How are Americans in Mexico treated? How are expats in Mexico treated generally?
Ivan Castillo - Secure Title Riviera Maya
The Americans and other expats in Mexico are treated very well and are very welcome. I haven’t seen that they are banned from anywhere. In Mexico, we are a community. From a cultural perspective we are very warm with people who visit our country and who live here. We always try to help in any way we can.
I don’t see any resentment relative to money or anything else. Mexicans are used to having foreigners within in our community. So on the...
The Americans and other expats in Mexico are treated very well and are very welcome. I haven’t seen that they are banned from anywhere. In Mexico, we are a community. From a cultural perspective we are very warm with people who visit our country and who live here. We always try to help in any way we can.
I don’t see any resentment relative to money or anything else. Mexicans are used to having foreigners within in our community. So on the contrary, as Mexicans, we see expats who have money as being very positive for us, because, from a financial perspective, expats with money creates jobs.
(Children building a Mayan temple on the beach at Cancun, Mexico, pictured.)
Typically for most Americans, Canadians and Europeans, the best reasons to retire involve having a less expensive lifestyle, and to do something different. They happen to be older, they want to see new things, to be able to experience new things, and they’re excited to be part of an adventure. Sometimes these two reasons come together in the same person.
Moving overseas is an adventure. Whenever you move anywhere new, you’re learning new...
Typically for most Americans, Canadians and Europeans, the best reasons to retire involve having a less expensive lifestyle, and to do something different. They happen to be older, they want to see new things, to be able to experience new things, and they’re excited to be part of an adventure. Sometimes these two reasons come together in the same person.
Moving overseas is an adventure. Whenever you move anywhere new, you’re learning new things. As far as the cost of living is concerned, I tell people that it is up to you. You can live inexpensively here in Panama, but if you want, you can also spend too much money. It really, really depends on the individual. If you have to have some sort of special food that has to be frozen or flown in from the United States, it’s going to be expensive. As an example, ice cream, brought down from the US. We have plenty of it here but I don’t buy it. I buy local ice cream or ice cream from neighboring countries because it’s good and it’s a lot cheaper.
A lot of how much of an adventure you’re going to have and how inexpensively you live really depends on your willingness to try new things and look around. For example, we have a lot of agricultural places to buy fruits and vegetables that are much cheaper than the big supermarkets in the city, but you have to find them and go visit them in order to take advantage of those lower prices. If you don’t want to do that and you just want to go to the supermarket, your experience will be just like in the US, and you’re going to pay higher prices.
We have many former Zonians that chose to retire in Panama due to the very favorable laws governing retirees. Panama not only has great benefits but it also has great medical services which are of a great interest to the retirement community.
Life is at a leisurely pace for the retiree. There are so many options as to the area that one would end up settling in all of which have great attractions for the retiree from reasonable household help to a great abundace of native food...
We have many former Zonians that chose to retire in Panama due to the very favorable laws governing retirees. Panama not only has great benefits but it also has great medical services which are of a great interest to the retirement community.
Life is at a leisurely pace for the retiree. There are so many options as to the area that one would end up settling in all of which have great attractions for the retiree from reasonable household help to a great abundace of native food products at reasonable prices.
The weather is great, especially during the dry season. The days of having heating fixtures in the closets to fend off mold are long gone with the introduction of air conditioning. Come on down join a great group of people.
Can I still receive my U.S. Social Security payments in Belize, and if so, how?
Macarena Rose - Rainforerst Realty
You can receive your US Social Security benefits while living in Belize. You will either auto transfer to your Belize account or withdraw your money at a local ATM.
You can receive your US Social Security benefits while living in Belize. You will either auto transfer to your Belize account or withdraw your money at a local ATM.
Dental care in Portugal is all privately provided. The public healthcare system doesn’t contribute to dental care. There are numerous dental clinics here and lots of them have foreign dentists. I know some dentists who come from Denmark, England, Brazil, etc. They also have orthodontists and they are all really good.
To have a filling here in Portugal costs around €60 to €80 (US $65 to $87 or £44 to £58). A root canal costs around €200 (US...
Dental care in Portugal is all privately provided. The public healthcare system doesn’t contribute to dental care. There are numerous dental clinics here and lots of them have foreign dentists. I know some dentists who come from Denmark, England, Brazil, etc. They also have orthodontists and they are all really good.
To have a filling here in Portugal costs around €60 to €80 (US $65 to $87 or £44 to £58). A root canal costs around €200 (US $217 or £145). A ceramic tooth costs around 600 euros (US $650 or £430). I am very happy with the quality of dental care here in Portugal.
(Malo Clinic for dentistry, Lisbon, Portugal, pictured.)
How are the apartments in Nicaragua different than in the US or Canada?
Estefanía Calvet
Having lived in the US and Nicaragua, I could speak for both countries and without a doubt choosing Nicaragua. Prices are are much lower and actually match to the type of apartment or house one is looking for.
I would have to say that the luxury and amenities that one finds in US apartments are much different than in Nicaragua. Although, being able to walk outside of your apartment and seeing the beauty of nature and not just a parking lot is something I...
Having lived in the US and Nicaragua, I could speak for both countries and without a doubt choosing Nicaragua. Prices are are much lower and actually match to the type of apartment or house one is looking for.
I would have to say that the luxury and amenities that one finds in US apartments are much different than in Nicaragua. Although, being able to walk outside of your apartment and seeing the beauty of nature and not just a parking lot is something I would much rather see.
Now, not having the experience of living in Canada, I would not be able to compare. I would have to say that apartments here in Nicaragua will be more open than in Canada, since we have warmer temperatures and can appreciate a nice breeze.
These three words are enough to strike fear into any news watching / Internet reading American. We are led to believe that we would either be kidnapped or just plain murdered within minutes of crossing the border. Even Mexicans who lived in the US advised us against driving in Mexico.
So, in order to add some firsthand experiences into the mix, and at the risk of contradicting...
Writer's forward: Why people in places such as Mexico, Panama, Belize and Nicaragua are willing to work for expats for less than if they were located in the US or Canada is the subject of another article. Suffice it to say that those of us fortunate enough to be from Western industrialized nations have hit the “Where You’re From Jackpot” through no particular virtue of our own. We were just lucky to be born in the US, Canada, etc., and to be able to use US or...
Not many little girls who love animals grow up to be animal trainers in films, but as Jet Metier found out about Anne Gordon de Barrigón, that was one of her earlier steps to do what she really wanted to do: swim with dolphins and whales as a way of life. And along the way she married a man from a native Panamanian tribe and opened a B & B on Contadora Island that offers studies for those interested in spiritually connecting with dolphins and whales.