What's the cost of living in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Luzma Grande - Ajijic Concierge Services
The cost of living in Chapala and Ajijic is low that you could have very nice quality things without spending a lot of money. Chapala is cheaper than Ajijic in everything – housing, restaurants, etc. Ajijic is a little more expensive than Chapala but I see people who live here off of their $1,200 a month pension. They live in a small nice house. They don’t often go out to eat at restaurants but they do go from time to time.
They also join...
The cost of living in Chapala and Ajijic is low that you could have very nice quality things without spending a lot of money. Chapala is cheaper than Ajijic in everything – housing, restaurants, etc. Ajijic is a little more expensive than Chapala but I see people who live here off of their $1,200 a month pension. They live in a small nice house. They don’t often go out to eat at restaurants but they do go from time to time.
They also join groups that do not cost them a lot like the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) where you pay an annual membership fee of 525 pesos ($29), which gives you a bridge groups, a group of other games to play, access to a book library, access to a movie library, different talks during the week, a movie club, and many more.
There are free services offered only to members of the LCS. After I paid my annual membership fee at LCS, I went to an optometrist the next day for free. They have people from government offices who give advice who speak once every week. The consulate of the United States from Guadalajara comes once a month and they could help you if you have any problem or if there is anything that their office can help you with. If you need to renew your passport, they take it, bring it to Guadalajara, and bring it back to Ajijic. You could also have legal assistance for free but of course the lawyer will tell you how much you will pay if you pursue anything legally but at least the legal advice is free so you would know whether to proceed. The LCS also holds classes or tutorials on how to use a computer, how to use your iPhone or you iPad, or how to speak Spanish. They also offer cheap trips such as trips to Costco in Guadalajara, which only costs 300 pesos ($16). They’d take you to Costco in a bus, you can then buy what you need and then come home. Nobody does that in other places in Mexico but we have that here in Ajijic.
(Graphic posted on the Lake Chapala Society page when the US consulate is in town, pictured.)
What's it like to drive in Boquete, Chiriqui Province?
Paul McBride - Inside Panama Real Estate
Driving is Boquete is actually very pleasant, particularly if you’ve had the opportunity to drive in Panama City. Whereas driving in the capital city can be a hair raising and frightening experience, driving around Boquete and the provincial capital of David is much tamer.
The government of Panama has spent billions of dollars over the past 5 years upgrading and improving the main highways and primary roads in the country. Boquete has benefited from this...
Driving is Boquete is actually very pleasant, particularly if you’ve had the opportunity to drive in Panama City. Whereas driving in the capital city can be a hair raising and frightening experience, driving around Boquete and the provincial capital of David is much tamer.
The government of Panama has spent billions of dollars over the past 5 years upgrading and improving the main highways and primary roads in the country. Boquete has benefited from this investment and improvements to many of our primary roads. We now have a new 4-lane highway connecting us to David and the Pan American Highway, the main road leading to Panama City.
Like much of Latin America, drivers take a little different approach to their driving than you may be accustomed to in the US or Canada. For example, it’s not unusual to have a taxi stop in the middle of the road to pick up a passenger or for pedestrians to cross the highways and roads at points that are convenient for them. However, if you pay attention and plan for these minor annoyances your driving will be an uneventful experience.
Once you get off the primary thoroughfares, however, the condition of the roads can vary dramatically from relatively well-paved highways to impossibly passable dirt and mud trails. If you’re planning to venture off the primary roads, it’s a good idea to know the road conditions in advance (which will change drastically from the dry season to the wet season) and have the proper vehicle to handle the conditions.
While we’re on the subject of driving, a short mention of parking is important. Parking is a nightmare in most of Panama since the number of cars has risen as the economy here has improved every year. There are literally hundreds of thousands of newer vehicles on the road today than 4 or 5 years ago and thousands more being added every year. This means that places to park cars have become more difficult to find in most cities and towns. So, be prepared to spend a little time hunting for that great parking spot. Oh, and one last thing. Parking meters have recently started to pop up in Panama City and larger cities like David (particularly in the downtown areas) so it’s a good idea to have some change in your pocket to “feed” the meters.
There are two schools of thought regarding the pricing of clothes in Belize. I have found some clothing to be somewhat expensive in some of the boutiques and I've been to some of the kiosks and purchased clothes there. They tend to be of lesser quality, and don't last very long.
If you are always wanting to change your wardrobe then the clothes at the kiosks are the way to go. There are quite a few people who sell clothes via Facebook and prices...
There are two schools of thought regarding the pricing of clothes in Belize. I have found some clothing to be somewhat expensive in some of the boutiques and I've been to some of the kiosks and purchased clothes there. They tend to be of lesser quality, and don't last very long.
If you are always wanting to change your wardrobe then the clothes at the kiosks are the way to go. There are quite a few people who sell clothes via Facebook and prices are a little high. I couldn't tell you if they are new or secondhand clothes.
There are seamstresses all over Belize and you can purchase clothes of the various cultures which tend to be of higher quality and also a bit higher priced. So like other places pricing is all over the place for clothes.
(Jet Metier's t-shirt design, "Expat in Paradise, Belize," picture.)
Safety in Nicaragua is a huge concern. But the reality is very different from the perception. The UNDP (United Nations Development Program) in 2013 rated Nicaragua as the 2nd safest country in Latin America only after Chile. Nicaragua came in with the best ranking in one of the categories.
That said, all countries and cities in the world have safe areas and dangerous areas. Common sense will keep you out of...
Safety in Nicaragua is a huge concern. But the reality is very different from the perception. The UNDP (United Nations Development Program) in 2013 rated Nicaragua as the 2nd safest country in Latin America only after Chile. Nicaragua came in with the best ranking in one of the categories.
That said, all countries and cities in the world have safe areas and dangerous areas. Common sense will keep you out of areas that you should not be in. If you are looking for drugs or prostitutes, you will likely be in a more dangerous area. Going to the movies, to the beach, to the mountains, to dinner, or driving through the country are all safe activities for the most part.
What should I be most concerned about regarding retiring abroad?
Lola Braxton - Services Toby
One of the contributors on this page wrote "YOU" as being one of the concerns. And he is so correct. When I moved here 25 years ago, my concern was adjusting to their customs, language and food. Oh, and most definitely being very patient. Things don´t happen as fast as we would like,as if we were in the USA,but then things changed. Especially when I became ill thinking I didn´t speak enough of the language to get me through this at one time. But, I found in...
One of the contributors on this page wrote "YOU" as being one of the concerns. And he is so correct. When I moved here 25 years ago, my concern was adjusting to their customs, language and food. Oh, and most definitely being very patient. Things don´t happen as fast as we would like,as if we were in the USA,but then things changed. Especially when I became ill thinking I didn´t speak enough of the language to get me through this at one time. But, I found in many places the doctors do speak English and the healthcare was just great. Although, I always knew if I moved to another country I needed to try to accustom myself to their customs and live life the fullest. Just loving everything....
Will Portugal make me pay income tax on money I earn in Portugal?
Luis Rodrigues - Gouveia Pereira, Costa Freitas & Associates, Law Firm, RL
A. Employment or self-employment (for activities within the official list of high added value activities)
Individuals who qualify as non-habitual residents benefit from a special flat tax rate on Portuguese-source employment and business income derived from high added value activities of 20%.
High value added activities include a wide range of scientific, artistic or technical character performed...
A. Employment or self-employment (for activities within the official list of high added value activities)
Individuals who qualify as non-habitual residents benefit from a special flat tax rate on Portuguese-source employment and business income derived from high added value activities of 20%.
High value added activities include a wide range of scientific, artistic or technical character performed in Portugal as per the list of activities published by the Portuguese Government (which includes architects, engineers and similar technicians; fine artists, actors and musicians; auditors; doctors and dentists; professors; psychologists; sole traders, technicians and similar; Investors, directors and managers), for a ten year period.
B. Other types of income
Regarding the other types of income that are received from a Portuguese source (capital investments, dividends, interests, etc.) the tax regime for the non-habitual residents will be the same as for any other Portuguese resident.
(Live band at Stevie Ray’s Blues Jazz Bar in Lagos, Portugal, pictured.)
If you’re like me, you’ve got a song in your head pretty much all the time. Sometimes, you know why it’s there, and sometimes, you don’t. Sometimes, you don’t even know where you heard the song.
That’s exactly what happened to me towards the end of our stay in the Ajijic area, as I was walking back from the corner store with some pastries. If you’ve read my first two stories on Ajijic and the Lake Chapala area, you know...
As we left the tropical splendor of the Ajijic area and drove generally east, it didn’t take long to be surrounded by farmland. Gently rolling hills dotted with trees reminiscent of Northern California chaparral lightly embraced vast, shallow valleys covered mainly with immense cornfields.
Consistent with a recurring theme for much of our road trip through Mexico, what we encountered on our drive from Ajijic through the Central Mexican Highlands was...
Get ready for the delays, the costs, fees and cumbersome legal system of Panama. Here you find it wise to use an attorney for all kinds of transactions. However it isn't just the attorney you deal with, it is bureaucracy mumbo-jumbo and administrators! Many are like the angry, underpaid, middle managers of other places. They have a little power, so they love to abuse it!
I interviewed a young attorney that is just starting out. The government sets the...
The cost of living in Chapala and Ajijic is low that you could have very nice quality things without spending a lot of money. Chapala is cheaper than Ajijic in everything – housing, restaurants, etc. Ajijic is a little more expensive than Chapala but I see people who live here off of their $1,200 a month pension. They live in a small nice house. They don’t often go out to eat at restaurants but they do go from time to time. .PNG)
There are two schools of thought regarding the pricing of clothes in Belize. I have found some clothing to be somewhat expensive in some of the boutiques and I've been to some of the kiosks and purchased clothes there. They tend to be of lesser quality, and don't last very long. 
A. Employment or self-employment (for activities within the official list of high added value activities) 
If you’re like me, you’ve got a song in your head pretty much all the time. Sometimes, you know why it’s there, and sometimes, you don’t. Sometimes, you don’t even know where you heard the song. 
As we left the tropical splendor of the Ajijic area and drove generally east, it didn’t take long to be surrounded by farmland. Gently rolling hills dotted with trees reminiscent of Northern California chaparral lightly embraced vast, shallow valleys covered mainly with immense cornfields. 
