Best Places In The World To Retire

Gardeners in Chapala and Ajijic usually charge between 50 and 60 pesos an hour (US $3 to $3.50 an hour). Sometimes they will give you a rate per week because there are some gardeners who do not work on an hourly rate.

 

As an example, one of our owners has a yard that is about 1,000 square meters (about a quarter of an acre) with a lot of plants, for which we pay the gardener 1,000 pesos per week ($55 per week) to maintain the yard. He maintains everything....

Gardeners in Chapala and Ajijic usually charge between 50 and 60 pesos an hour (US $3 to $3.50 an hour). Sometimes they will give you a rate per week because there are some gardeners who do not work on an hourly rate.

 

As an example, one of our owners has a yard that is about 1,000 square meters (about a quarter of an acre) with a lot of plants, for which we pay the gardener 1,000 pesos per week ($55 per week) to maintain the yard. He maintains everything. He prunes the trees and the plants so it is more than just cleaning. The owner used to pay only 600 pesos a week ($33 a week). This gardener comes and cleans the garden since there are times of the year when the garden easily gets messy because of the rains and the wind. The owner decided to pay 400 pesos more because he really wants the gardener to take care of all the plants and not just clean. The owner of the house buys all the materials like the fertilizers so the cost to buy those is not included in the amount that he pays the gardener.

 

(Garden in Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

Yes, you can. Even after you move abroad, US citizens must still file a Federal Return if they are receiving income. Fortunately there are some big exclusions and credits in place to limit (or even eliminate) this tax liability. These include the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the Foreign Tax Credit.

 

Together, these credits will make your US liability much lower than when you were living in the States. In fact, with the Foreign Tax Credit, you could...

Yes, you can. Even after you move abroad, US citizens must still file a Federal Return if they are receiving income. Fortunately there are some big exclusions and credits in place to limit (or even eliminate) this tax liability. These include the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the Foreign Tax Credit.

 

Together, these credits will make your US liability much lower than when you were living in the States. In fact, with the Foreign Tax Credit, you could even get a credit on your US taxes to carry forward on next year’s taxes (this would happen if you are paying more in tax to Panama than you would have been to the US).

 

Just like the medical care, dental care here in Panama is great, both private and public.

 

In the private system, the cost for a cleaning can go as low as US $75, but if you want to get almost everything fixed, it would cost you $100 to $150. This price includes reviewing the condition of your mouth, giving protection to your teeth, making small repairs and taking x-rays, which is cheaper than the amount that you would have to pay in the United States.

Just like the medical care, dental care here in Panama is great, both private and public.

 

In the private system, the cost for a cleaning can go as low as US $75, but if you want to get almost everything fixed, it would cost you $100 to $150. This price includes reviewing the condition of your mouth, giving protection to your teeth, making small repairs and taking x-rays, which is cheaper than the amount that you would have to pay in the United States.

 

In the public system, you can get your dental work done at a Social Security facility, which is available to anyone who is legally in the country of Panama.