Panama's most expensive cities

Panama City is expensive. It seems the most unhappy people know live in Panama City. They complain mostly about the cost and the traffic.  Anywhere with lots of expats is also more expensive like Coronado, Pedasi, Boquete. If you want to spend less go to a smaller town or rural area without expats. Learn Spanish, make friends, shop at local markets, chill out, and have a great time.

Totally agree!

Cannot wait to move there...we are relocating march next year from south africa...

What are the smaller towns that would be good places to look at? We know we don’t want to be in the city (got our fill of urban life in the U.S. and while there are certain attractions, we’re ready to slow down a bit!) But we also don’t want to just be around expats. For us, part of the adventure is experiencing another culture! We’re thinking someplace in the mountains that’s a nice balance of local culture where expats are welcome. We keep reading up on the areas near Volcan Baru.

I think if you are kind, friendly, and learn some Spanish you will be welcome everywhere. We like David. Everything is here but we are close enough to Boquete to participate in things if we want. There's Volcan, Dolega, Poterillos, Concepcion, and many smaller towns in the area as well. Boquete is the big expat center so if you want more immersion you might not want to live right there, but it's not bad to have it within shouting distance because the expats have lots of activities there.