Best Places In The World To Retire

The average cost for a housekeeper in San Ignacio where I have made some enquiries is about 5$ BZ (US $2.50) per hour so 25$ BZ  (US $12.50) for a 5 hour day. Some employers pay Social Security benefits or may pay for transportation, probably by bus and often lunch or breakfast may be supplied.

 

There are many possible arrangements including live in housekeepers or a small house on the property. There are also people who can be hired for...

The average cost for a housekeeper in San Ignacio where I have made some enquiries is about 5$ BZ (US $2.50) per hour so 25$ BZ  (US $12.50) for a 5 hour day. Some employers pay Social Security benefits or may pay for transportation, probably by bus and often lunch or breakfast may be supplied.

 

There are many possible arrangements including live in housekeepers or a small house on the property. There are also people who can be hired for personal care of an injured person or older people with mobility limitations or dementia. All of these arrangements are subject to negotiation. Of course 8 hr days are possible for similar rates.

 

Many homeowners have someone in for one, two or three days a week. Often the problem is to find someone who is reliable and honest. Belize depends on word of mouth to make contact with suitable people so many people make recommendations so screening or trial periods are often necessary. Another consideration is that 5$ BZ is a very minimal wage and often employers feel the need to pay more just to feel fair to a person who becomes a friend or like a family member.

 

(Pictured: Home in San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize.)

The elevation of the mountains in Nicaragua does change the weather. Matagalpa, where I lived, is between Esteli and Jinotega. In Jinotega, sometimes you have to wear wool pants and a sweater to survive the mornings and then take them off in the afternoons. In Matagalpa, it never gets that cold and you never need to wear winter clothing. 
 
Managua, which is the capital, is very hot. As you go south of Managua towards Costa Rica, it gets cooler because the area rises in...

The elevation of the mountains in Nicaragua does change the weather. Matagalpa, where I lived, is between Esteli and Jinotega. In Jinotega, sometimes you have to wear wool pants and a sweater to survive the mornings and then take them off in the afternoons. In Matagalpa, it never gets that cold and you never need to wear winter clothing. 
 
Managua, which is the capital, is very hot. As you go south of Managua towards Costa Rica, it gets cooler because the area rises in elevation, but still their level of cool is nothing like Matagalpa. 
 
In Matagalpa, except during the hotter months of May and June, some days would be around 80 degrees. It varies from 80 to 90 degrees except for the hottest months of the year, which are April, May, and June. Those months were so hot, I couldn’t wait for summer and fall to arrive. There is a lot of breeze that blows, which cools Matagalpa. I feel comfortable in Matagalpa the whole year except for the months of April, May, and June.  

 

(Cascade rappelling down Salto de la Estanzuela, near Esteli, Nicaragua, pictured.)

The doctors in Boquete are not only American-trained but they are also bilingual.
 
The doctors in Boquete are mostly general practitioners. If you need a specialist or if you need more detail on your prescriptions, you have access to two good private hospitals, Hospital Mae Lewis and Hospital Chiriquí. These hospitals are both in David, which is around 30 minutes away from Boquete by car on a brand new, four-lane highway. Both of these hospitals have good doctors who are...

The doctors in Boquete are not only American-trained but they are also bilingual.
 
The doctors in Boquete are mostly general practitioners. If you need a specialist or if you need more detail on your prescriptions, you have access to two good private hospitals, Hospital Mae Lewis and Hospital Chiriquí. These hospitals are both in David, which is around 30 minutes away from Boquete by car on a brand new, four-lane highway. Both of these hospitals have good doctors who are also bilingual. In case that you need even more special attention then you have the option to travel to Panama City and get seen at a hospital there that is affiliated with a hospital in the US. 
 
Overall, if you have a general issue, there are doctors in Boquete who can look at you and if you need a specialist, you would go to David, and if you have something that is even beyond the doctors in David, then you can go to Panama City.  

 

(Hospital Mae Lewis, David, Chiriqui, Panama, pictured.)