Prepare for your Housing Search in Panama

One of the tricky things about moving to a new country is dealing with the cultural differences when it comes to navigating a house or apartment search. It is good to understand some of the nuances for Panama.

Determine your budget. A studio or one bedroom in the city could run anywhere between $600 to $1,000 or more. Of course, the smaller the apartment, the cheaper it will be. Apartments outside of the city center will usually be almost half the price.

You should have a good understanding of all the neighborhoods so you know which will be best for your lifestyle. You will most likely want to live in one of the neighborhoods in or near downtown, whether it is residential or in the city. Refer to the basic break-down we offer under geography, as well as this detailed list .

Figure out if you want a furnished or unfurnished accommodation. Many in Panama are not furnished.

If you are starting your search for apartments and houses online, many real estate companies will show up. You will be best served to type in the neighborhood and apartment size in square meters to have good results.

It will be good to know some of the vocabulary used in reference to finding accommodation. For example, kitchen appliances are called linea blanca. The more of these terms you know, the more you can understand some websites that might only be in Spanish or use Spanish terms.

◦ You should consider your tolerance for city noise in determining where you live. Of all the streets in Panama City, the worst traffic jams and most noise come from: Avenida Balboa, Via Argentina, Transistmica, Calle 50, Via Porras, and Tumba Muerto. Ironically, those streets tend to have some nice and affordable apartments for rent, so it would benefit you to find an apartment not facing the street, or an apartment on a parallel street.

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Departure

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Destination

Choose country Choose country AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl salvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuatemalaGuinea-BissauGuinea-ConakryGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamVirgin IslandsWallis and FutunaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

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Flatsharing in Panama

Another nuance of Panama and many Latin American countries is that when it comes to finding a room for rent, you mostly have to rely on word of mouth and making connections. Many of the flat sharing websites do not include listings for Panama City. They more often have listings for expensive vacation houses. However, you can try a website like Sublet.com, which has a few listings in Panama City.

Hostels in Panama

Hostels are plentiful in Panama City. If you intend to stay in one, whether for less than a week or indefinitely, most private rooms will range from $20-$40 USD. Dorm rooms will often range from a little under $10 to $20 USD. Everyone has different preferences when it comes to hostels. There will be some in older buildings with more outdated furniture, and there will be others that are very modern with quirky interior design. Some hostels even have swimming pools and many have palm trees in the front or backyard. A hostel is also a great way to connect with other expats or aspiring expats, as many hostels are known to have long term guests or return visitors. These types of guest can be a wealth of knowledge for you about your new country.

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