THE COST OF LIVING IN PANAMA

A lot  have been said and written about the low cost of living in Panama, and to be completely honest, depending on what you compare it to, that is not necessarily true.

Panama is not a cheap country. I still dont get why so many people write articles stating that Panama is cheap, when the truth is that Basic products like milk, or bread, are way much more expensive than in Europe or the USA. The reason for that is that, contrary to what happen in Europe or the USA, there are no "white Brands" in Panama, so almost everything you buy here must come from a commercial brand. "white brands" make the cost of living of a country fall down because, since they dont have to invest in marketing or anything else, they can afford selling their products at a lower price.

Maybe if you compare the cost of living in Panama to other latin american countries, you will find that effectively, Panama is cheaper. That is why people from countries like Venezuela or Costa Rica use to come to Panama for shopping. But for those who come from Europe, the United States or even maybe Canada too...no way.

Here is a short prices list of basic products at any supermarket in Panama:

1 liter milk: $1,55
Bread: $1,80 and above
1 yogurt:  $0,80 and above
2 ltrs Coke: $2
1 tomato: around $1
1 lettuce: around $3,50
1 potato chips: $3,50
Shower Gel: $3,50

Sure there are other things that are cheaper in Panama..like getting a cab (we will talk about this in other article..), eating out or having a drink. At the end of the day, specially if you come from Spain, France or any other country with a rich culinary tradition, is just a matter of "changing the chip" and trying to adapt to  the country´s lifestyle, instead of trying to keep on with your old alimentary habits, unless of course...you can afford it.