El Cangrejo, Panama City's Best-Kept Secret for Retirees
El Cangrejo is one of the most appealing neighborhoods in Panama City for the would-be retiree. Home to a fast-growing community of expats and foreign retirees who recognize and appreciate the unique quality of life on offer on what is arguably the most comfortable, convenient, and affordable downtown Panama City experience.
In El Cangrejo, most everything you need for day to-day living is within walking distance, including a big U.S.-style grocery store, Pricesmart (Central America’s Costco). If you need to move further away from the neighborhood, you can hop on the Metro which runs through here.
El Cangrejo offers a lively, vibrant atmosphere and an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and bars, making it a hub for creativity and social interaction. It’s also home to cultural events and art exhibitions, providing residents with ample opportunities to engage with the local arts scene.
With its low-key charm, El Cangrejo is perfect for those who enjoy a community-oriented lifestyle, where friendly faces and unique experiences abound, all just a stone’s throw away from the bustling city center.
Getting To El Cangrejo
Getting to El Cangrejo is pretty straightforward. After flying into Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport, a taxi fare or Uber to the neighborhood should cost no more than $30. While taking a bus is also an option—a much cheaper one, too—it is not advisable. It wouldn’t be dangerous, just long. By car, the trip is usually about 30 minutes and double that in bad traffic.
Living in El Cangrejo, a car is not a necessity—most everything you need is a five- or ten-minute walk away. However, if you decide to venture out of the city for a weekend (which is highly recommended) and don’t want to take a bus, several car-rental agencies can be found in the area.
El Cangrejo does have a metro stop here called Vía Argentina. This is one of the best ways to get someplace while avoiding traffic. The metro is clean, safe, surprisingly reliable, and shockingly cheap, with a single fare costing only 35 cents.
Cost Of Living In El Cangrejo
El Cangrejo is not the most affordable place to base yourself in Panama City. However, in terms of a Panama City-lifestyle buy for your retirement dollars, it offers great value.
The quality of life you can enjoy here is comparable to the best of “city neighborhood” living anywhere in the States.
Depending on circumstances, such as living arrangements, how often you dine out, and transportation choices, you could expect to live comfortably on a monthly budget of around $2,500.
Grocery stores in El Cangrejo are not unlike those in North America—packaged processed goods in the aisles, with baked goods, fresh meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables along the edges. Many brand names are the same as back home and finding items like Kellogg’s cereals or Nutella isn’t hard.
While prices for things such as rice and fresh fruit and vegetables are lower than those found in most North American supermarkets, prices for processed goods are usually equal, if not slightly higher.
Long-term rentals in El Cangrejo average between $650 and $1,500 a month.
Depending on where in El Cangrejo you choose to settle, apartments run from $110,000 for cozy units to $850,000 for luxurious penthouse properties.
Here’s a sample monthly budget:
Things to Do In El Cangrejo
El Cangrejo is home to one of Panama City’s best selection of restaurants, cafés, and bars.
For the gastronomic groupies, El Cangrejo has plenty of options to excite your taste buds. With the highest concentration of restaurants in Panama City, the range of cuisine types could keep any palate satisfied.
Just as the neighborhood has a multicultural makeup of people, it also has a multicultural makeup of restaurants. Caribbean, Mediterranean, Venezuelan, Italian, Cuban, Peruvian, French, Mexican, Greek, Thai, Swiss, Lebanese, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, American, and, of course, Panamanian cuisines are all within minutes of your doorstep here.
On Via Argentina, a mix of bars and pubs can be found. La Rana Dorada is a popular brew pub, with their own microbrews on tap offered at half price during weekday happy hour from noon until 6 p.m.
Across the street from La Rana is Live, a karaoke bar for experienced and not-so-experienced singers alike. If you’d rather be entertained than be the entertainment, El Pavo Real has live rock-band performances every weekend.
A five-minute walk south of El Cangrejo proper, the Calle Uruguay area is scattered with appealing establishments for an evening beverage. The Londoner is a popular pub with free pool tables and English-style fish and chips, and Alta Bar offers a good martini with a view from their rooftop terrace as well as a popular nightclub on the main floor below, for those who like to dance.
The historic Casco Viejo (about a 10-minute cab ride away from El Cangrejo) is probably the only neighborhood that can say it has a better selection of bars.
Andrés Bello Park is a busy place, often hosting festivals and fairs of all types, including a recent children’s festival, complete with food vendors, handcrafts for sale, and dancing performances on stage.
The park is perfect for a leisurely stroll or a workout using the park’s free outdoor workout equipment. Basketball and soccer games are common and attract some spectators on the evenings and weekends.
A quick taxi to the nearby Theater Guild of Ancon brings you to one of the best English-based theaters in Panama. There was a showing of “The Importance of Being Earnest” a few years back. The Teatro Nacional in Casco Viejo also has entertaining performances, like “Les Miserables.”
After a performance at Teatro Nacional, be sure to check out the rest of Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with architecture that takes you back to the 17th century, when this area was founded. The neighborhood is sprinkled with bohemian bars and trendy restaurants.
Retire In El Cangrejo
El Cangrejo is a mixed residential-commercial area that’s popular with young expats and Panamanians.
Your neighbor might be a Chilean artist, a Spanish musician, a Serbian entrepreneur, a corporate transplant from Canada, a young Panamanian bucking the tradition of living with his parents through his 20s, or another nice retired couple from the United States.
Getting around El Cangrejo is easy, despite the resilience here not to use designated street addresses. To be sure, the streets do have names—but except for the main routes, these names are not important.
After a couple of strolls through the neighborhood, landmarks start to pop out at you. Einstein’s head and the cathedral serve as useful points of reference when explaining where you are or need to be.
El Cangrejo has wide sidewalks which make this neighborhood ideal for walking. If you want to go somewhere but want to avoid driving, you can just hop on the metro.
As for the internet, cable TV, and phone service, these are nearly as reliable as you’d like them to be. There are a few power outages every now and then, and they can vary from a few minutes to a few hours.
One advantage for any English-speaking or struggling-with-their-Spanish expats is that El Cangrejo’s expat population as well as its young Panamanian population (thanks as much to American television as to the several universities and other educational facilities located here) speak English more than in other parts of Panama.
Of course, speaking Spanish is still a major help in getting around and dealing with day-to-day situations and other excursions or social interactions.
Health Care In El Cangrejo
Health care in Panama is very affordable compared to in the United States.
The Clinica Einstein on Via Argentina provides routine medical care with English-speaking doctors. Should any emergency care be needed, Hospital Punta Pacifica is a full-service private hospital affiliated with John Hopkins and is about a 10- or 15-minute drive away. More than 350 fully trained and English-speaking specialists are on hand at Hospital Punta Pacífica, and they are well equipped to deal with almost anything that comes through their doors.
Safety In El Cangrejo
As anywhere, you should remain vigilant and not flaunt cash or valuables but by and large you shouldn’t feel unsafe in El Cangrejo’s streets, day or night.
Weather In El Cangrejo
Panama City enjoys a tropical climate characterized by high temperatures and humidity throughout the year.
With an average annual temperature ranging from 75 F to 90 F (23 C to 32 C), residents can expect warm weather regardless of the season.
The city experiences two distinct seasons: the dry season, which typically runs from December to April, and the rainy season, from May to November. During the dry season, sunny skies and lower humidity create ideal conditions for outdoor activities and exploring the city’s attractions.
In contrast, the rainy season brings daily afternoon showers, but the mornings are often clear and bright.
Rainfall can be heavy at times, leading to lush greenery and vibrant flora in and around the city. Despite the rain, temperatures remain consistently warm, making it essential to stay hydrated and wear light, breathable clothing.
While Panama City is generally pleasant year-round, you’ll want to be prepared for sudden rain showers during the wet season and to plan activities accordingly.
Many locals and expats enjoy outdoor pursuits during the early mornings or late afternoons when the temperatures are cooler.
