The Expat Map · Panama City & Beyond

Where to actually live.
Not where the brochure says to.

Seven neighborhoods, mapped to what a normal week looks like in each — schools, hospitals, banks, restaurants, and where your car gets washed. Then, where we already have inventory in each one.

How To Use This

Every neighborhood does one thing best.

Panama City's expat map isn't one neighborhood beating the others — it's each one optimized for a different week. Costa del Este for families who want schools in walking distance. Punta Pacífica for the hospital and the view. San Francisco and Obarrio for density and restaurants. Calle Uruguay for nightlife with a $44M streetscape behind it. Santa María for a gate that shuts the city out. Casco Viejo for heritage over convenience. Pick the week you actually want to live, then the neighborhood follows.

Costa del Este

The complete, planned district

Schools

  • Oxford School (Costa del Este campus)
  • Multiple bilingual schools within walking distance

Healthcare

  • Pacífica Salud Hospital

Banks

  • Banco General · BAC · HSBC
  • Banco Panamá · Scotiabank · BBVA · GlobalBank

Restaurants & daily life

  • Riba Smith supermarket
  • Il Grillo · Rock Burger · La Vitrola · Subway

Car wash

  • Flash Car Wash · Top Car Wash · Express Car Wash
Brax inventory here: Dieci · Aurum · Generation Tower · SelváticaWhatsApp →

Punta Pacífica

The hospital & the view

Schools

  • Excellent private schools nearby in San Francisco/Obarrio

Healthcare

  • Hospital Punta Pacífica — Johns Hopkins Medicine International affiliate, the only such collaboration in Central America

Banks

  • Multiple branches near the financial district

Restaurants & daily life

  • Multiplaza Pacific shopping center
  • Supermarkets and boutique shops within the peninsula

Getting around

  • ~15 min to Tocumen International Airport
  • Direct access to Corredor Sur
Brax inventory nearby: Be Living · EuphoriaWhatsApp →

San Francisco & Obarrio

Density, cafés, and the financial core

Schools

  • Oxford School (San Francisco campus)

Healthcare

  • Multiple clinics and pharmacies within Obarrio

Banks

  • Obarrio is Panama City's financial heart — major banks and law firms clustered here

Restaurants & daily life

  • Maito · La Tapa del Coco (Latin America's 50 Best-recognized)
  • Makoto Sushi Bar · Mestizo Restaurant & Bar
  • Grand Deli Gourmet

Character

  • Panama City's densest restaurant and café scene, daily-demand driven rather than tourist-cyclical
Brax inventory here: Be Living · The Hub · Kyte (Obarrio)WhatsApp →

Calle Uruguay (Marbella / Bella Vista)

Nightlife with a public-investment backbone

Hotels nearby

  • Waldorf Astoria · Le Méridien · Hilton
  • InterContinental Miramar · W Panamá · Marriott

Banks

  • Banesco · Davivienda · Scotiabank · Banistmo

Restaurants & bars

  • Gauchos · The Londoner · AMARA · Azahar · Casa Alejandro
  • Mangle · Sköl · Legítima

Character

  • $44M in public streetscape investment
  • A few blocks off Avenida Balboa
Brax inventory here: UptownWhatsApp →

Santa María

The gate that shuts the city out

Schools

  • King's College (British curriculum, on-site within the masterplan)
  • Oxford School (Santa María Golf campus)
  • Panama's top private schools a short drive away in Costa del Este

Healthcare

  • Short drive to Pacífica Salud and Punta Pacífica hospitals

Daily life

  • Clubhouse: pools, gym, sport centre, bowling room, fine dining
  • 18-hole Jack Nicklaus championship course

Character

  • ~700-acre gated masterplan, 24/7 controlled access
  • ~14 min to Panama City centre
Brax inventory here: Maison FendiWhatsApp →

Casco Viejo

Heritage over convenience

Character

  • UNESCO World Heritage restoration district
  • Tourist-cyclical dining scene, heritage-capped building stock

Daily life

  • Walkable historic core, boutique restaurants and rooftop bars

Getting around

  • ~5 min from Avenida Balboa via the Cinta Costera
Brax inventory 5 min away: AWA by Living (Avenida Balboa)WhatsApp →

Not sure which neighborhood fits your life?

Tell us how you actually want to spend a week — schools and quiet, or restaurants and a short commute — and we'll point you at the neighborhood and the inventory that fits, not the one with the biggest ad budget.

WhatsApp Us → See All Listings →