Best Places In The World To Retire

The standard of living in Chapala and Ajijic is excellent. We have people from all walks of life here. We have people who have traveled all over the world, have all the money in the world and have homes that are more than a million dollars. We also have people who are living on Social Security and are living on US $1,300 a month.

 

Your cost of living here in Chapala and Ajijic would vary depending on how you shop and live but the quality of living at all...

The standard of living in Chapala and Ajijic is excellent. We have people from all walks of life here. We have people who have traveled all over the world, have all the money in the world and have homes that are more than a million dollars. We also have people who are living on Social Security and are living on US $1,300 a month.

 

Your cost of living here in Chapala and Ajijic would vary depending on how you shop and live but the quality of living at all budget levels is very good. The cost of living here is less than the cost of living if I were still in Tulsa, Oklahoma where I came from. People here in Chapala and Ajijic could go out every night to eat if they want to or they can stay home and cook. 

 

As an example, honestly, we can’t spend $4,000 a month. You don’t need $4,000 in Chapala. I know lots of people who live on $1,200 a month. When I came down here 29 years ago, I read a book titled “Live Comfortably in Chapala and Ajijic for $200 a Month.” You can’t do that any more but you can live economically certainly on any income.

 

Our area is an older community and as a general rule it is more of a senior citizen area. The nursing homes and the assisted living homes cost so much less here than in the US. Everybody tells me that in the States and in Canada, the assisted living runs from $6,000 to $8,000 a month but here in Chapala and Ajijic it costs only around $1,200 to $2,500 a month for full care offered 24 hours a day with nurses and everything else that one needs. Assisted living costs much less here as well.

 

Many times people are retiring a little bit younger, in their 50s and early 60s but had their parents living in the States. They don’t necessarily want their parents to come live with them and their parents do not necessarily want to live with them either, so they come here and look for assisted living. They find wonderful care here and it is so much less.  

 

(Shopping in the open market, Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

The worst reasons to retire overseas are to live like a king and the idea that you want to go overseas because it is cheaper because that usually doesn’t pan out very well. The other reason is the idea of retiring overseas just because other people did it and you’re thinking that it’s a cool thing to do, so you’re going to do it.  We live in a world where marketing and advertising, certainly, has a major sway on people.

 

Another...

The worst reasons to retire overseas are to live like a king and the idea that you want to go overseas because it is cheaper because that usually doesn’t pan out very well. The other reason is the idea of retiring overseas just because other people did it and you’re thinking that it’s a cool thing to do, so you’re going to do it.  We live in a world where marketing and advertising, certainly, has a major sway on people.

 

Another bad reason to retire overseas is the impulsive move based on some difficult event or simply due to a very cold winter. They come down to this idyllic place, and say, “Wow this is great! This is it!”Bbut don’t really think it through. It’s not a good thing to come and retire overseas just because all of a sudden it seems to be the right thing to do for whatever reason. It should not be an impulsive decision for most people. Retiring overseas is something that people need to think about.

 

Strictly economic reasons, personal tragedy, or just thinking you can live better somewhere without really looking into it are bad reasons for retiring overseas, are often these cases don’t turn out very well for people.

 

(David Truly with his expat band, pictured.)

The best things to do in Ambergris Caye is anything that has to do with the sea. This would include anything from diving, to boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, or fishing. If you are a person who likes being in or on the water, Ambergris Caye is the place to do it.

 

Personally, I like just being here. I like the weather. I love the people and the sense of community. Ambergris Caye does not have as much of a consumer based lifestyle as it is in...

The best things to do in Ambergris Caye is anything that has to do with the sea. This would include anything from diving, to boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, or fishing. If you are a person who likes being in or on the water, Ambergris Caye is the place to do it.

 

Personally, I like just being here. I like the weather. I love the people and the sense of community. Ambergris Caye does not have as much of a consumer based lifestyle as it is in North America. If you want something, you have to get creative on how you can make it happen here because not everything that you are used to in North America is available here in Ambergris Caye. If you are looking to get away from that consumer mindset where you are constantly looking for the bigger, better thing or the thought of what you are going to get out of something or to live an instant gratification lifestyle, Ambergris Caye is a much better place to be. We don’t have chain stores here. We don’t have McDonald’s or a Walmart. What really drives this island are all the independent, small owner, entrepreneurial spirit as opposed to the big box stores that we are used to in North America.

 

(Docks and sandy beach in Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)

The standard of living in Coronado is very good. Usually the average house, lot, or apartment in Coronado could go up to US $200,000 to $250,000 and up. The quality of living is great. There is a hospital there. There are five supermarkets, one casino, three hotels, and a golf course. So it is a good retirement community to live in. 

 

To live in Coronado, you should have a fair amount of means. There are not really poor people in Coronado. The minimum...

The standard of living in Coronado is very good. Usually the average house, lot, or apartment in Coronado could go up to US $200,000 to $250,000 and up. The quality of living is great. There is a hospital there. There are five supermarkets, one casino, three hotels, and a golf course. So it is a good retirement community to live in. 

 

To live in Coronado, you should have a fair amount of means. There are not really poor people in Coronado. The minimum monthly income in order to get by in Coronado, the bare minimum from an expat point of view since they are going to need some insurance and some medical needs that older retirees usually need, would be $2,500 per person or $3,500 for a couple.  I wouldn’t move to Coronado if I had less than that.

 

(Condo bedroom with view of the Pacific in Coronado, Panama, pictured.)

Shopping in the major centers of Portugal is just like the shopping anywhere else in the world. There are big malls that are open seven days a week. There are outlets, too. There are major centers in Portugal where you have an extremely wide variety when it comes to shopping.

 

In the countryside, you will find smaller shops and more traditional shopping and the quality of the goods may not be as good as the quality of goods sold in the bigger cities.

Shopping in the major centers of Portugal is just like the shopping anywhere else in the world. There are big malls that are open seven days a week. There are outlets, too. There are major centers in Portugal where you have an extremely wide variety when it comes to shopping.

 

In the countryside, you will find smaller shops and more traditional shopping and the quality of the goods may not be as good as the quality of goods sold in the bigger cities.

 

There are a lot of foreign distributors here in Portugal, especially French and German grocery retailers. Sometimes I find more choices for exotic fruits in Portugal than I did in Spain because they import a lot of Brazilian food and fruits that you would not find in Madrid, for example.

 

If you are going to walk in a mall in Portugal, or in Spain, or the UK, you will find that the prices are not that much different. The only difference on the price would be because value-added tax (VAT) here in Portugal is a bit higher than in Spain. That is unavoidable; it’s not something that the shopkeeper can control. The VAT in Portugal is 23%, while it is about 21% in Spain. Since the VAT is 2% more in Portugal than in Spain, you can count (all other things being equal) that the goods in Portugal would be about 2% more expensive than in Spain.

 

Overall, shopping is great here in Portugal. All the big brands such as Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and many other American brands are here, too. My wife doesn’t complain about the lack of shopping here. On the contrary, I complain about her excessive shopping!

 

(Fruit market in Madeira, Portugal, pictured.)