Best Places In The World To Retire

The cost to get a gardener in San Miguel de Allende varies depending on the size of your garden and the quality of the gardener. Just like anything, there are people who are way more knowledgeable than others.

 

On average, the cost to get a gardener is from 200 pesos to 600 pesos (US $11 to $33) per session. The number of hours that they stay at your property depends on the things that they have to do. They could mow the lawn, tend to flowers, and trim...

The cost to get a gardener in San Miguel de Allende varies depending on the size of your garden and the quality of the gardener. Just like anything, there are people who are way more knowledgeable than others.

 

On average, the cost to get a gardener is from 200 pesos to 600 pesos (US $11 to $33) per session. The number of hours that they stay at your property depends on the things that they have to do. They could mow the lawn, tend to flowers, and trim trees, etc. within 1 to 2 hours depending on the size of your property. If they stay for more than an hour, they would usually charge more than 200 pesos (US $11). Usually, one gardener can do these tasks in a day.

 

I would suggest that you get recommendations rather than just picking up somebody off of the street.

 

(A hacienda outside of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

I would say the worst places to retire would be anywhere where my life is endangered all the time, and that could be anywhere; from Jamaica to Brazil to South Africa or any African country at the moment and to the Far East. I know Dubai and a few other places are fine for a while, but we have seen the volatility of the world that may change this. Unfortunately, these places have some attributes that I do not think can be compensated for.

 

Other places...

I would say the worst places to retire would be anywhere where my life is endangered all the time, and that could be anywhere; from Jamaica to Brazil to South Africa or any African country at the moment and to the Far East. I know Dubai and a few other places are fine for a while, but we have seen the volatility of the world that may change this. Unfortunately, these places have some attributes that I do not think can be compensated for.

 

Other places are too expensive unless you have unlimited wealth. We can exist here in Panama at a budget of US $4,000 or $6,000 in a style that would cost us $20,000 per month if we lived in Canada or France. We have horses, gardeners, and people who tend horses, etc. Therefore, lifestyle can be very comfortable and very inexpensive here in Panama and there is the infrastructure to support the lifestyle. We have airports that work. We can fly direct from Panama City to Toronto and we change flights once to fly to Panama straight from New Delhi.

 

I know I would not consider Costa Rica because it is more dangerous over there and it is more expensive. In Costa Rica, it is very expensive to buy homes, cars, or even liquor. Security is an issue. I know people who have left Costa Rica for security reasons, for example a person who had military training but decided to leave because he feels that the place is getting dangerous. I would say the same about Brazil, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and one or two of the other Caribbean islands.

 

A friend of ours here in Panama sold a fabulous million-dollar home in the American Virgin Islands because of the lawlessness of the country, even though it is, I believe, some sort of protectorate of the US. The law is almost non-existent. You can be robbed at gunpoint, and the government is very corrupt. Our friends sold their nice home in the American Virgin Islands and came to live in a lesser place here in Panama.

 

Australia is also another place that is not good to live in, unless you are very wealthy and do not mind traveling a long way to go anywhere. New Zealand is now incredibly socialistic and controlled. You will see New Zealanders who have left there now, talking about how expensive it is and how poor the services are there. They say garbage pickup is done once every two weeks in New Zealand. We get garbage picked up twice a week here in Panama.

 

(Keep New Zealand Beautiful logo, pictured.)

If you walk into the clinic here in Boquete, you can have an appointment the same day. If you make an appointment, you will probably be seen in about 48 hours.

 

Compared to the US, getting a doctor’s appointment here in Boquete is more casual. Most of the expats end up utilizing private hospitals here, too. When you go through a private hospital, the response time is always much quicker. The personal service is much better.

 

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If you walk into the clinic here in Boquete, you can have an appointment the same day. If you make an appointment, you will probably be seen in about 48 hours.

 

Compared to the US, getting a doctor’s appointment here in Boquete is more casual. Most of the expats end up utilizing private hospitals here, too. When you go through a private hospital, the response time is always much quicker. The personal service is much better.

 

Everybody knows pretty much everybody here in Boquete because it's such a small community. Once you have established a relationship with your doctor, that doctor will recommend a specialist for you and he also sets the appointment for you. It could be the next day or could be within 48 hours, depending on the severity of the case.  

 

(Hospital Chiriqui, less than an hour a way from Boquete in David, Panama, pictured.)

Belize has 15 paid holidays.  Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Baron Bliss Day, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Commonwealth Day, St George's Caye Day, Independence Day, Day of the Americas, and Garifuna Settlement Day.

 

They just added a new holiday last year called George Price Holiday.   The biggest complaint of expats about these holidays is that every time there is a holiday, the school will take...

Belize has 15 paid holidays.  Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Baron Bliss Day, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Commonwealth Day, St George's Caye Day, Independence Day, Day of the Americas, and Garifuna Settlement Day.

 

They just added a new holiday last year called George Price Holiday.   The biggest complaint of expats about these holidays is that every time there is a holiday, the school will take the kids on a field trip or they will do a parade downtown instead of having the kids in school and learning. Education here is very expensive for the locals and if they have many children then some of them will be left out.  This is where some of the expats can help by sponsoring a child’s education either independently or through an organization like the Rotarians. 

 

(Pictured: former Belizean Prime Minister George C Price and Peace Corps Volunteer) 

Yes, there are American-trained doctors and dentists in Nicaragua. More recently dentists who have been trained in the US and Mexico have opened, which is fantastic. I’m getting a bridge made and all my dental work in San Juan del Sur.

 

Relative to doctors, Dr. Galan is American trained and speaks English. You have to know who they are. They are private doctors. They’re not working in the Central Clinic, which is Nicaraguan government run.

Yes, there are American-trained doctors and dentists in Nicaragua. More recently dentists who have been trained in the US and Mexico have opened, which is fantastic. I’m getting a bridge made and all my dental work in San Juan del Sur.

 

Relative to doctors, Dr. Galan is American trained and speaks English. You have to know who they are. They are private doctors. They’re not working in the Central Clinic, which is Nicaraguan government run.

 

For really serious medical issues, get yourself properly covered and on a schedule as you would at home.  Go to Managua to Vivian Pellas Hospital, which is better than any First World hospital I’ve ever been to in in terms of quality of the care, the speed with which you are seen and taken care of, and the speed with which you get answers to any question you have. Blood work results are back to you within 20 minutes, posted online for you to see when you get home. The quality of care and how affordable it is at the Vivian Pellas Hospital is amazing. 

 

The Vivian Pellas Hospital is about 2 hours from San Juan del Sur.  Going to Managua is something that we do at least once a month; sometimes twice a month. There’s a WalMart now, CostCo, etc.; all the brands you need to get as you would at home. We go shopping and stock up on cleaning supplies and to get value for buying in bulk. All of that you can do in Managua.  Often we go to the movies. We have a Galaxy movie theater in Managua now. In Managua I don’t do anything different than when I was going to Toronto. It’s just like going to Toronto. Beautiful, malls which are dangerous to visit and spend money. Luxury items are more expensive here.