NavoyNostos

David (Panama) vs Panama City

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 59. David (Panama) is stronger on cost of living; Panama City on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 7.3 of 59 points (scores 66/100)Safety: 5.4 of 59 points (scores 48/100)Healthcare: 9.2 of 59 points (scores 83/100)Internet: 7.7 of 59 points (scores 70/100)Visa ease: 8.8 of 59 points (scores 79/100)Getting there & around: 1.1 of 59 points (scores 10/100)Climate: 3.7 of 59 points (scores 33/100)Air quality: 8.7 of 59 points (scores 78/100)Quality of life: 7.0 of 59 points (scores 63/100)59
David (Panama)
out of 100

Hot commercial capital of Chiriquí, the practical base near Boquete

Full David (Panama) profile →Plan a trip to David (Panama) →
Cost of living: 5.3 of 59 points (scores 48/100)Safety: 5.4 of 59 points (scores 48/100)Healthcare: 9.2 of 59 points (scores 83/100)Internet: 7.8 of 59 points (scores 70/100)Visa ease: 8.8 of 59 points (scores 79/100)Getting there & around: 3.1 of 59 points (scores 28/100)Climate: 3.7 of 59 points (scores 33/100)Air quality: 8.8 of 59 points (scores 79/100)Quality of life: 7.0 of 59 points (scores 63/100)59
Panama City
out of 100

Skyline on the canal, dollars in the wallet

Full Panama City profile →Plan a trip to Panama City →

Where they differ

  • Cost of living. David (Panama) leads on cost of living, 66 to 48, against Panama City. Monthly cost, one person: $1,183 vs $1,713.
  • Getting there & around. Panama City leads on getting there & around, 28 to 10, against David (Panama). Non-stop airport destinations: 2 vs 93.

Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, internet, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.

Pick David (Panama) if you want

  • to spend about $530 less a month

Pick Panama City if you want

  • more flights and easier getting around

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricDavid (Panama)Panama City
Cost of living66 ✓48
Safety4848
Healthcare8383
Internet7070 ✓
Visa ease7979
Getting there & around1028 ✓
Climate3333
Air quality7879 ✓
Quality of life6363

Cost

MetricDavid (Panama)Panama City
Monthly cost, one person$1,183 ✓$1,713
Central one-bedroom rent$622 ✓$1,037

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricDavid (Panama)Panama City
Homicides per 100k12.7812.78
Political stability (0–100)69.969.9
UHC service coverage (0–100)8282
Life expectancy79.3 yrs79.3 yrs

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricDavid (Panama)Panama City
Download42.3 Mbps43.6 Mbps ✓
Upload9.9 Mbps9.9 Mbps

Visa

MetricDavid (Panama)Panama City
Nomad visaShort-stay visa for remote workersShort-stay visa for remote workers
Minimum income for the visa$3,000/mo$3,000/mo
Entry, US passport180 days180 days
Entry, EU passport90 days90 days
Entry, UK passport90 days90 days

Getting there and around

MetricDavid (Panama)Panama City
Non-stop airport destinations293 ✓
Walkability (1–5, editorial)22
Transit (1–5, editorial)23 ✓

Climate and air

MetricDavid (Panama)Panama City
Comfortable months per year44
Annual mean PM2.514.9 µg/m³14.3 µg/m³ ✓

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, David (Panama) or Panama City?
David (Panama) is cheaper: about $1,183 per month versus $1,713 for one person.
Is David (Panama) or Panama City safer?
David (Panama) and Panama City score the same on safety (48), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, David (Panama) or Panama City?
Panama City: a measured median of 43.6 Mbps versus 42.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

More comparisons

Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.