The Blog-o-sphere is filled with comparisons between Costa Rica and Panama. Like anything else, a lot depends on what specific region you live in, where you shop, and what your tastes and buying habits are.
The one things that did strike me most about shopping in David was that availability to things. There were so many things that we found there that would have necessitated muling them back from the USA, going into San Jose and trying to locate the stuff there, or paying a lot more for. The overall shopping experience was much easier. Stores for the most there were well lit, air conditioned, and easy to shop in. The Conroy store was their version of Target, and it felt like a Target store in Miami. The supermarkets had wide isles and well lit. They had butcher and deli counters much like you'd find in a Publix market in Florida. And again there were a lot more things there than I could find in Costa Rica.
As for prices, dry goods such as coolers, hardware and the like were at least 30% less and prices in US dollars so there was no conversion. Food items were similar, although I think the savings was between 15% and 20%. So for proof of this, I snapped a bunch of pictures - only to end up having the security guy at Super99 tell me not to take any more pictures. All prices are in US dollars.
The one things that did strike me most about shopping in David was that availability to things. There were so many things that we found there that would have necessitated muling them back from the USA, going into San Jose and trying to locate the stuff there, or paying a lot more for. The overall shopping experience was much easier. Stores for the most there were well lit, air conditioned, and easy to shop in. The Conroy store was their version of Target, and it felt like a Target store in Miami. The supermarkets had wide isles and well lit. They had butcher and deli counters much like you'd find in a Publix market in Florida. And again there were a lot more things there than I could find in Costa Rica.
As for prices, dry goods such as coolers, hardware and the like were at least 30% less and prices in US dollars so there was no conversion. Food items were similar, although I think the savings was between 15% and 20%. So for proof of this, I snapped a bunch of pictures - only to end up having the security guy at Super99 tell me not to take any more pictures. All prices are in US dollars.