That's true, I shouldn't generalize the entirety of South America into one homogeneous mass. I am sure there are pockets of western standards of life.Quote from optioncoach:
Panama resembles a lot of U.S. cities, dont forget the U.S. had an influence over the whole country for over 100 years until recently.
But let me ask from the other point of view: Why choose Costa Rica or Panama when you can choose Australia or New Zealand (let's imagine financial factors like taxes and cost of living are not at the top of the priority list)?