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Recently Answered Questions

How much does it cost for a gardener in Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?

Bill Edsell - Ventana Bay Resort

Grounds of Ventana Bay Resort, Ventana Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I can’t really answer what is the cost of a gardener for Los Cabos but for here in the small village of La Ventana, about 40 minutes by car south of La Paz, it depends on if you’re talking about a full time gardener who’s working 6 days a week or you’re talking about a part time guy who comes in a couple of days a week for a few hours.

For example, we have gardening service for our homeowners for which they pay around 900...

For example, we have gardening service for our homeowners for which they pay around 900 pesos (less than US $50) a month. But they’re sharing him so that keeps that cost down. If you had to hire that guy for your home on an individual basis, he’s going to charge you more than just to come for a couple of hours. But because we have this guy working, he’s going from house to house, he gets his full 8 hour a day and he gets his pay so the cost is very low for the home owner, and our arrangement here works well.

A lot of people don’t understand that here in Mexico there’s a burden on the employer to pay a lot of different things such as medical, worker comp., retirement, and vacation pay. It’s a lot and you need to know that because if you hire somebody and you don’t have an agreement, if the government finds out, they will fine you and they’ll go for back pay. A lot of people don’t understand that and a lot of people don't pay for these things and get away with it. The government wants that money because that’s what provides the health service and so on.

(Grounds of Ventana Bay Resort, Ventana Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico, pictured.)

As a result of all this, it’s a hard to say what does a gardener cost, but as I said above, here’s how we’re doing it. We pay a very good price because we have a community set up in which they share in the cost of his deductions as well. So that keeps overall costs down. But if you’re just going to hire a guy for your house, he might give you a good price like, "‘Oh, give me $100 a month’ or something like that but you have to be aware that there are requirements. The guy can have his own company and then you’re not liable but you have to know those details.

How's the golf in and around Granada, Nicaragua?

Carlos Roman Gutierrez Solis - Casa Granada Properties

Nicaragua golf course – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Granada, Nicaragua does not have any golf courses. It does, however, have several golf courses close by (all times are via driving):

Managua. One hour.
Iguana Beach. (Iguana Beach, Guacalito and Rancho Iguana are close to each other.) An hour and a half to two hours.
Rancho Santana. Located north of Granada, close to Rivas. An hour and a half to two hours.
Gran Pacifica. An hour and...

What’s the cost to rent a home in Portugal?

Ana Ferraz

The coast of Estoril, Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The cost to rent a home in Portugal depends on several things such as the size of the property, whether it is furnished or not, whether it has a pool or not, and whether it is with a garage or without. It is really relative.

As an example, in Cascais, a two-bedroom, furnished apartment without a pool would cost around €1,200 (US $1,300 or £865). The same apartment but unfurnished would be about €800 (US $870 or £587). If it has a pool and a garage, it would...

What are the worst reasons to retire overseas?

Sarah Booth - Panama Holiday Homes & Buyer's Consultant with My Panama Real Estate

I love this saying "Wherever you go, there you are". If you are considering a move overseas to escape from something, anything.. you will likely not receive the same lifestyle benefits as most of us do. As well, basing your decision solely on cost of living, is probably not the healthiest reason either. I strongly suggest doing your research and due diligence and reaching out to those of us who have made the move successfully, and for the right reasons.

How corrupt are the police in Panama? Do I need to bribe the police in Panama?

Lourdes Townshend

Police Work in Panamá

Panamá is known for his warm friendly people, natural beauty and the Canal (one of the "Eight Wonders of the World"), which is why Panamá was chosen to be the #1 tourist and relocation destination. Panamá is a country where family and moral values are on top of everything. Life is relaxing in Panamá and oriented to enjoy happiness in a very healthy environment, with beautiful...

What's the cost of living in Cayo, Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan

Penny James - Better in Belize Eco Village

Saturday market in San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The cost of living in the Cayo District / San Ignacio, Belize is lower than the cayes (islands) and beachfront places in Belize such as Ambergris Caye or Placencia.

Basic foods are cheap in Cayo. A loaf of fresh, sliced bread in Benque Viejo costs $1 USD, for example. Rice, beans, vegetables or eggs are super affordable, too. For example, red beans cost $1.50 USD/pound and a dozen eggs will set you back $1.50 USD. Chicken breasts cost approximately $1.40 USD/pound. You’ll fork out $1.50 USD to buy a bottle of cold Belikin beer, Belize’s domestic beer. While produce prices in Cayo vary seasonally, you can buy onions for $0.75 USD/pound and 8 bananas for 50 cents!

San Ignacio boasts Belize’s largest farmers’ market. It is a daily market which swells to 100+ vendors on Saturday, the traditional market day. (See picture above and to the right.) The produce and goods sold at the market are, overall, exceptionally well-priced. The market represents a cost-of-living coup for Cayo residents – it is the envy of those who do not live close enough to shop here! Fresh meat is available from several meat shops in the market or from countrywide distributors such as Running W, Caribbean Chicken, and Reinland Meats. Additionally, there are numerous large stores in San Ignacio that offer a variety of groceries with price points to suit everyone’s budget.

Real estate in Cayo is much more affordable than most coastal areas in Belize such as Corozal, Placencia, Hopkins, Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker. For example, you can purchase an affordable lot in an off-grid community starting at US$21,000. Property taxes in the community are less than $100 USD annually. A recent listing of a home for sale in Santa Elena showed a list price of $45,000 USD for a small 2-bedroom.

Fuel is costlier, overall in Belize, at about $4 USD a gallon. However, when you live in Cayo, you tend to drive less, taxi more, hop on a bus or carpool. A taxi costs $2 USD to go 10 miles between Benque Viejo and San Ignacio. A bus costs $1 USD to go from Better in Belize EcoVillage to Benque Viejo del Carmen, a distance of 10 ½ miles.

A check-up at a dentist in Cayo will only bite into your bank account by $30 USD. The price for a crown averages $200 USD, with a veneer averaging $250 USD. The Tooth Fairy is alive and well and living in Cayo!

The Mennonite community of Spanish Lookout in Cayo offers goods ranging from solar systems through to handmade furniture. They offer price points that make the cost of living in Cayo affordable and appealing.

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Who are the People in Your Neighbourhood?

The first neighbor we met was Moises. He looked to me like a gangster at first glance, and I believe he wants the people around here to think so as well. He usually wears pointed-toe cowboy boots and a black leather jacket with some sparkly studs in a few places. There has been a fashion going for some time where people show their prosperity by having gold caps put on their front teeth. I mistakenly thought they had had dental repairs and had elected the gold caps; I couldn’t figure out...

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One of the wonderful advantages of living in Panamá is the variety of lifestyles and environments in this small country. Think of California on a smaller scale. You can live in one of the Pacific Coast beach communities, in the cool highlands of El Valle or Boquete, the islands of Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean side, in a country home in the interior, or in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Latin America. When my wife and I first moved...

Best Places In The World To Retire

Recently Answered Questions

How much does it cost for a gardener in Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?

How's the golf in and around Granada, Nicaragua?

What’s the cost to rent a home in Portugal?

What are the worst reasons to retire overseas?

How corrupt are the police in Panama? Do I need to bribe the police in Panama?

What's the cost of living in Cayo, Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Who are the People in Your Neighbourhood?

What do you do if you don't die?

Living the Good Life in the City, Panama

Best Places In The World To Retire