Best Places In The World To Retire

I bought my furniture in Guadalajara (less than an hour away by car) but I know many, many people who had their furniture handmade in the area with carpenters. 

 

I purchased my furniture in Guadalajara because I am from Guadalajara and I know it very, very well. My mother and my family live in Guadalajara.

 

There is also a lot of furniture manufacturing in Ocotlán, which is less than an hour from here. There are a lot...

I bought my furniture in Guadalajara (less than an hour away by car) but I know many, many people who had their furniture handmade in the area with carpenters. 

 

I purchased my furniture in Guadalajara because I am from Guadalajara and I know it very, very well. My mother and my family live in Guadalajara.

 

There is also a lot of furniture manufacturing in Ocotlán, which is less than an hour from here. There are a lot of factories in Ocotlán for furniture. In Ocotlán you can look for less expensive furniture than in Guadalajara.

 

In Guadalajara they have bigger stores and the stores can have furniture from other parts of the world. If you want to have very luxurious or designer signature furniture, in Guadalajara you will find it. 

 

( Ocotlán Ciudad del Mueble furniture ad, near Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)

There is great kayaking in Panama both on the rivers and the lake.

 

In Lake Gatun, there are people who can take you out to go kayaking. You can rent kayaks right off the Gamboa Rainforest Resort and there are guides that can take you kayaking. You might even see a manatee if you are really lucky.

 

There is also great kayaking on the Chagres River both at the mouth of it, which is near Colon, as well as above Lake Alajuela...

There is great kayaking in Panama both on the rivers and the lake.

 

In Lake Gatun, there are people who can take you out to go kayaking. You can rent kayaks right off the Gamboa Rainforest Resort and there are guides that can take you kayaking. You might even see a manatee if you are really lucky.

 

There is also great kayaking on the Chagres River both at the mouth of it, which is near Colon, as well as above Lake Alajuela near the Embera villages. There are some really great kayak guides here in Panama that can take you to a little bit rougher water kayaking.

 

We also have great ocean kayaking anywhere on the Caribbean side, especially around Portobello, Bocas Del Toro, San Blas, the Pearl Islands in the Pacific. We also have tours with a guide and you can rent kayaks on the islands. There is good kayaking all around Panama.

 

Most of the river rafting is done in Chiriqui, near Boquete, in the mountains. River rafting is seasonal and dependent on the rain. There is seasonal white water rafting just outside of Panama City on Rio Mamoni. That is not a Class 5 or Class 6 rapids but they would be a Class 3 and Class 4 rapids and you’ll have a fun adventure.

In Corozal itself, you can get a gated home with two or three bedrooms for about $700 Belize, which is about US $350. You can pay a little more and even up to $1,000 to $1,200 Belize or US $500 to $600. There are some apartments but they would be a part of a house or a room or an upper story of a house. I know an American couple that has an entire level of a house that they are renting. They pay $1,000 Belize or US $500 but it is furnished with air-conditioning, sea breeze, etc. It is...

In Corozal itself, you can get a gated home with two or three bedrooms for about $700 Belize, which is about US $350. You can pay a little more and even up to $1,000 to $1,200 Belize or US $500 to $600. There are some apartments but they would be a part of a house or a room or an upper story of a house. I know an American couple that has an entire level of a house that they are renting. They pay $1,000 Belize or US $500 but it is furnished with air-conditioning, sea breeze, etc. It is two bedrooms, one bathroom, well-appointed, and well-furnished.  A typical North American who walks in would say, “That’s nice.” There is nothing rustic about it. It is contemporary enough and it has the amenities that you need. It has a nice fridge, stove, and counter space.

 

I had also rented a top level four-bedroom home in Belize City. It had three air-conditioners, a washer, dryer, a large kitchen with an island, a balcony looking over a river full of crocodiles, and I could see my iguanas and crabs every day. That cost me $1,600 Belize or US $800 a month. The utilities are not included in the rent. I paid about US $50 for electricity per month. You would probably pay a little less in Corozal. It was a completely adequate home for any expat.  Some people’s standards are different. In the village in Corozal, you can rent a home for $300 to $500 Belize or US $150 to $250.

 

So, the cost to rent a home or an apartment here in Corozal varies depending on your standards. If you want to maintain the comforts of your home in the US and Canada, you can have an adequate place for a lot less money.

 

(Apartment in Belize City, Belize, pictured.)

The worst reasons to retire overseas are financial and health reasons. If you’re moving overseas because you need to be in a country where it’s less expensive, that sets you off to a bad direction. If you’re moving overseas with the primary reason of a lower cost of living, you need to be careful. 

 

Many retirees move overseas for a lower cost of healthcare. When you move overseas for healthcare, you need to understand that the...

The worst reasons to retire overseas are financial and health reasons. If you’re moving overseas because you need to be in a country where it’s less expensive, that sets you off to a bad direction. If you’re moving overseas with the primary reason of a lower cost of living, you need to be careful. 

 

Many retirees move overseas for a lower cost of healthcare. When you move overseas for healthcare, you need to understand that the quality of healthcare is typically lower than in the US, and the US healthcare that you may have through insurance or Medicare probably won’t work abroad. 

 

You should be retiring overseas because you want to explore the world and its different cultures. Don’t retire overseas because it’s going to save you money or because you can get cheap healthcare. Generally, it would save you money, but if that’s your primary reason for retiring overseas, that’s one of the worst reasons to do so. 

 

If you’re retiring overseas, you have to love and enjoy where you’re going, and you have to want to immerse yourself in that culture. If not, you would be miserable spending half as much money in the US, but you would still be miserable.  

 

(Ross at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, pictured.)