Buying to rent out in Panama? Don’t make a bad investment.

Cover of Starting a Rental in Panama: everything explained to maximize your income

70+ pages in the full guide

Cover of Starting a Rental in Panama: everything explained to maximize your income

Where should you buy in Panama City, area by area? Punta Paitilla and San Francisco give the most rent for the price, about 8% to 9% gross. Punta Pacífica and Costa del Este cost more a m² and yield about 7%.

Gross or net: what does a rental really yield in Panama City? Ads promise 7% to 9% a year in Panama City. After costs, an owner abroad keeps about 4% to 5%, less than the 6.5% a home loan costs.

What does a night cost on Airbnb in Panama, place by place? A one-bedroom earns about $100 a night in Panama City and Coronado, $75 in the mountains and $120 in Bocas del Toro. Two bedrooms earn about $120 to $195.

Airbnb or long-term rent: which earns more in Panama? Airbnb never clearly wins in Panama. A long lease earns more in 3 of 5 cases; in the other 2, it is too close to call, once the manager, Airbnb and the condo fee are paid.

How many months a year does an Airbnb sit half-empty in Panama? None in Panama City: every month fills about half its nights. At the beaches and in the mountains, 7 to 10 months stay under 40%; only the dry season is busy.

How much does renting out earn in Panama, area by area? In Panama City, you keep about $50 to $56 of every $100 of rent.

Swipe · 70+ pages in the guide

Updated November 2026·70+ pages·PDF

Starting a Rental in Panama: everything explained to maximize your income

INSIDE THE GUIDE

Where rentals really pay off
What a rental earns once costs are paid
Airbnb or long-term: which wins where
The months your rental will sit empty
The costs owners always forget
How much of your rent goes to tax
What the rules allow on Airbnb
What buying costs before your first guest
Which areas to avoid as a landlord
How many years until it pays for itself
What you’ll lose when you sell
The classic mistakes that sink a rental

~~$79~~$49one-time payment

Verified data with sourcesUpdated in November 2026