10 Reasons to Live in Costa del Este, Panama — and the Tradeoffs

1. Everything on foot

In much of Panama City every errand means a drive. Here, from Town Center, the hospital is a 3-minute walk and Super 99 is 4, and the district has more than 80 restaurants and cafés, a cinema, gyms, banks and pharmacies.

Map and routes: OpenStreetMap

Tradeoff: Times start at Town Center; the route from your home may differ.

Shopping

2. Calm and safe

Safety is one of the main reasons families and expats choose Costa del Este. Houses sit in gated neighborhoods with a guard house, towers have 24-hour security, there is a police post on Av. Centenario, and mornings and evenings the sidewalks fill with people walking, running and walking dogs. As in any city, take the usual precautions.

District map · Residents’ experience and method

Tradeoff: Security does not replace the usual precautions you would take in any city.

Where to live

3. Clean and planned

Costa del Este was launched in 1995 as a 310-hectare planned district, with separate zones for houses, towers, offices and shops. The avenues are wide and landscaped, and the sidewalks broad.

District plan (PDF) · La Prensa, 2018 (PDF)

Tradeoff: Buying or renting here costs more than in most of the city.

4. Modern utilities

All power lines and utilities run underground, with fiber-optic internet to the home. Town Center has three ENSA fast-charging stations rated at 120 kW each.

ENSA: three 120 kW chargers · Fiber: resident confirmation

Tradeoff: Budget for electricity and internet, and check what your rent includes.

Basics

5. A walk along the bay

The Paseo del Mar runs almost 4 km along the bay, looking across the water to the city skyline.

Paseo del Mar on OpenStreetMap

Tradeoff: Plan your walk around the heat and rain.

Parks

6. Parks and nature

Parque Felipe Motta has a lagoon, playing fields and paths, and 110 to 130 bird species have been recorded there. To the south and east begin the mangroves of the Bahía de Panamá wetland, a Ramsar site.

Felipe Motta: birds and paths · Bahía de Panamá: Ramsar

Tradeoff: Parque Felipe Motta opens to the public during the day; plan a daylight visit.

Parks

7. Schools close to home

There are seven schools and preschools, including bilingual ones and a British school, most under 20 minutes' walk from Town Center.

Boston: programs · Casco: campuses

Tradeoff: Choose by age, program and budget: fees and calendars differ.

Schools

8. A hospital open around the clock

Hospital Pacífica Salud, affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, has a 24-hour emergency room at Town Center.

Pacífica Salud: hospital and services

Tradeoff: Before choosing insurance, check its coverage for this hospital and your doctors.

Health

9. Walk to work

Copa Airlines' head office and offices of Procter & Gamble, adidas, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, SAP and Deloitte are in the district, so you can live a short walk from work.

Copa: company profile · Microsoft: offices

Tradeoff: The benefit depends on your office: if you work elsewhere, try the commute at rush hour.

Work

10. Close to everything else

Costa del Este sits right on the Corredor Sur. Without traffic, Tocumen airport is about 12 minutes by car, Punta Paitilla 8, Calle 50 12 and Casco Viejo 14.

Routes, sources and rush hours

Tradeoff: Times assume no traffic; the Corredor Sur fills at rush hour and the Metro is about 3 km away.

Getting around