NavoyNostos

David (Panama) vs Pedasí

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 59. David (Panama) is stronger on cost of living; Pedasí 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: 5.9 of 59 points (scores 53/100)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: 2.6 of 59 points (scores 24/100)Climate: 3.7 of 59 points (scores 33/100)Air quality: 8.6 of 59 points (scores 78/100)Quality of life: 7.0 of 59 points (scores 63/100)59
Pedasí
out of 100

Sleepy Azuero fishing town with surf at Playa Venao and dry-season sun

Full Pedasí profile →Plan a trip to Pedasí →

Where they differ

  • Getting there & around. Pedasí leads on getting there & around, 24 to 10, against David (Panama). Non-stop airport destinations: 2 vs 94.
  • Cost of living. David (Panama) leads on cost of living, 66 to 53, against Pedasí. Monthly cost, one person: $1,183 vs $1,550.

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

Pick David (Panama) if you want

  • to spend about $367 less a month

Pick Pedasí if you want

  • more flights and easier getting around

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricDavid (Panama)Pedasí
Cost of living66 ✓53
Safety4848
Healthcare8383
Internet7070
Visa ease7979
Getting there & around1024 ✓
Climate3333
Air quality78 ✓78
Quality of life6363

Cost

MetricDavid (Panama)Pedasí
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$1,183 ✓$1,550
Central one-bedroom rent$622no data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricDavid (Panama)Pedasí
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)Pedasí
Download42.3 Mbps42.3 Mbps
Upload9.9 Mbps9.9 Mbps

Visa

MetricDavid (Panama)Pedasí
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)Pedasí
Non-stop airport destinations294 ✓
Walkability (1–5, editorial)23 ✓
Transit (1–5, editorial)2 ✓1

Climate and air

MetricDavid (Panama)Pedasí
Comfortable months per year44
Annual mean PM2.514.9 µg/m³ ✓15.1 µg/m³

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

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, David (Panama) or Pedasí?
David (Panama) is cheaper: about $1,183 per month versus $1,550 for one person.
Is David (Panama) or Pedasí safer?
David (Panama) and Pedasí 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 Pedasí?
The same in both: a measured median of 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.