Panama real estate market — prices, rental yield and trend
- Transaction cost: 8.1%
Panama is one of the 123 property markets Glopra tracks.
What a buyer pays in Panama
Buying costs — transfer tax or stamp duty, notary, registration and agency — come to about 8.1% of the price here. That is below the 10.2% median across the set, which shortens the time it takes for a purchase to break even.
What it earns
We do not publish a price or a rental yield for Panama. The public data for this market is limited to index figures that show change over time but no absolute level, and we would rather show nothing than a number we cannot stand behind.
How the tax works. Strongly income-dependent: under Fiscal Code art. 700 (Law 8/2010) the first USD 11,000 a year is exempt and income above it is taxed at 15% up to USD 50,000, which gives 1–10% across typical rent levels — the whole progression comes from the fixed exempt band. Residential lets longer than six months are exempt from the 7% ITBMS. Whether a non-resident gets the exempt band is inferred rather than confirmed by a tax-authority ruling; if it were denied, the rate would be 15%. Source: dgi.mef.gob.pa.
Who can buy in Panama
Freehold; concession only in the coastal and border strip. That is the rule a foreign buyer meets first, not legal advice — check the current position locally before you commit.
Sources: GPG yields · globalpropertyguide.com · numbeo.com. Snapshot: 2026-09-13.
Latest Panama market analysis
- Panama launches AbonoPaTi, a $3,000 subsidy for new homes priced up to $80,000 — 2026-09-21
- Panama Moves to Scrap the 2% Transfer Tax on New Homes Under 120,000 Balboas — 2026-08-31
Related markets: Panama City