If you are reading this, you are probably knee-deep in your research on becoming an expat and may be considering relocating to Panama vs Portugal. Two great countries by the way! Full of both happy and disappointed expats who have moved to these respective countries from locations around the globe. Some have stayed, some have gone to greener pastures. My name is Kent Davis, and I run a real estate agency in Panama. So naturally, I am biased because I’ve spent more time in Panama and of course know the ins and outs of the real estate market here. That said, I was an expat myself back in 2007, and over time have seen many people come to Panama and many people leave Panama. I’ve been to Portugal. I’ve had clients move to Portugal and also have had clients move from Portugal. I’ve extensively researched through interviews, websites, and 3rd party sources to try and create a fair and unbiased comparison between Panama and Portugal. The goal of this article is not to try to convince you one way or another but rather serve as a guide to help you frame your own decision around my observations on both countries. So let’s get started, shall we? First Things First If you are at the stage where you’re thinking “I need to get out of _________ (current home country),” congrats! It’s an exciting and possibly intimidating time. You may want to consider a short list of reasons you are leaving because these will be useful as you begin to compare options. Here are a few of the most common reasons people leave and become ex-pats, in no particular order The Weather Politics The Economy Cost of Living Crime/Safety Family Considerations Need For A Change / Looking For An Adventure The list, of course, can go on and on but these are a few of the most common ones we see. And as a heads up if you plan on continuing to read, I’m not going to focus too much on the respective real estate markets in Panama and Portugal because I’ve done that in another article. I will, however, share a brief apples-to-apples comparison between the two a bit later on. You can jump to that section now by clicking here. The Weather This one’s easy because it’s less subjective. I.E. you can’t throw in too much “opinion” when it comes to the weather. The weather is what it is 🙂 PS, I’m a Fahrenheit guy but feel free to convert to Celsius. Panama is closer to the equator. So you may want to ask yourself “Do I appreciate tropical weather year round or do I like to bust out my winter wardrobe now and then?” Since Portugal is geographically a lot bigger than Panama, you’ve got the benefit of considering various regions within Portugal if the weather is at the top of your list. The northern area of Portugal around Porto has warm and dry summers with (what I think) are lovely temps: 70s – 80’s. However, it gets down to the 40s and 50s in the winter. Sweater weather for you fashion enthusiasts. Lisbon and what is considered central Portugal get that Mediterranean temperature which means hot and dry Summers (90s) with wet but mild winters (50s – 60s). The weather in Panama is pretty easy to predict. It’s either going to be hot or warm and it’s either going to be raining or not. Now of course that’s simplifying things but it’s a pretty decent way to look at it. Because even if you live in mountain areas such as El Valle or Boquete or down by the water in a place like Coronado or Panama City, you’re going to see temperatures between 80 and 90 if you’re near sea level. The other thing about Panama is there’s consistency in terms of the length of the days because the country is so close to the equator. You can plan on the sun rising around 6:30 a.m. and the sun setting around 6:30 p.m. Of course, that varies slightly but it’s a pretty good rule of thumb. Heads up: Panama is humid! Pretty much year-round. You can avoid this by living up in the mountains where the climate is generally 10 degrees cooler, but you’ll most likely need to get down to sea level at some point throughout the year. No sweaters are necessary, ever. Also, if you’re looking for a place to swim in the ocean without a wetsuit, put a check in the column for Panama and a minus with Portugal. With average temperatures between 63 and 73 degrees, the ocean is too cold to swim in Portugal without a wetsuit. Who is the clear winner on this one: Panama vs Portugal? Your call there! Regional Neighbors If you are considering becoming an expat, then clearly you are someone who likes to travel. Or at the very least, someone who likes to explore. So geography may be a factor when you are considering Panama vs Portugal. Panama is less than a 3 hour’s flight from Miami. Portugal (Lisbon) is a 9-hour flight from Miami. Same ocean, just more of it. The great thing about both of these countries is that they are fantastic jumping-off points for more regional travel. If you like trains, you’re going to love Portugal because you get all of the benefits of being on the EU train system. WIN. If you like boats, you’ll appreciate Panama’s proximity to the Caribbean and the Pacific Oceans. There’s a canal (some would say “The Canal”) if you’d like to see both in one day 🙂 Panama’s closest neighbors are Costa Rica and Colombia. Colombia is inexpensive and vibrant. Costa Rica has great tourist infrastructure, especially if you are into adventure and eco-tourism. Both are about an hour away with $200 flights (sometimes less) from Panama City, Panama. Hop on a plane from Lisbon for two hours and you can be in Madrid, Paris, London, or…
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