David: Panama's workhorse city, with everything you need at provincial prices

David is the medical center for western Panama, with two private hospitals and a large public regional hospital in town. Routine consultations are cheap enough that many expats simply pay cash, and local private insurance is sold here, though plans often carry age caps and exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Complex specialty procedures may still mean a one-hour flight to the capital.

It works well for retirees who want low costs, solid healthcare access, and practicality more than charm. The budget above covers a comfortable life, the region's hospitals are in town, and the Pensionado program adds legally mandated senior discounts. Retirees who want cooler air and a bigger English-speaking social scene usually settle in Boquete and come down to David for errands.

Yes, in most of the city. Home internet runs about $35 a month, and fiber service in urban David handles video calls and large uploads without trouble. Coverage gets patchier in rural areas outside town, so confirm the specific address before signing a lease.

You can manage without one in the compact, flat center, using local buses and cheap taxis. But a car is genuinely useful, because housing, shopping, the Pacific beaches, and the Chiriquí highlands are all a drive away. Many residents treat a vehicle as part of the cost of living well here.

Hot and humid year-round. Rain totals roughly 153 inches a year (3,898 mm), and the annual average temperature is around 77.5 F (25.3 C). The dry season runs roughly January through March; the rest of the year brings regular afternoon downpours. There is no winter, and air conditioning is a standard household expense.

Most arrive on a tourist entry, then apply for residency through a Panamanian immigration lawyer based in David or the capital. The common routes are the Pensionado visa for retirees with a guaranteed lifetime pension, and the Friendly Nations visa for working-age applicants, which since 2021 has meant $200,000 in Panamanian property or a fixed-term deposit, or a local job. Processing typically takes a few months, and you can be in the country while it runs.

In U.S. dollars, which is Panama's everyday currency, one person needs roughly $1,300 a month here, a couple about $1,900, and a family around $2,800. A one-bedroom apartment averages about $500 in the center and about $400 outside it. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant runs about $6.

David scores 65 on the safety index with a crime index of 35. Of the seven places we track in Panama, that puts it mid-pack: safer than Panama City or Bocas del Toro, below Boquete and El Valle de Antón. Most incidents are property crime rather than violent crime. Standard precautions apply: secure your home, keep valuables out of sight in cars, and be careful after dark in unfamiliar neighborhoods.