Best Places In The World To Retire

People used to go to Queretaro (the next larger city to San Miguel de Allende, about an hour away by car) to get good quality health care but now more and more hospitals are opening up here in San Miguel de Allende because of the demographics. A lot of people come to San Miguel at a certain age and as you know, the older you get, the more you need doctors. They are opening a new hospital near Liverpool, which is a new shopping center in San Miguel. That is supposed to be a high-end...

People used to go to Queretaro (the next larger city to San Miguel de Allende, about an hour away by car) to get good quality health care but now more and more hospitals are opening up here in San Miguel de Allende because of the demographics. A lot of people come to San Miguel at a certain age and as you know, the older you get, the more you need doctors. They are opening a new hospital near Liverpool, which is a new shopping center in San Miguel. That is supposed to be a high-end hospital. We are yet to see it but that is the news. 

 

There is a hospital in San Miguel de Allende called Tec 100. It used to be under different management and it used to be very bad but they have now improved everything. A lot of doctors are also moving to San Miguel so it’s definitely just a matter of time before we have very good health facilities here.

 

In comparison to the hospitals in the US, I feel like everybody in the US is on a schedule and you only have 5 to 10 minutes to talk to your doctor. Here in Mexico, you can spend a long time talking to your doctor and you can ask him or her any question you have. Healthcare here is more personalized. They listen more to you and they give you more time, which is sometimes better than just being hurried up at the doctor’s office during consultations. In that sense, hospitals here are better than in the US. However, still comparing with the US, the facilities over there are better compared to what have here in San Miguel. 

 

CHOMP is a community hospital in Monterey, California and is one of the nicest hospitals that I have been to. If you go to San Luis Potosi (about two hours away by car) or to Queretaro, you will find very nice hospitals there. Hospitals in Queretaro as comparable to the high-end hospitals in the US.

 

We have absolutely wonderful doctors in Mexico, especially in Queretaro. Doctors are also coming more and more to San Miguel. People used to go to Queretaro for healthcare but healthcare options now expanded here in San Miguel so it is no longer limited. We have more doctors here now.

 

(Pictured: Hospital in Queretaro, Mexico.)

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.)

Internet service in Panama is quite nice. There are not a lot of restrictions by the government on Internet use, so you can access the Internet anywhere. There are certain areas where there is Wi-Fi and that is quite useful for people. Every mall in Panama City has free Wi-Fi. You can also go to some cafes, buy coffee, and use their Wi-Fi on your smart phone or your laptop.

 

Internet connection in Panama is very reliable and the speed is good, too. I have...

Internet service in Panama is quite nice. There are not a lot of restrictions by the government on Internet use, so you can access the Internet anywhere. There are certain areas where there is Wi-Fi and that is quite useful for people. Every mall in Panama City has free Wi-Fi. You can also go to some cafes, buy coffee, and use their Wi-Fi on your smart phone or your laptop.

 

Internet connection in Panama is very reliable and the speed is good, too. I have been here for six months now and so far, our Internet connection has not gone down yet.

You can receive your US Social Security payments if you live in Nicaragua; no problem at all. In fact, we have a bank here that can receive your transfers from anywhere. You just have to file at the American Embassy that you’re an American, you live here and you wish to receive your Social Security payments directly here.  You can collect your pension or Social Security that way.  You just fill out a form at the bank, and that's it. It cost about $6 a month to do...

You can receive your US Social Security payments if you live in Nicaragua; no problem at all. In fact, we have a bank here that can receive your transfers from anywhere. You just have to file at the American Embassy that you’re an American, you live here and you wish to receive your Social Security payments directly here.  You can collect your pension or Social Security that way.  You just fill out a form at the bank, and that's it. It cost about $6 a month to do it.  

 

(Nicaragua's currency, the cordoba, pictured.)