Best Places In The World To Retire

We live in La Floresta, which is an upscale suburban area close to Ajijic, with nice wide streets, and lots of fruit trees. La Floresta has more foreigners moving in so the population there is half Mexican and half foreigners. It used to be a vacation place for the wealthy Mexicans who come from places like Guadalajara. La Floresta was originally built by Mexicans and then there was a boom in Ajijic where foreigners started visiting Ajijic. Then time came when there were more...

We live in La Floresta, which is an upscale suburban area close to Ajijic, with nice wide streets, and lots of fruit trees. La Floresta has more foreigners moving in so the population there is half Mexican and half foreigners. It used to be a vacation place for the wealthy Mexicans who come from places like Guadalajara. La Floresta was originally built by Mexicans and then there was a boom in Ajijic where foreigners started visiting Ajijic. Then time came when there were more foreigners owning properties in Ajijic such as the case in La Floresta. Now, there is another boom of Mexicans coming in so the population of La Floresta is now half and half.

 

There are two houses for sale in La Floresta at the moment. They were built by the same architect. One is selling for US $240,000 and the other one, which is being sold by the owner, is being sold at $220,000. These houses both have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, a living area, a small office, a kitchen, and a very nice patio. The house is more or less 240 square meters (2,600 square feet).

 

There is a wide range of prices for houses here in La Floresta; anywhere between US $200,000 to $1 million but you could definitely get a nice house for $200,000. Overall, you could get a very nice house in a nice place like La Floresta for about $1,000 per meter, including land. It would cost more if you go to the Racquet Club and will be much less if you buy in places like Jocotepec, at the far west end of Lake Chapala in an area which is mostly Mexican. If you go to gated communities like Los Arroyos or La Reserva, which are chic, high end communities, it would cost around $1,500 per square meter ($140 per square foot) and you have to pay maintenance so it’s like paying rent on your own house.

 

If you go to Chapala or Jocotepec, the price of a house varies on the location and whether you have a view. If you live in the town where the locals live, it would be cheaper compared to living in places where expats are buying or in gated communities.

 

(House in La Floresta, Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

​Casco Viejo is a mix between Barcelona and Silicon Valley and it has a very Bohemian feel to it. There is a big entrepreneurial vibe and it is an absolutely spectacular place. 

 

Casco Viejo is full of security because the president lives there and the equivalent of the White House is there. Every president lives in Casco Viejo.  

 

There is a lot of partying that goes on in Casco Viejo. Right now...

​Casco Viejo is a mix between Barcelona and Silicon Valley and it has a very Bohemian feel to it. There is a big entrepreneurial vibe and it is an absolutely spectacular place. 

 

Casco Viejo is full of security because the president lives there and the equivalent of the White House is there. Every president lives in Casco Viejo.  

 

There is a lot of partying that goes on in Casco Viejo. Right now it is the hot spot for going out at night. There is very little crime in Casco Viejo, so it is a very safe place.  

 

The architecture in Casco Viejo is very colonial, from the poor slums (5-minute drive away) to the nicest parts of Casco Viejo, which could have a 5-million dollar home. They have old buildings that are very well-built. Casco Viejo is a really great place to invest in because it is being revitalized. There are a lot of incentives to do business in Casco Viejo and to invest in the revitalization of it. 

 

(Casco Viejo colonial building lit up at night, pictured.)

The police in Belize are a little corrupt and seem lazy but they don’t make much money and they have their life on the line every day. The typical little thing that happens for example is you get into a fender bender. If the other guy is not going to have the money or insurance to fix your vehicle you might as well drive away.  If the police become involved he might say to you something like, “I know your are busy and don’t have enough time to file a claim so if...

The police in Belize are a little corrupt and seem lazy but they don’t make much money and they have their life on the line every day. The typical little thing that happens for example is you get into a fender bender. If the other guy is not going to have the money or insurance to fix your vehicle you might as well drive away.  If the police become involved he might say to you something like, “I know your are busy and don’t have enough time to file a claim so if you have US $60 (or whatever), we’ll just forget it.” Then you give them the money and everybody drives off.  I have never heard of or experienced business extortion in the 25 years I have lived here.  

 

(Police station Caye Caulker, Belize, pictured.)

The currency being used by Portugal is the euro. If you have dollars and you are coming for a vacation from the US into Portugal, or if you have pounds from the UK or Swedish krona from Sweden, you could buy euros at your local bank. It is also possible to buy traveler’s checks although I don’t see a lot of people using traveler’s checks these days any more, but they come with a guarantee and protection, so a traveler’s check is a more suitable choice...

The currency being used by Portugal is the euro. If you have dollars and you are coming for a vacation from the US into Portugal, or if you have pounds from the UK or Swedish krona from Sweden, you could buy euros at your local bank. It is also possible to buy traveler’s checks although I don’t see a lot of people using traveler’s checks these days any more, but they come with a guarantee and protection, so a traveler’s check is a more suitable choice especially for the older generation. 

 

You can also simply use your ATM or cash withdrawal cards in most local ATMs in Europe. Your bank will charge you for doing so. You could withdraw euros at the local ATMs in Portugal and then you will get a bill in the US in dollars with the rates stipulated by the banks.

 

If you are coming to Portugal for a longer period then we recommend that you use a currency broker because currency brokers can transact millions of dollars, pounds, or whatever currency per day. They would be able to get you a better rate and allow you to get “more euro for your buck”.  

 

(Money clip of Portuguese coin before the euro, pictured.)

I have an international medical insurance policy that follows me anywhere in the world that I use for emergencies. I pay out of pocket for everything else because the costs are usually so much lower.

 

You can't use your Medicare outside the US because Medicare will not pay any healthcare facility that's not in the US. What some people do (because it’s relatively inexpensive) is to maintain Medicare part A in the US if they ever need to use it so...

I have an international medical insurance policy that follows me anywhere in the world that I use for emergencies. I pay out of pocket for everything else because the costs are usually so much lower.

 

You can't use your Medicare outside the US because Medicare will not pay any healthcare facility that's not in the US. What some people do (because it’s relatively inexpensive) is to maintain Medicare part A in the US if they ever need to use it so they can always come back to the US.

 

It's important to be covered anywhere you are. Any type of basic insurance you can have when you're in US is definitely ideal to have. I have never had a problem. I always had good experiences with medical facilities in different countries. I injured myself once in Czech Republic. No one spoke English in the hospital but the care was good and it all worked out and I got my insurance to cover it.

 

I've been to medical facilities and hospitals in Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Canada, Thailand, Australia, and probably a few other places. If you don't have anything that's an expensive, ongoing serious condition, you’re in overall good health and you just need to go for a checkup, it's generally pretty affordable to pay out of pocket. My insurance has a multi-country travel and medical insurance option. It’s only US $300 to $400 a year. It includes my baggage, emergencies like life flighting, death or dismemberment. 

 

I ended up having to go to the emergency room in Costa Rica twice in a week. I had to get an IV and it cost around $1,000. In the end, because I had to get so many things done in two different days I had my insurance cover it. If I just wanted to go to a normal checkup, it would cost way less. A dental cleaning can be $20 -$50 in most places outside of the US. I was in North Carolina recently and was told that it would cost $500 for a dental cleaning. When you’re overseas, you can definitely pay out-of-pocket for anything like that.

 

When I was in Nicaragua I had an ear infection, so I went to the public clinic. I had to pay for my prescription for my infection.  However, the actual cost of going to the clinic (and they gave an itemized receipt), was the equivalent price in US dollars of around one penny.  I was there for a couple of hours. Pretty much anything that you need to get done, even if you go to the hospital when you need to see a doctor for something specific, is not usually not going be more than $40 or $50. It's usually cheaper to pay out-of-pocket and you can go to a private doctor, a private hospital, or a private clinic in places like Panama, compared to paying for some really expensive insurance that's going to cost more than going to the doctor, anyway.  

 

(Kristin Wilson, traveling for The World Series of Poker, pictured.)

The best way to get around San Juan Del Sur is by walking or by riding a bike or a motorcycle; a car is definitely not needed. It is cool to have one and probably convenient to some, but since San Juan Del Sur is a small town, parking can be difficult to find. It may be uncomfortable to drive in in town because there are a lot of people on the road. A lot of people walk or bike in San Juan Del Sur.

 

Expats in San Juan Del Sur usually have a car because...

The best way to get around San Juan Del Sur is by walking or by riding a bike or a motorcycle; a car is definitely not needed. It is cool to have one and probably convenient to some, but since San Juan Del Sur is a small town, parking can be difficult to find. It may be uncomfortable to drive in in town because there are a lot of people on the road. A lot of people walk or bike in San Juan Del Sur.

 

Expats in San Juan Del Sur usually have a car because they would probably go to Managua or to Rivas a lot, but once in the town, that car is not needed. A car is only advisable for people who are leaving the town. If you have a car in San Juan Del Sur, you are not likely to use it.