What's the cost to rent an apartment in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Luzma Grande - Ajijic Concierge Services
When you come to retire, you don’t usually bring all of your belongings. Usually people bring some of their stuff and rent a place that is furnished. You have the option of renting a place for US $300 to $400. It would have one room, it won’t have a good view, and won’t be in the best location, but it would be comfortable and nice. There are also apartments that go for $1,500. The price changes depending on what you get such as the number of rooms, the location, etc....
When you come to retire, you don’t usually bring all of your belongings. Usually people bring some of their stuff and rent a place that is furnished. You have the option of renting a place for US $300 to $400. It would have one room, it won’t have a good view, and won’t be in the best location, but it would be comfortable and nice. There are also apartments that go for $1,500. The price changes depending on what you get such as the number of rooms, the location, etc. There are also studio type apartments that cost around $250 to $400. If you want to live in a gated community, that is a different situation.
Sometimes the centro is not the best place to live because of the noise of the area. You can have a very nice place with two bedrooms and two bathrooms located downtown for only $600 but you won’t have a view, a garden; it’s just very simple.
In 2010, when I came to visit Ajijic for the second time, we found a beautiful place located just a block away from the malecon, or the boardwalk. It had two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms, and we paid $1,000 a month. It was a small house but it was beautifully arranged. It was furnished and even had some really nice art on the walls. The kitchen had everything you needed to cook, from pancakes to tortillas! The house was so organized that if you lost a button on your blouse you could easily find the sewing kit in a little drawer. It also had a mirador, which is the roof deck and it has a view of the lake and the properties around downtown. The owners of that apartment where people who live half of the year on a boat. Long term rentals work the same way here except that the apartment that I rented had everything in it. If you are going to rent on a long-term basis you have to check that the place you are renting has good quality. For $1,000 you could find a beautiful place with everything you want and it would be very well decorated and nicely furnished.
It is best to get a place from May to July when it is low season so that you have a place for the high season but sometimes the people who come in the high season have already rented the best ones. It is not very easy to find a place to rent in Ajijic if you are coming here for the first time. You really have to spend time and look around. I have a client who is looking for a small place but they couldn’t find any so they got a 4-bedroom rental, which is too big for them. They are paying $1,400 for the 4-bedroom rental that they have right now. It’s located in La Floresta, which is a very well-known neighborhood that is very accessible to town.
David Berger - Tradewinds Hospitality at Orchid Bay
No, you don’t need to own a car in Corozal. Having a car is probably more work than it’s worth. If you live in Corozal you are going to need a bicycle or you can just walk because everything in Corozal is really close together.
The downtown area has everything so close together that it is kind of difficult to drive and it’s hard to park. Gas is also expensive in Belize but if you’re going to live in Corozal Town then I don’t...
No, you don’t need to own a car in Corozal. Having a car is probably more work than it’s worth. If you live in Corozal you are going to need a bicycle or you can just walk because everything in Corozal is really close together.
The downtown area has everything so close together that it is kind of difficult to drive and it’s hard to park. Gas is also expensive in Belize but if you’re going to live in Corozal Town then I don’t think you need a car.
People who live outside of town like to have a car. In Orchid Bay, where I live, we have a community of about forty people who live here and maybe every other person has a car. We team up to go to town. It is a “let’s ride together” kind of place.
(Walking around Orchid Bay resort and development, near Corozal, Belize, pictured.)
Are taxis readily available in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and what do taxis cost in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
Eugenio Cortez - Hacienda & Ecolodge Morgan´s Rock
Yes, taxis are available in San Juan del Sur, but for the most part, you will not need their services unless you want to travel to a nearby beach, or to Rivas or other cities.
In San Juan del Sur, most people walk, as the town is fairly small. Besides, by walking around you get to see many different shops, restaurants, food stores, etc.
A taxi ride in San Juan del Sur is about US $5. The cars per se aren’t always in the...
Yes, taxis are available in San Juan del Sur, but for the most part, you will not need their services unless you want to travel to a nearby beach, or to Rivas or other cities.
In San Juan del Sur, most people walk, as the town is fairly small. Besides, by walking around you get to see many different shops, restaurants, food stores, etc.
A taxi ride in San Juan del Sur is about US $5. The cars per se aren’t always in the best shape, but they get the job done.
What's the dress code in Bocas Del Toro, Panama? What clothes do they wear in Bocas Del Toro, Panama?
monique born - Tesoro Escondido Eco Lodge and Cabinas
The dress code on the whole island including Bocas Del Toro is very casual. Most tourists and expats dress very casually. Please note though, that by and large, Panamanians dress well. There are also rules when entering a government building, such as the municipality and the mayor's office where you cannot go with flip flops and or tank tops. In addition, it is against the law to walk around town without a shirt on. You can get fined for that. If you plan on doing business with...
The dress code on the whole island including Bocas Del Toro is very casual. Most tourists and expats dress very casually. Please note though, that by and large, Panamanians dress well. There are also rules when entering a government building, such as the municipality and the mayor's office where you cannot go with flip flops and or tank tops. In addition, it is against the law to walk around town without a shirt on. You can get fined for that. If you plan on doing business with Panamanians, or need to interface with government officials, it is good form to dress up a bit as a show of respect.
Portugal has fantastic Internet service. There are two major internet providers that operate here in Portugal and they are very good. They also provide the cable TV channels, which is part of the package along with landline phone.
The monthly subscription to all three services: cable, phone, and Internet costs only €48 (US $52 or £35). This is high-speed Internet. We get free local calls on the landline and cable TV with over 200 channels.
The...
Portugal has fantastic Internet service. There are two major internet providers that operate here in Portugal and they are very good. They also provide the cable TV channels, which is part of the package along with landline phone.
The monthly subscription to all three services: cable, phone, and Internet costs only €48 (US $52 or £35). This is high-speed Internet. We get free local calls on the landline and cable TV with over 200 channels.
The Internet service doesn’t normally go down unless there is a terrible storm. It could also depend on where you live. If you live in the center of the city, you don’t get power outages. Where I live, which is away from the center and by the coast of Sintra, if there is a heavy storm, the power goes down and hence you won’t have Internet, either.
What should I be most concerned about regarding retiring abroad?
Nelson Vega
One of the main things to be concerned about when retiring abroad (among other things) is health insurance. Often the health systems abroad are not even similar to those of your own country. However, with Latin America, specially Panama, as hot spots to retire, the change in public and private health has been huge over the last years. Panama is a medical tourism destination, and many health insurance companies now offer great plans for the best hospitals in Panama while also...
One of the main things to be concerned about when retiring abroad (among other things) is health insurance. Often the health systems abroad are not even similar to those of your own country. However, with Latin America, specially Panama, as hot spots to retire, the change in public and private health has been huge over the last years. Panama is a medical tourism destination, and many health insurance companies now offer great plans for the best hospitals in Panama while also including options to be covered back at your home country or for when you travel as well.
After you get health insurance covered, then you will need to worry about adjusting to language, different customs of the new city or town where you are going to move, things to do, etc. In the end the discovery of all those new things is what will make moving abroad exciting, and there will always be a way to make the most of it.
I hear you are Belize bound. Maybe I can help. No, packing plates wasn’t what I had in mind. Sorry. Be of good cheer, though, that your porcelain will remain safely out of my CLUMSY hands.
Now then, let’s consider some handy things you may want to toss in that last box before you tape the top. First, have you included a goodly number of chains among your household items? You look at me wildly. Take it easy, now. I am not...
I had been doing mortgages in the US for over 15 years and started coming to Mexico when a lot of the US lenders had just started programs for Americans buying in Mexico. I thought, “Wow, I kind of want to get in on that.”
I started to get my papers in Mexico so I could work legally in the northern part of Mexico while still living Santa Barbara. At the time, I found the property in Chapala that I wanted to buy. I started taking...
When you envision someone in December packing their van in the middle of a driving rain, what pops into your mind? Do you see a person in swimming trunks and sandals? Probably not, unless you had the same experience as us, as we got ready to leave Akumal. I just couldn’t think of a smarter way to do it. It was raining hard, it was warm, we needed to get going right away, and I needed something that would dry quickly and that I could easily change out of. ...
When you come to retire, you don’t usually bring all of your belongings. Usually people bring some of their stuff and rent a place that is furnished. You have the option of renting a place for US $300 to $400. It would have one room, it won’t have a good view, and won’t be in the best location, but it would be comfortable and nice. There are also apartments that go for $1,500. The price changes depending on what you get such as the number of rooms, the location, etc....
No, you don’t need to own a car in Corozal. Having a car is probably more work than it’s worth. If you live in Corozal you are going to need a bicycle or you can just walk because everything in Corozal is really close together. 
Portugal has fantastic Internet service. There are two major internet providers that operate here in Portugal and they are very good. They also provide the cable TV channels, which is part of the package along with landline phone. 
I hear you are Belize bound. Maybe I can help. No, packing plates wasn’t what I had in mind. Sorry. Be of good cheer, though, that your porcelain will remain safely out of my CLUMSY hands.
I’ve led an interesting life here in Mexico.
When you envision someone in December packing their van in the middle of a driving rain, what pops into your mind? Do you see a person in swimming trunks and sandals? Probably not, unless you had the same experience as us, as we got ready to leave Akumal. I just couldn’t think of a smarter way to do it. It was raining hard, it was warm, we needed to get going right away, and I needed something that would dry quickly and that I could easily change out of. ...
