· [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

## Living in David

David is the service town of the province: the airport and the regional hospitals of Chiriquí are here. From the city, Boca Chica and the Gulf of Chiriquí National Marine Park are about an hour away.

- [Tourism Authority of Panama, visit page](https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/gulf-of-chiriqui/)

## Population

The district of David counted 156,498 people in the 2023 census. The town itself counted 16,051: the figure fell because new districts within the city were split off, not because people left.

- [INEC, 2023 Census, table 10](https://www.inec.gob.pa/archivos/P0705547520231109105354CUADRO%2010.pdf)

## Climate

The official David station, at 27 m, averages 27.2 °C (81 °F). March is the warmest month, at 28.6 °C. The dry season runs from December to April; the rain peaks in October, and the station recorded about 2,600 mm a year.

| IMHPA station | Altitude | Average | Months under 100 mm of rain |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| David (108-023) | 27 m | 27.2 °C (81 °F), monthly averages 26.3 to 28.6 °C | |
| David (108-023) | 27 m | 2,603 mm of rain a year | Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr |

- [IMHPA station David (108-023)](https://www.imhpa.gob.pa/es/clima-historicos-data?id=108023&tipo=TEMP)
- [IMHPA station David (108-023)](https://www.imhpa.gob.pa/es/clima-historicos-data?id=108023&tipo=LLUVIA)

## Getting there

Panama City is about 6 hours by the Pan-American Highway, and buses from Albrook take about the same. Enrique Malek International Airport has domestic flights from Tocumen, Albrook and Panamá Pacífico, and car rental.

- [Tourism Authority of Panama](https://www.tourismpanama.com/places-to-visit/boquete/)

## Health care nearby

David has the Rafael Hernández regional hospital of the Social Security Fund, the José Domingo De Obaldía maternity and children’s hospital, and the Gustavo A. Ross polyclinic of the CSS.

- Hospital Regional Dr. Rafael Hernández (CSS), San Pablo Viejo, David
- Hospital José Domingo De Obaldía (materno-infantil, patronato), David
- Policlínica Gustavo A. Ross (CSS), David

- [Ministry of Health, list of health facilities 2023](https://www.minsa.gob.pa/sites/default/files/publicacion-general/listado_de_instalaciones_de_salud_ano_2023.pdf)

## Cost of living

David is part of the “rest of urban areas” food basket of the Ministry of Economy and Finance: B/. 343.81 in July 2026, for 50 items and an average household of 3.6 people. The ministry does not publish a figure for David alone.

- [Ministry of Economy and Finance, basic food basket, July 2026](https://www.mef.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/MEF-DAES-Canasta-Basica-Familiar-de-Alimentos-JULIO-2026.pdf)

## Festivals and seasons

March

### David International Fair

The farm and trade fair of Chiriquí. In 2023 it ran from March 16 to 23.

[Official source](https://www.atp.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FERIAS-Y-FESTIVALES-2023-1.pdf)

## Your residency, wherever you live

The Pensionado visa is the same in every province: the US$1,000 monthly pension, or US$750 with a property of more than US$100,000, and the same documents, wherever you plan to live. The discounts of the retiree law apply all over the country.

- [Who qualifies](/eligibility/)
- [Documents](/requirements/)
- [Retiree discounts](/benefits/)

Choosing where to live before you apply? Tell us the town and we will check what changes for your case, if anything.

[Free consultation](/contact/)

## Planning your retirement in Panama?

Book a free 15-minute call. We will check your pension and tell you exactly what you need.

[Book your free call](/contact/)[Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/50761970238?text=Hi%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20consultation%20about%20the%20Panama%20Pensionado%20visa%20(from%20panamapensionado.com).)