Costa Del Este
Costa del Este is unlike anything else in Panama City…
It’s a 740-acre master-planned suburb that stands out for being the city’s best planned community. In contrast to San Francisco, everything in Costa del Este is new and shiny.
It’s a neighborhood within the corregimiento of Juan Díaz, and it’s found just off the main highway that takes you into Panama City from the international airport.
It’s among Panama City’s most sought-after business and residential addresses, and it offers strong investment potential. A number of national and international companies are based here, which has attracted expats from all over the world—especially those with families.
Spacious, walkable, clean, safe, and turn-key, Costa del Este is both a classic suburb and a truly cosmopolitan neighborhood. It’s also home to Panama City’s newest John Hopkins-affiliated hospital, as well as being just minutes away from a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.
Prices in Costa del Este are some of the highest in the city, but demand remains strong.
What’s the best play here? Targeting the executives and employees of multinational corporations, again with medium- to long-term rentals. Buying pre-construction either to sell or to rent at completion can also be an effective and profitable strategy.
Costa Del Este Property Pick
The most established, experienced, and respected developer in Panama is launching a new pre-construction project in Costa del Este.
It offers one- and two-bedroom units of between 100 and 131 square meters, priced between US$228,000 and US$448,000. A price point of US$300,000 would make you eligible for Panama’s Qualified Investor Permanent Residency (its Golden Visa).
There’s opportunity for solid potential ROI, as this group’s already completed project (right across the street) enjoys over 93% occupancy, mostly from executives from multinational corporations. There’s also big appreciation potential.
A payment plan (with 30% required over a three-year period) is available, and completion is estimated for the end of 2026. Go here for more information on this project.
Bella Vista
Bella Vista is a corregimiento made up of some of Panama City’s most important neighborhoods, including Obarrio, Marbella, El Cangrejo, Avenida Balboa, El Carmen, and La Cresta.
It’s been undergoing a major overhaul that involves widening sidewalks, putting power and communication cables underground, improving parks, and more, all designed to craft a young, metropolitan lifestyle.
Living here puts you in the heart of the city, with easy access to everything. Calle 50, a major Panama City thoroughfare, runs through it. Also close is Calle Uruguay and its vast selection of bars, restaurants, and clubs.
One of the city’s most popular expat neighborhoods, El Cangrejo, is here. It’s close to public transportation, schools, universities, clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores, restaurants and bars, and plenty of green areas.
It’s central, so you can easily reach other areas of the city, and best of all, it’s walkable—one of the few neighborhoods in Panama City that qualifies as such.
I see the best play in Bella Vista as a medium- or long-term rental apartment in El Cangrejo that targets young professionals, millennials, and digital nomads who are attracted by its fun and funky atmosphere.
Sincerely,
Sophia Titley