Emily and I have spent the last 4 years travelling through Latin America seeking a country to plant our roots. Like many Canadians seeking to leave the great white north, we wanted a place that improved on many of the deficiencies Canada has seemed to embrace in recent years. From skyrocketing inflation to greatest housing bubble the world has ever known, to a culture and political situation that is truly abysmal, we were looking for a stable, safe, warm and welcoming country to provide the things we felt Canada should have been able to provide.
I’ll cut to the chase and tell you flat out that Panama is that location. We have spent time living in Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and now Panama and our lived experience in these places helped reinforce our love for Panama. Here we will discuss why Panama is the best country for Canadians to relocate in 2025.
- Cuenca Ecuador: In 2021, we left Port Moody, BC for Cuenca, Ecuador. Although I am reluctant to admit, we did have a large culture shock. From the nearly 0% English speaking population, to the hustle of the city we were certainly out of our element… for a short time. We met some wonderful expats who showed us the ropes, told us where to live, how to get a sim card, connected us with an amazing doctor and which app to use to hail a cab. Cuenca is a safe city. You can walk anywhere in the daytime and the vibe is warm and welcoming. The only reason we chose to leave Cuenca was because of the altitude. We never developed any serious symptoms but couldn’t shake a chronic headache and low-level anxiety which seemed to set in only stayed at the 8400ft for several weeks. Returning to sea level gave immediate relief of the symptoms. Aside from this, Cuenca is a gem of a city, and we would have stayed if not for the Altitude issues.
- Manta, Ecuador: We left Cuenca after 3 months for Manta. A city on Ecuador’s pacific coast which was beautiful and warm with excellent beaches. Our condo was literally right over the ocean, and it was true paradise for a time. The biggest issue with Manta was safety. The tourist corridor provides everything you need and is safe during the day, but outside of this area it is dangerous. During a long walk beside the ocean highway I was approached with two men, one carrying a machete. I looked at them and made it clear I wasn’t going to simply hand over my wallet and they changed their mind and walked off. Another time, we were walking back from dinner and two guys, probably under the influence of cocaine and alcohol tried to pick a fight with me, but it didn’t evolve, and we simply walked away. After Covid, Ecuador began experiencing a resurgence in gang related crime and political instability including assassination of several political candidates that became a serious safety issue. For these reasons we left Manta and returned to Canada for a break.
- Bogota, Colombia: After one year in Canada, we decided to hit the road again and picked Bogota, Colombia as our next destination. We stayed in the Chapinero district which was excellent. It was safe and vibrant with everything you need in a big city. It provided a great launch point to explore La Candeleria, the historical district with many sites buildings and monuments we only knew about after watching Narcos on Netflix. Our primary issue with Bogota was the altitude. We had similar symptoms of headaches and anxiety that we experienced in Cuenca. Safety was also a major problem in Bogota. We were ripped off by several cab drivers and experienced a high level of always having to look over our shoulder, even in the safe areas of Chapinero. Another problem with Colombia is their tax rates. If you are working remotely, their tax rates are very high which crossed Colombia off our list. For these reasons we had enough of Bogota and decided to head north to Panama.
- David, Panama: We chose Panama next because two of our good friends relocated there in 2021 and loved it very much and after spending a couple weeks with them, we learned exactly why. Upon arriving in Panama City, the people were very warm, welcoming and relaxed, a major improvement from Colombia. The climate is also very warm and humid which I believe aids to the Caribbean vibe of the country. Although the Mercedes neighbourhood in David was the best place we visited in Latin America to this point, we wanted to plant our roots near a beach. So, we left David for Coronado, Panama. This beach community contains all the wonderful elements of David but is slightly less humid and has less frequent rain fall. We knew immediately that this was our new home. Out of all the places we visited it is the location that most feels like Canada but improved in almost every way. Panama’s tax policy is also the best in Latin America providing a nearly zero percent tax rate for income earned outside of Panama. Their economy, infrastructure, safety, ease of residency is also the best in Latin America. Although Panama is slightly more expensive than other countries on paper, we have not really noticed it much at all. You can still live here for very cheaply if you choose.
In further articles I will go into greater detail about Panama, but for now I wanted to give a quick snapshot of our experiences in Latin America and hopefully save you some struggles when selecting where you might want to relocate. Thanks for reading and please comment below any questions you have about Panama or our experiences. Cheers!
Featured Image Source: Photo by Luis Aleman on Unsplash.
