One of the most practical questions newcomers ask about life in Panama is a simple one: “Can I still buy the food I love?” The honest answer is mostly yes, with some caveats. Panama’s dollar economy and steady stream of imports mean the shelves are far better stocked than many people expect, but the mix of what’s cheap, what’s expensive, and what’s occasionally impossible to find is different from home. Knowing the landscape before you arrive makes the adjustment painless.
This guide walks through what you’ll find easily, what costs more than you’re used to, and where to shop along the Coronado coast so you can eat well without blowing your budget.
What’s abundant and affordable
Panama grows a lot of its own food, and locally produced items are where your grocery budget stretches furthest. Expect excellent, inexpensive tropical fruit — pineapple, papaya, mango, plantain, banana — plus staples like rice, beans, fresh eggs, chicken, and pork. Local produce markets and roadside stands often beat supermarket prices, and the quality of in-season fruit is hard to match anywhere in North America.
Seafood is another highlight of coastal living. With the Pacific on your doorstep, fresh fish and shellfish are widely available and reasonably priced, and they anchor much of the region’s best cooking. Our guide to the best restaurants in Coronado shows how local kitchens put all that seafood to work.
What’s imported and pricier
The flip side of a strong import market is that familiar branded and specialty goods carry a markup. Budget more for:
- Imported cheeses, cured meats, and packaged snacks from North America and Europe.
- Specialty and “health food” items — gluten-free products, particular supplements, or niche baking ingredients.
- Imported wine, craft beer, and spirits, which can cost noticeably more than at home.
- Certain fresh items like apples, grapes, berries, and some leafy greens that don’t grow locally.
None of this is a dealbroker — it’s just a shift in habits. Many expats save money by cooking with local ingredients most of the time and treating imported favorites as occasional splurges. Our Cost of Living in Coronado guide puts realistic numbers to a typical monthly grocery bill.
Where to shop near Coronado
The Coronado area is well served for a town its size. For a full weekly shop, the big supermarkets carry a broad mix of local and imported goods: Supermercados Rey Coronado on the Via Interamericana and Super 99 Coronado at the Coronado Mall are the two workhorses most residents rely on. Both stock the everyday staples plus a rotating selection of imported items.
For fresh, local, and artisanal finds, it’s worth building your week around The Thursday Marketplace in Coronado, a popular gathering point for produce, prepared foods, and specialty vendors. And for bread and baked goods, local bakeries like Delicias Margot on the Panamerican Highway add something the big stores can’t. If you’re exploring the smaller beach towns, tiny neighborhood minisúpers cover the basics between big-store runs.
Finding hard-to-get items
Sooner or later you’ll hunt for something specific — a particular sauce, a brand of coffee, a special-diet product. A few strategies help:
- Combine your sources. No single store has everything; regulars piece together their pantry from a big supermarket, the Thursday market, and the occasional trip to a larger store in Panama City.
- Stock up when you see it. Imported stock can be inconsistent, so when a favorite appears, buy a few.
- Ask the community. The local expat network is the best “database” for who currently carries what — availability shifts, and neighbors know.
- Stay flexible. Discovering local substitutes is part of the fun, and many newcomers end up preferring the fresh local version anyway.
Adjusting your cooking to what’s local
The expats who eat best and spend least are usually the ones who lean into local ingredients rather than trying to recreate their old shopping list item for item. That means building meals around fresh fish, chicken, rice, beans, and whatever fruit and vegetables are in season, and learning a few Panamanian staples along the way. In-season produce is not just cheaper — it’s often better than anything you’d find imported, picked days rather than weeks before it reaches you.
It also helps to shop more like a local: smaller, more frequent trips rather than one giant weekly haul, buying fresh items as you need them. Tropical produce ripens fast in the heat, so a Thursday-market run for the week’s fruit and a quick midweek top-up keeps waste down. Over a few months, most newcomers find their tastes shift, their grocery bill drops, and the things they thought they couldn’t live without quietly fall off the list.
Eating out on the coast
Groceries are only half the food story. Dining out ranges from inexpensive local fondas serving hearty Panamanian plates to beachfront restaurants and international kitchens. It’s an easy, affordable way to eat well while you’re still learning your way around the supermarkets. Our roundups of the best restaurants in Coronado and the coast’s cafés and bakeries are great places to start.
Settling in around food
Food shopping is one of those daily rhythms that quickly makes a new place feel like home. As you settle in, our guide to supermarkets and grocery shopping in Coronado goes deeper on where to find imported food, and if you’re still getting oriented, our pieces on where to live in Coronado and living here with kids round out the everyday picture.
Ready to plan your pantry? Browse all Supermarkets listings in the directory to find the stores and markets nearest to you.
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