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Panama City vs San José

San José wins on more metrics — 0–5 on the 8 core metrics we track. Detail below.

Metric
Panama City
San José
Cost of living
B vs A: -7%
70
65✓
Rent · 1BR center
B vs A: -18%
$1,100
$900✓
Effective tax (remote)
B vs A: ≈ same
20%
20%
Healthcare
B vs A: +15%
65
75✓
Safety
B vs A: ≈ same
60
60
Internet
B vs A: ≈ same
80
80
Climate
B vs A: +14%
70
80✓
Freedom
B vs A: +7%
75
80✓
PA
Panama City

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

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CR
San José

Stable, peaceful, biodiverse. Rentista and Pensionado visas plus the new digital nomad permit (Ley 9996).

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