Best Places In The World To Retire

The cost of restaurants in El Valle varies. There is a restaurant there that is called Lourdes, which is a French restaurant. It is very high-end and it costs between US $18 and $23 a plate plus your wine and your desserts or appetizers. They have top quality food with a very nice setting. It is almost like an Alice in Wonderland setting with a pool and trees all around you. I was actually there one day when a helicopter flew in with five guests who ate lunch, then they got back to the...

The cost of restaurants in El Valle varies. There is a restaurant there that is called Lourdes, which is a French restaurant. It is very high-end and it costs between US $18 and $23 a plate plus your wine and your desserts or appetizers. They have top quality food with a very nice setting. It is almost like an Alice in Wonderland setting with a pool and trees all around you. I was actually there one day when a helicopter flew in with five guests who ate lunch, then they got back to the helicopter and left. So we are talking about ultra-high end. Their very basic menu has probably about twelve entrees to choose from, but they do those twelve entrees very, very well. They have top quality, fresh food. No holds barred. It is certainly one of the nicest places to eat and it is probably the nicest in El Valle, and one of the nicer places along the beach area consistently. They hold weddings there, too. Often you need a reservation because they are busy. I never ate like that in Calgary because up there a restaurant like that would cost $25 to $40 a plate or more.

 

You could also go to a pizza place, a Chinese place, or a sandwich place where a plate is maybe between $6 and $13. They offer good food, and the ambiance you would expect in a pizza place. The furniture is low quality and you might not have tablecloths on the table. The cutlery may be of lower quality but the food quality is fine. The price in Calgary would be at least double for the same thing. ((All these prices that I quoted are for dinner.)

 

There are also local Panamanian fondas, which are local restaurants where you could get a plate of food for $2.50 to $3.50. It’s authentic Panamanian food so you would get barbecued chicken or barbecued fish and rice, beans, and plantains. There is lots to eat. They have good flavor and healthy food. You couldn’t buy the food at the store and cook it yourself for what they charge you. It is amazing that you can get that kind of quality for that little money.

 

There is a fair number of expats who eat tat the local fondas regularly. I don’t think you have to be adventurous to eat in fondas, but a lot of people are concerned about cleanliness and health risks. They come from a society where all the meat is Grade A spec and the restaurants have to meet a certain cleanliness standard. Here you are talking about a guy with a 40-gallon drum cut in half and inside the drum he’s barbecuing chicken on the side of the road and making some rice and plantain to go with it. You would think you might have health problems or cleanliness problems with the food, but the truth is I have only had food poisoning here twice in four years and once was at McDonald’s. 

 

(Eating al fresco in El Valle de Anton,  Panama, pictured.)

 

 

 

We have our house cleaned every month or so by a "local". She is very happy to clean our house for $40 BZ (US $20). She also cleans our Guest House for $30 BZ (US $15) when we need it done. However, we have had another "local" girl clean the house for only $30 BZ. It usually takes her about 2 hours ,maybe 3 at best to finish the job.

 

Some local workers here in Belize will work all day at what...

We have our house cleaned every month or so by a "local". She is very happy to clean our house for $40 BZ (US $20). She also cleans our Guest House for $30 BZ (US $15) when we need it done. However, we have had another "local" girl clean the house for only $30 BZ. It usually takes her about 2 hours ,maybe 3 at best to finish the job.

 

Some local workers here in Belize will work all day at what I would call "unskilled labor" for $35 BZ (US $17.50). $50 BZ (US $25) is considered good pay for a day. $75 (US $37.50) or higher is when there is "skill" involved and the worker needs his own tools such as a carpenter or an electrician. Our auto mechanic gets $50 BZ / hour (US $25 / hour).  

The answer in most cases is no, Medicare will not pay for health care outside the U.S. However, if you’re in the U.S. and during a medical emergency a foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital, Medicare may pay for these expenses.

It is always recommended that individuals who have Medicare and live abroad secure an international policy. These policies will typically provide coverage anywhere in the world, free choice of doctors/hospitals and guarantee the...

The answer in most cases is no, Medicare will not pay for health care outside the U.S. However, if you’re in the U.S. and during a medical emergency a foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital, Medicare may pay for these expenses.

It is always recommended that individuals who have Medicare and live abroad secure an international policy. These policies will typically provide coverage anywhere in the world, free choice of doctors/hospitals and guarantee the renewal of the policy for life. International catastrophic policies for those 65 and older are relatively affordable and cost as little as $90 per month. It is important that retirees secure these policies before age 74; as this is the maximum age one can apply for a new international policy.

The diversity of foods in markets in Managua has improved substantially and today one can find wide varieties of fresh foods, spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits grown locally, some organically, as well as excellent coffees, chocolates, meats fish and fowl.

 

(Pictured here are organic eggplants produced by one of our growers in a basket made of recycled paper.)

The diversity of foods in markets in Managua has improved substantially and today one can find wide varieties of fresh foods, spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits grown locally, some organically, as well as excellent coffees, chocolates, meats fish and fowl.

 

(Pictured here are organic eggplants produced by one of our growers in a basket made of recycled paper.)