!DOCTYPE html> Details on the Town of David

Details on the Town of David

In David, there is a large ex-pat community spread out throughout the city and the suburbs.
Some of the best medical facilities in Panama are in David, as well as access to an
international airport that offers flights to Panama City, Costa Rica, and Colombia.
There are no direct flights to North America currently. There are several international
schools in David.

David offers a range of hotels, shopping centers, dining, cultural activities, and a
large Multiplex Cinema where you can see $2 movies in English, with subtitles in
Spanish. You can find most of your household items and grocery staples at places
like PriceSmart, which is the equivalent to Costco in North America.

There are nice upscale two-bedroom condo with a pool for $700 a month. These prices
do not include electricity which you will need plenty of because David is considered
by many to be the hottest city in Panama.

David is not next to a beach. The closest beach is in the community of La Barqueta
about 45 minutes to the West or Las Lajas to the East about 60 minutes.

PanaFoto is a popular electronics store with name-brand computers, cameras, TVs,
and appliances. Another popular store is Conway, a subsidiary of Target, carries
affordable clothes household goods, and furniture.

Just north of David, a new 400 store Federal mall is almost complete. It will be
the second-largest mall in Latin American. The largest mall in Latin America,
the Albrook Mall, is in Panama City. Both malls were built by the same builder.

Because of David's central location, many people use it as a "pit stop" before going
to other parts of the country or into bordering Costa Rica. Every fast food restaurant
imaginable can be found in David as well as numerous malls and shopping centers
including Plaza Terronal/ Many many people in neighboring towns come several times
a month who come to shop there because of the variety of goods and stores.

The cost of living in David is [greater than in other parts of the country especially if
it is the city life that you are after. A furnished house can rent for as low as
$425 a month, which usually includes water, internet, cable tv, and trash pickup.
Because it is so hot in David, electricity is customarily excluded but can run as
low as $40 to a couple of hundred dollars depending on A/C usage. Cell phone bills
vary greatly depending on the type of plan but are generally $20-50 a month.

A friend who lives in David is paying $350 a month for a furnished twobedroom house
(utilities not included). Another tour client is renting an upscale furnished
two-bedroom furnished house with a pool for $600 a month. Utilities are usually
not included in rents in David because some people will use an air conditioner a
lot and some won't. The landlord does not want to get stuck with a high electric bill.

If you prefer the bustling city life then David is worth checking out. There always
seems to be something going on including baseball and soccer games, 3 movie theaters,
and cultural events just to name a few. Every year David is host to the Feria
International de David, a huge trade fair that attracts vendors from all over
Latin America. There are also two large private hospitals and a large modern
public one where you can find almost any specialist needed, all within about
a 15-minute drive when living in David.

Although the heat and congestion of David may not be ideal for everyone, its location
so close to Costa Rica, proximity to beaches such as Las Lajas and the beautiful,
mountainous highlands of Boquete, as well as all of the dining and shopping options
that are available make it an excitingplace.

PROS AND CONS: David has every amenity you can imagine. There are really nice grocery
stores that are open 24/7. At lest two nice nice malls. The hospitals are excellent.
Traffic in the downtown area can be just as crazy as Panama City. It's very affordable
in David BUT it is really HOT in David too. If you don't like really HOT weather,
you would not like David.