Best Places In The World To Retire

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Recently Answered Questions

Is San Miguel de Allende safe? What's the crime rate in general in San Miguel de Allende?

Kat Ballou

Expats enjoying a center courtyard in San Miguel Allende, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I have been living here in San Miguel de Allende just shy of a year, so I don’t feel I am any kind of expert.

The only “bad” things that have happened to me since I have lived in Mexico: I walked away from an ATM without taking my debit card, and after a night out drinking, my wallet was missing. Loosing my debit card and not having access to my bank for weeks was a huge inconvenience in both cases, but it's not like I felt victimized. I take the blame for...

What are the best places in the world to retire?

Ian Usher - House Sitting Magazine

What are the best places in the world to retire? The answer to this question will obviously be different for each individual, so I'll just give you my own answer - make of it what you will.

Bocas del Toro, Panama, retire, gringo, expat, Starfish Beach, Caribbean, lifestyle – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

For now, I have chosen to spend my time in beautiful Bocas del Toro on the sunny Caribbean coast of Panama. Take a look at the picture on the right, which shows Starfish Beach, a short bus or boat ride from Bocas Town. That might give you some suggestion as to why you...

What are the best places in the world to retire? The answer to this question will obviously be different for each individual, so I'll just give you my own answer - make of it what you will.

I'm not sure that I can actually classify myself as retired, but I haven't done a stroke of paid work for anybody else for over five years now, and that's how I'd like it to stay. I'm a writer, and I wrote my second book right here in paradise. Now that certainly beats some writing in some chilly flat in wintry London, fingers gloved to keep them warm.

Bocas del Toro offers a cheap alternative to the rat-race, a place where the cost of living can be very low, but the quality of life disproportionately high.

The best things about living here?

1). The people - both the expat community and the local populace are wonderful people to spend time with. This place seems to draw interesting, and sometimes slightly eccentric people.

2). The weather - it can rain quite a bit, which is a good thing if you are off-grid and rely on rainwater collection. But when the sun comes out, which it does often, and there is no wind, the lagoon is so beautiful.

3). Wonderful restaurants - away from town, down in the lagoons there are some hidden gems which offer wonderful social scenes, awesome views and great food.

4). Dolphins - I live just outside Dolphin Bay, and when out and about in the boat it is rare not to see at least a couple of dolphins. They always brighten your day.

5). Swimming and snorkelling - I can do both right from my dock.

6). Clothing choice - one of my favourite things is that here the temperature is pretty constant. When you get up in a morning there is no clothing dilemmas:

"Will I take a jacket?"

"What shoes should I wear?"

You can be pretty sure that shorts, t-shirt and a pair of flip-flops cover all occasions.

I could go on, but instead I'll just suggest that you really need to come and take a look at this special place for yourself.

How’s the ecotourism in Belize?

Therese Jonch - Programme for Belize

Programme for Belize cabin – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Eco-tourism in Belize is an industry that is picking up. We’re surrounded by nature, so it only makes sense that we have tourism that focuses around the ecology. It’s definitely something that’s happening more and more and even the bigger resorts are gearing towards offering more eco-friendly tours.

The largest conservation area that we manage is the Rio Bravo. We offer a lot of tours that are sustainable to the ecology of the area and we...

Are the doctors in Panama good?

Rafael Alvarado - Rafael Alvarado / Attorney / Real Estate Broker

Are the doctors in Panama good? Well, I use them and I´m still alive! Kidding!!!!!

Hospital Punta Pacifica in Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

We do have top of the line doctors and specialists in every single area of medicine, so if you´re planning to visit Panama, don´t be worried about "sneeze". You´ll be recovered in no time!

To the right is a picture of Hospital Punta Pacifica (an affiliate of Johns Hopkins in the US) here in Panama.

How are the restaurants in Granada, Nicaragua?

Esmerelda Vargas - Schuvar Tours

Bistro Estrada staff, Granada, Nicaragua – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There are local and international restaurants in Granada, Nicaragua that are very good. There is a wide variety of restaurants in Granada. We have seafood restaurants, too. Granada is known for its restaurants and the variety of cuisine from all over the world.

Some of the nice restaurants are located along Calle La Calzada and Calle Atravesada but that’s not the only place. As the population of Granada has grown, and as its popularity as a...

Will Portugal make me pay income tax on money I earn outside of Portugal?

Duncan MacGregor - Duncan MacGregor Accounting

iluminura no Foral Novo – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

If you are a Portuguese resident, you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, if that income is taxed in the other country, then you can get relief under the double tax agreement, with the refund provided by Portugal.

As an example, let’s say you’re from the US, you live in Portugal and you are a legal resident of Portugal. Portugal will tax you on all of the money that you make worldwide, which includes income in the US, in Portugal, and in any other country; it makes no difference. But if you have paid tax on the same income in a foreign country, you can claim a deduction on your Portuguese tax return of the tax that was paid or withheld in the foreign country. You get a tax credit, which will then lower the amount of tax that you pay in Portugal.

In order to be a tax resident of Portugal, you have to be in the country for 183 days within the year or alternatively, you could rent a home, which is considered to be your permanent residence. If you are not a tax resident in Portugal, you are only taxed on the income that you earn in Portugal and not on your other worldwide income.

There is a special regime that was set up about 5 years ago, which institutes a special 10-year tax holiday for people who come to retire to Portugal from another country, called the Non-Habitual Resident Regime. If people who qualify receive foreign income in Portugal, they have to declare that income but they do not have to pay tax on that income for 10 years. This includes both earned income and retirement income. They will only pay taxes on the income that they earn in Portugal. This tax regime has attracted a lot of Northern Europeans to come to Portugal. It has also attracted a lot of French people who were trying to escape the very high taxes that are now being applied to wealthy people in France.

There has been a big takeover bid by the left wing parties who are now the governing parties in Portugal. They may overturn this particular regime in order to fund the increase in pensions of the local people and increase the salaries of the public servants, which were cut under the previous government. Whether they will overturn it or not, I cannot answer, but I can report that Portugal has a habit of introducing really attractive legislation (for example, doing away with inheritance tax) and then when another government comes in, the legislation may get repealed. When this happens after a lot of people have already made arrangements, it can become an absolute nightmare.

(The town of Évora, Portugal shown with its medieval walls, drawn in 1501, pictured.)

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Everything Changes, However Slow it Might Be

Welcome to Boquete. This charming town View is a side street in Boquete. – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

has changed a little and a lot in the last four years. We have watched as the economy has improved for the community. A great deal is based on tourism and the influx of expats. There has also been a worldwide increase in the higher-end coffees that grow in the mountains that tower over the towns of both Boquete and Volcan. Many small businesses have come and gone in the last four years. Growth is evident as the high school is currently...

Settled Happily Here In Panamá

Having spent around 5 years researching the best places to retire my wife and I decided that Panama was the best place. We arranged an exploratory trip to judge first hand. We selected a bed and breakfast in Ancon which is strategically placed for easy access to the important places of interest and conveniently just 5 minutes drive to the bridge of the Americas. Nearby Albrook airport was the perfect place to rent a car and only 10 minutes away in a cab.

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My Part Time Life in Volcan

I titled this "My Part Time Life in Volcan" because unfortunately I can only live part of the year in Panama. I'm still in my working years in the US and I still haven't figured out how to totally check out and live in Panama full time. It isn't for a lack of trying. Thus far I am able to work in the US for about 9 months and then take 3 months off, with as much of this time in Panama as feasible, depending on the year.

Since I am building my house...