Side by side

Panama City vs George Town (Penang)

George Town (Penang) wins on more metrics — 1–5 on the 8 core metrics we track. Detail below.

Metric

Panama City

George Town (Penang)

Cost of living

B vs A: -36%

45✓

Rent · 1BR center

B vs A: -45%

$1,100

$600✓

Effective tax (remote)

B vs A: ≈ same

20%

Healthcare

B vs A: +8%

70✓

Safety

B vs A: +17%

70✓

Internet

B vs A: +63%

130✓

Climate

B vs A: ≈ same

Freedom

B vs A: -7%

75✓

USD economy, no tax on foreign-source income, and the famous Friendly Nations Visa pathway. Modern, US-adjacent feel.

UNESCO heritage food capital of Asia. Slower-paced than KL with a strong expat retiree community.