Base
Last verified: August 16, 2026 — receipt in hand. Prices in balboas (B/.), pegged exactly 1:1 to the US dollar.
Every country has its temple of the oversized shopping cart. In Panama it’s called PriceSmart — the membership warehouse club founded by the Price family, the same people behind the original Price Club that became Costco. Here it’s an institution: several locations in the capital, a packed parking lot, and Saturday lines that look like boarding for a full flight.
How it works: you pay to get in (and do the math on the way out)
It’s a club: members only. The Diamond membership runs US$ 40/year + 7% tax (two photo cards, made on the spot) and Platinum, US$ 80, pays 2% back on purchases. You don’t need residency to join — a passport works, which makes this one of the first cards newcomers get.
Is the fee worth it? Simple math: if your household does one big monthly run, the warehouse-size price gap covers the US$ 40 easily. Living solo and buying light? Probably not.
What’s inside (spoiler: everything)
Family-size groceries, plenty of American brands, the Member’s Selection house label — plus aisles that surprise anyone expecting only food: furniture, gym equipment, optical, hearing center, pharmacy and a fresh-food kitchen by the exit.
And a warehouse-club classic: Christmas decorations on sale in the middle of August. Lit-up reindeer share floor space with sofas while it’s 30°C outside.
Our actual receipt, item by item
Transparency the way we like it: we did a small run (coffee was the star) and the bill came to this:
| Item | Price (B/. = US$) |
|---|---|
| Delfino ground coffee, 1 kg | 11.79 |
| Coffee beans, 5 lb bag (2.27 kg) | 27.49 |
| Nestlé “Leite Moça” condensed milk — 3-can pack (2 packs) | 7.49 per pack |
| Nucita — box of 80 small packs | 8.79 |
| Butter — 4 × 250 g sticks (1 kg) | 7.69 |
| Opal apples, 1 kg | 3.39 |
| Total (7 items) | 74.13 |
Two things this receipt tells you about Panama: prices are effectively in US dollars (the balboa is pegged 1:1 and the paper money in circulation is literally US bills), and basic groceries show an “(E)” — exempt from ITBMS, the local 7% tax. Coffee beans at ~US$ 5.50/lb in a 5-pound bag is a useful benchmark against your supermarket back home.
Where to find it, and what else is worth grabbing
There are several locations around the capital — Via Brasil, Costa del Este, Brisas del Golf and more — all in the same warehouse format. Plus three classics veterans know well: the food court by the exit (yes, the famously cheap hot-dog-and-soda combo exists here too), the bakery, and the rotisserie chicken that solves dinner when nobody wants to cook.
In the cart, what usually beats regular supermarket prices: meat and salmon, cheese, wine, paper goods, electronics on sale, tires and the pharmacy — imported American brands almost always run cheaper here. And a warning from someone who’s fallen into the classic warehouse-club trap: nobody needs 2 kg of gummy bears. (Nobody regrets it either.)
The honest verdict
Worth it: for families who cook at home and have room for bulk sizes — this is where the monthly grocery bill genuinely drops. Think twice: if you’re passing through or live alone; the fee and the package sizes work against you. Tip from someone who went on a Saturday: go weekday mornings, and bring a car.
Just landing in Panama? Our complete relocation roadmap walks you through it — and the checklist below organizes your first 90 days.
