News

British newspaper The Telegraph recently focused on the “tens of thousands of Britons” starting new lives in Panama. 

The article spotlighted three people who moved to Panama, and discovered all the attributes of Panama living that we talk about all the time. We often see these stories in the media — happy tales of expats who have found a new life in Panama — but this one was a little extra special.

“Panama has all the excitement of Miami combined with the best bits of Costa Rica,” Tomi Hopkins told the publication.

He moved from Wiltshire to Panama in 2016 after reading an article about how the country that links Central and South America was the happiest in the world.

“It was the first week of January, I was on the tube after work, not particularly happy with my life, so I went home, packed up, and got on a plane to Panama that same evening,” he told The Telegraph. “Three days later, while walking down Avenida Balboa, I decided to move to Panama City and have never looked back.”

Sound familiar? It’s the tale of so many people who have fallen in love with Panama and never looked back. The article notes that Panama has been voted the best place in the world for expats to live for the second year in a row by InterNations, the global network for expatriates.  In InterNations’ 2025 survey, 94 per cent of the 10,085 respondents from 172 nationalities described themselves as “very happy” with life in Panama, rating the country as friendly, welcoming and easy to settle in, The Telegraph reports.

Panama’s expats enjoy “good personal finances and career prospects and find admin, housing, language, and digital connectivity – so-called ‘expat essentials’ – easy to manage,” author Abigail Butcher notes.

Like many, Hopkins focused on the quality of life in his new home.

“I adore the energy, temperature, weather, culture, food and the importance of family here – people are happy. I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” says the 46-year-old, who runs a business offering classic car tours of Panama City. “It feels very safe here, you can walk in the evenings, leave your phone in the car, and there is a good police presence.”

The article also introduces Sam and Leila Wadman, who left Brighton behind to build a new life in Panama.

“We are living our best lives here,” says Sam, 48. “I’m not going to lie, it was quite a ride starting afresh somewhere we didn’t speak the language. However, through determination, hard work and a strong vision, we are very close to living rent-free after building the self-sufficient lifestyle we’ve always dreamed of.”