Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT: LIVE AND INVEST IN PANAMA
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Join our Weekly Newsletter
    Overseas Property Alert

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive expert insights on the best international real estate investment opportunities.






      We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

      Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

      • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

      Explore Our Latest Posts

      • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

      Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

      • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
    • Conferences

      Upcoming Events

      • Explore Our Events Site

      Live and Invest In Spain Conference

      Offshore Wealth Summit

      Greece Workshop

      VALENCIA, SPAIN

      Sep. 17-19, 2025

      PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

      Oct. 15-17, 2025

      VIRTUAL

      Nov. 13, 2025

      LEARN MORE
      DISCOUNT
      LEARN MORE
      PRE-REGISTER
      LEARN MORE
      PRE-REGISTER
      • MORE EVENTS

      Contact Our Events Team

      Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
      1 (888) 627 8834
      From Outside North America:
      1 (443) 599 1221
      Working Hours
      Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

      Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

    • Store

      Unlock The World

      • Access Your Library

      Overseas Havens Reports

      • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

      Conference Kits

      • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

      Lahardan Books

      • Titles on living and investing around the world
      • Explore Our Store
      Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

      Services

      overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
      The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
      Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

      Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

    • My Library
    Live and Invest Overseas
    • Home
    • Countries

      Top Destinations:

      Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

      • Spain
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • Colombia
      • Cyprus
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Montenegro
      • Browse All Countries

      Best For:

      • The Best Places To Retire
      • Health Care Abroad
      • Cost Of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Establishing Residency
      • Gun Laws In The World
      • English-Speaking Countries
      • Safest Places For Retirement
      • Best Places In Latin America
    • Budgets

      How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

      The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

      Super Cheap

      • Chitré, Panama
      • Santa Marta, Colombia
      • Phuket, Thailand
      • Dumaguete, The Philippines

      Cheap

      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Kyrenia, Cyprus
      • Hua Hin, Thailand
      • The Algarve, Portugal

      Affordable

      • Valencia, Spain
      • Cascais, Portugal
      • Las Terrenas, The DR
      • Pisa, Italy
      • La Rochelle, France
      • Mazatlán, Mexico

      Luxury

      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Kotor, Montenegro
      • The Panama City Beaches
      • Paris, France
    • Resources

      Global Living

      • Living & Retiring Overseas
      • Raising A Family Abroad
      • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
      • Offshore & Diversification

      Making Money

      • International Real Estate
      • Banking
      • Employment
      • Investing

      Follow Us:

      • Meet Our Experts
    • Real Estate

      Join our Weekly Newsletter
      Overseas Property Alert

      Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive expert insights on the best international real estate investment opportunities.






        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

        Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

        • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

        Explore Our Latest Posts

        • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

        Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

        • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
      • Conferences

        Upcoming Events

        • Explore Our Events Site

        Live and Invest In Spain Conference

        Offshore Wealth Summit

        Greece Workshop

        VALENCIA, SPAIN

        Sep. 17-19, 2025

        PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

        Oct. 15-17, 2025

        VIRTUAL

        Nov. 13, 2025

        LEARN MORE
        DISCOUNT
        LEARN MORE
        PRE-REGISTER
        LEARN MORE
        PRE-REGISTER
        • MORE EVENTS

        Contact Our Events Team

        Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
        1 (888) 627 8834
        From Outside North America:
        1 (443) 599 1221
        Working Hours
        Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

        Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

      • Store

        Unlock The World

        • Access Your Library

        Overseas Havens Reports

        • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

        Conference Kits

        • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

        Lahardan Books

        • Titles on living and investing around the world
        • Explore Our Store
        Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

        Services

        overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
        The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
        Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

        Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

      • My Library
      Live and Invest Overseas
       Free Panama Guide

      LIVE AND INVEST IN PANAMA

      view of the skyline in Panama City, Panama,

      WORLD’S #1 RETIREMENT HAVEN
      IN THE AMERICAS

      Simply sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter plus our In Focus: Panama newsletter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report… absolutely FREE

      We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

      Home In Focus: Panama

      Why We Picked Panama

      Foreign Investment Was Key

      by Kathleen Peddicord
      Jul 02, 2025
      in In Focus: Panama, Investing, Lifestyle, Panama
      0 0
      Red Frog Beach in Bastimentos Island, Bocas del Toro Panama

      AdobeStock/Curioso.Photography

      Why were Lief and I drawn to Panama in the first place… more than 25 years ago… and how have we come to be more invested, personally and professionally, in this isthmus than we are anywhere else in the world?

      All Panama but especially Panama City has been one of the greatest economic success stories of the past two decades. The massive growth has been due largely to foreign investment.

      When the United States handed over ownership of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999, the country fell immediately into recession. It needed to find a way to replace the disposable income that all those U.S. GIs had been spreading around and quick.

      Panama looked next-door to Costa Rica, whose economy is based almost entirely on income from foreign tourists and resident retirees. We could do that, too, Panamanians figured, and began working in earnest to attract the attention of North Americans.

      Panama targeted eco-tourists and budget-conscious Baby Boomers looking for places where they could stretch their retirement nest eggs. It introduced a pensionado residency program, improving on the model Costa Rica made famous, offering resident retirees discounts on everything from restaurant tabs and movie tickets to plane fares and prescription medications.

      Retirees, Panama figured, like the American GIs, living in the country, would be spending on a monthly basis. Tourists, while helpful for an economy, come and go.

      Next, Panama targeted international companies, playing up the incomparable advantage of its geographic position. This country literally at the hub of the Americas is ideally located for a business doing business across the Americas.

      Plus, thanks to the investment made over decades by the U.S. military, the infrastructure in Panama City is in a league of its own for the region, and much of the population, thanks again to the extended American presence, is English-speaking.

      Today, more than 150 multinational corporations have this country’s capital as their base, employing, among them, thousands, including hundreds of foreign management staff.

      All of these people need places to live, and the imported foreign executives have helped fill buildings that many predicted would sit empty long after completion.

      Panama has a second incomparable advantage in its canal, which it expanded in 2016 and which generates more than $3 billion of annual revenue. That’s a lot of cash flow for a country of 4.2 million people, and the amount increases every year.

      Panama wisely continues to invest much of this canal income into infrastructure projects, expanding its highway systems, building new hospitals, and generally making the country ever more appealing for the foreign investor.

      Coupled with its developed international banking and financial services industries, the canal economy has helped to position Panama as a regional safe haven.

      We first recommended Panama as a buy in 1998, and we are more bullish on this country’s prospects today than ever.

      Its undervalued property markets put Panama on our radar back in 1998, and, in the nearly two-and-a-half decades since, we have made a series of real estate investments here, from a pre-construction rental, a Casco Viejo renovation, and a commercial building (that houses our Panama-based staff) in the capital city to teak, timber, and fruit plantations in the interior and Los Islotes on the country’s Pacific coast, the biggest and longest-term property undertaking of our careers.

      In 2008, we doubled down, choosing Panama as the place to base our Live And Invest Overseas business.

      Get Your Free Panama Report Today!
      Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT – Live And Invest In Panama: The #1 Retirement Haven In The Americas.
      We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

      That meant moving to the country full-time… which meant enrolling our son in school and committing in the most personal ways.

      Our reasons for picking Panama were all financial, but that’s just one face of this little country.

      Panama is also home to more than 940 species of birds, 250 kinds of mammals, and 354 reptiles and amphibians from howler monkeys to caimans, from coati mundi to turtles, from ocelots to crocodiles, and from pelicans and toucans to king crabs and iguanas… plus the Central American tapir, the American crocodile, the scarlet macaw, many species of eagle, humpback whales, dolphins, and hammerhead sharks…

      In fact, thanks to its unique geographical position, Panama harbors a greater diversity of wildlife than any other country in Central America. A natural land bridge connecting the two continents, Panama is home to both North and South American species of wildlife. About 34% of the country’s land area is protected in 14 national parks, more than a dozen forest reserves, and more than 5 wildlife refuges.

      The country is blessed with two long coasts and myriad sand-fringed islands, plus some of the best deep-sea fishing, surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving anywhere. Around its Coiba island lies the largest coral reef on the Pacific side of the Americas.

      This is a U.S.-dollar jurisdiction—that is to say, Panama has been using the U.S. dollar as its currency for about 100 years, meaning an American living or retired here has no currency-exchange risk to worry about.

      Panama is an established medical tourism destination and home to the Johns Hopkins-affiliated Pacífica Salud Hospital in Panama City.

      It’s home to many World Heritage Sites, from Casco Viejo, Panama Viejo, and the forts of San Lorenzo and Portobelo to Coiba National Park and La Amistad Reserve.

      It’s the biggest international banking center in the region and one of the few Latin markets where it’s possible for you, as a foreigner, to borrow locally to

      buy real estate. Panama is also a true tax haven, a place where you can live and do business tax-free.

      The government is pro-business and foreigner-friendly, meaning outsized incentives for foreign retirees and investors, and the country offers more than a dozen visa options (including the Friendly Nations visa that grants work permits), making it easy to become a full-time resident if that’s something you’d like to do.

      In the current context, Panama stands out perhaps more than ever as a top choice for property investment. Key local developers here have long track records spanning decades, meaning you can feel confident when buying, and, right now they’re more open to flexible and creative financing rates and plans than they have been in a long time.

      That, dear reader, is why Lief and I targeted Panama all those years ago…

      And why we continue to invest our time and money here today all these years later.

      Until next time, 

      Kathleen Peddicord signature
      Kathleen Peddicord,
      Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter
      Tags: 'invest in panama''investment''panama city'Economy in Panamalive in PanamaMove to Panamaretire to Panama
      Share108Tweet52
      Kathleen Peddicord

      Kathleen Peddicord

      Kathleen Peddicord has reported on opportunities for Americans to live, retire, and do business overseas for 40 years. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 24, established businesses in 7, renovated and built properties in 6, and educated her children in 5.

      Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets from the east coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland, then to Paris, France, and finally to Panama City, Panama, where she has based her Live And Invest Overseas business. Peddicord and her husband, Lief Simon, now divide their time between Panama and Paris.

      Peddicord was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. She opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Waterford, Ireland; Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France. Peddicord launched Live And Invest Overseas group in 2008 and has built it into a successful multimillion-dollar business. Today, she shares her firsthand experience of expat life with more than 500,000 readers of her publications, including Overseas Opportunity Letter and Overseas Living Letter.

      Kathleen has been featured often in The New York Times, MSNBC, AARP, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, and more and writes monthly about expat matters, international real estate, and offshore diversification for Forbes and U.S. News.

      Kathleen has written several books including the memoirs “At Home In Ireland” and “At Home At Los Islotes” and her latest title “At Home Abroad,” all published by Lahardan Books. Her best-selling "How To Retire Overseas: Everything You Need To Know To Live Well (For Less) Abroad” was published by Penguin Random House in 2018 and her “Buying Real Estate Overseas For Cash Flow (And A Better Life)” was published by Wiley in August 2020.

      Get Your Free Panama Report Today!
      Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT – Live And Invest In Panama: The #1 Retirement Haven In The Americas.

      We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
      Our Expertise Unlocks The World

      quick links

      • Best Places To Live
      • Best Places To Retire
      • Finding A Job Overseas
      • Real Estate

      LIOS Resources

      • New To LIOS
      • Ask An Expert
      • Media Center
      • Contact Us
      • FAQs
      the 10 best places to retire in 2025
      Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2025

      We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

      As seen in

      US Media Logos

      © 2008 – Live and Invest Overseas™ – All Rights Reserved.

      About Us / Contact Us / Privacy Policy / Terms / Unsubscribe
      Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Linkedin-in Instagram

      Welcome Back!

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In
      HOME

      Top Countries

      • Spain
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • Colombia
      • Cyprus
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Montenegro

      Best For:

      • Health Care Abroad
      • Retirement Living
      • Cost Of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Establishing Residency
      • Gun Ownership
      • English Speakers
      • Safety
      BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

      Budgets

      How Much Will It Cost
      To Live Overseas?

      Super Cheap

      • Chitré, Panama
      • Santa Marta, Colombia
      • Phuket, Thailand
      • Dumaguete, The Philippines

      Cheap

      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Kyrenia, Cyprus
      • Hua Hin, Thailand
      • The Algarve, Portugal

      Affordable

      • Valencia, Spain
      • Cascais, Portugal
      • Las Terrenas, The DR
      • Pisa, Italy
      • La Rochelle, France
      • Mazatlán, Mexico

      Luxury

      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Kotor, Montenegro
      • The Panama City Beaches
      • Paris, France

      Resources

      Global Living

      • Living & Retiring Overseas
      • Raising A Family Abroad
      • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
      • Offshore & Diversification

      Making Money

      • International Real Estate
      • Banking
      • Employment
      • Investing
      Meet Our Experts

      Real Estate

      Overseas Property Alert 

       

      How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams

      VISIT SITE

      Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

       

      Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

      READ MORE

      Explore Our Latest Posts

       

      Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

      EXPLORE

      Conferences

      Live and Invest In Spain Conference

      VALENCIA, SPAIN Sep. 17-19, 2025
      LEARN MORE
      DISCOUNT

      Offshore Wealth Summit

      PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Oct. 15-17, 2025
      LEARN MORE
      PRE-REGISTER

      GREECE WORKSHOP

      VIRTUAL Nov. 13, 2025
      LEARN MORE
      PRE-REGISTER
      MORE EVENTS

      Contact Our Events Team:

      Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
      1 (888) 627 8834

      From Outside North America:
      1 (443) 599 1221

      Working Hours
      Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

      Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

      Store

      Overseas Havens Reports

      • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

      Conference Kits

      • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

      Lahardan Books

      • Titles on living and investing around the world

      Services

      • Overseas Living Letter: Affordable Retirement Guidance
      • The Simon Letter: Wealth Protection Insights
      • Global Property Advisor: Global Investment Opportunitites
      VISIT OUR STORE

      Free Report

      THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

      FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To retire in 2025

      Sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report…






        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

        LIBRARY

        Follow Us:

        © 2008 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

        RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

        Sign up for FREE to learn how. Plus, check out our FREE report on THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE


        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

        RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

        Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.