Panama basics for newcomers

Money: dollars and balboas

Panama uses the US dollar, worth exactly one balboa. Panama mints its own balboa coins, which circulate alongside US coins; there are no balboa banknotes.

Electricity

120 V and 60 Hz, with type A and B plugs, as in the US and Canada. In Costa del Este, ENSA distributes electricity and power lines run underground. Town Center has three ENSA fast-charging stations rated at 120 kW each.

Weather

The rainy season runs May to December and the dry season January to mid-April. At the Tocumen weather station, the nearest to Costa del Este, the mean temperature is 27 °C, the average high 34 °C and about 1,900 mm of rain falls a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest.

Emergencies

911: ambulance and medical emergencies (SUME 911). Police: 104. Fire: 103. Red Cross: *455. Civil protection (SINAPROC): *335. In Costa del Este, Hospital Pacífica Salud has a 24-hour emergency room.

Hospital, doctors and dentists in Costa del Este

Time zone

UTC−5 all year, with no daylight saving: the same as New York in winter and an hour behind it in summer.

Water

IDAAN treats the city's water at the Chilibre plant and rates it fit to drink. Supply is occasionally cut for works, which IDAAN announces on its channels.

Driving

Traffic drives on the right. With your home license you may drive for 90 days as a tourist (Traffic Regulations, art. 110); once you are a resident, you swap it for a Panamanian one at Sertracen. The Corredor Sur requires a Panapass. Recognition requires documents and checks; Sertracen publishes the full foreign-applicant checklist.

Getting around Costa del Este

Phone and internet

Costa del Este has fiber-optic internet to the home. There are two mobile carriers: +Móvil (Cable & Wireless) and Tigo; both also offer home internet. Tigo has a store in Business Park, Edificio Este.

Taxis and ride apps

Taxis have no meters and charge by zone, so agree the fare before you get in. Uber and inDrive operate; their regulation has been under review since April 2026.

Language

Spanish is the official language and the language of daily life. The 2025 EF English index rates the country's English as low, so a little Spanish goes a long way.

Banks

Opening a bank account can take weeks: banks ask you to document the source of your funds, and many ask that you already have residency.

Resources for moving to Costa del Este

Public holidays 2026

1 and 9 January, Carnival Tuesday (17 February), Good Friday (3 April), 1 May, 3, 5, 10 and 28 November, 8 December (Mothers' Day), 20 December (moved to Monday the 21st) and 25 December.