Best Places In The World To Retire

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Recently Answered Questions

How are Americans in San Miguel de Allende treated? How are expats in San Miguel de Allende treated generally?

Rio de Paz Cuellar

Residential street in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I happen to be a little bit of an expert on this particular subject because I’ve lived in 10 Latin American countries, and I’ve travelled through Asia. I was on the road for 8 years, and lived in 16 countries. I’ve stayed in over a dozen expat communities for 3 months, 6 months, and 2 years, so I know a bit about that. Of all the places I’ve been, which is extensive, I think San Miguel is at the top of the list. That’s why I live here.

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Can I use my Medicare outside the US, and if not, what are my alternatives?

By Edgington

Medellin River, Christmas 2004 – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The short answer is no, you cannot use Medicare here in Colombia. The long answer is beyond the scope of a response. International health care policies are a good option, but, as always, the fine print is your friend. For instance, many international policies will not insure you within a certain number of miles of your 'home address,' so don't let that codicil bite you. In our case, with a home address (for now) in Ohio, we can't use our policy within 100 miles of Columbus, so we...

Can I get a mortgage home loan in Portugal?

Luis Rodrigues - Gouveia Pereira, Costa Freitas & Associates, Law Firm, RL

Santarém, Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Yes you can obtain a mortgage home loan in Portugal as a foreigner. You would need to open a bank account and prove before the bank that you have financial capacity to repay the home loan.

(Santarém, Portugal, pictured.)

What are the traditions of Boquete, Chiriqui Province?

Ricord (Ric) Winstead, MD - Retirement Services International

horses in Boquete, Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The traditions of Boquete revolve around coffee, flowers, and horses. Boquete is a Hispanic community and the uniqueness of it does come out of those things. As opposed to the rest of Panama, it doesn’t celebrate Carnival. Many Panamanians come up to Boquete to get away from the noise, partying, and the celebrations because that is a lot common in the rest of Panama during the Carnival season.

There is an annual coffee festival in Boquete and there...

What is the culture of Managua, Nicaragua?

Kent Payne

Nicarguan farmer – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Managua is a community of 1.3 million people of all social and economic strata, many of whom are very, very poor. That only thing that they care about is making a living and being with their families on holidays. That’s pretty much true across the board.

We from the United States, especially, got such a bad and incorrect taste of what Nicaragua is really like from the 80’s when we had the Iran-Contra affair. The the fact is that the only...

We from the United States, especially, got such a bad and incorrect taste of what Nicaragua is really like from the 80’s when we had the Iran-Contra affair. The the fact is that the only politics in Managua are what happens day-to-day and and who’s going to pick up the trash. This place is very, very tranquil and all the government wants to do here is improve the quality of life of the poor people so that those in the government can can get more votes and stay in power. That’s pretty much it, that’s pretty much the way it is in the United States as far as I can tell.

As a non-Nicaraguan there are just some little things that you should know. For example, workers on the average in the sugarcane fields get paid US $3.50 / day and the regular pay for domestic help is 55 to 60 cents / hour; that’s about $5/day. We pay our people better than that at Gran Pacifica and they’re glad to have what they consider to be very, very good jobs, and they are good jobs, comparatively.

I have never taken exception to my wait staff in Nicaragua. They have been extremely gracious and attentive and in some places almost be too much so – when my glass of water gets halfway empty, it gets filled to the top again before I can turn around. The reason I mention this is that, in restaurants, especially, there is what’s called “propina voluntaria” (voluntary tip) of 10% that they add to every bill. You and I might be used to tipping 15%. So what you have to do if you are in a restaurant, is you make sure that the voluntary tip is on there. If you get really good service, I believe you should normally leave a few bucks for the guy who is waiting on you.

I tend to talk with the local Nicaraguans, for example, when I’m waiting in line someplace. If you ask 3-4 questions to a stranger about their family, in 20 minutes you will know everything you need to know about the grandkids, what’s going on in the family, who’s sick and who’s doing great, all that kind of stuff. They will just unload the whole story on you. So they really are very family oriented, much more so than we are in the States.

Culturally, there may be 3 or up to 4 generations living in the same small home, which can provide some “special problems” with regard to privacy. Well, to deal with that, they have motor-hotels here, but they are rented by the hour, so that the younger people in the family can have a little privacy without 4 generations inside the house. They pay cash, and don’t take any photographs. They pull into a parking slot where there is actually a curtain that covers up the car.

What do I need to know when buying a house in or other real estate in Belize?

Macarena Rose - Rainforerst Realty

Larger home with swimming pool in Belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Truly, remember Belize is a foreign country, and use a good lawyer. All our clients are required to use a lawyer befor buying real estate.

And remember, there will be a 5% stamp duty charge on any purchase. If it is a development, be sure to check if GST [general sales tax] is due.

Recently Posted Expat Stories

There is no 'U' in Colombia-- The rudiments of obtaining a residency visa in Colombia

As much as I disdain essays that begin with the phrase, ‘your experience may be different,’ I have no choice here. Your experience obtaining a residency visa in Colombia may indeed be different. Here’s the latest info, and as the title indicates, it’s rudimentary.

You can visit Colombia as a tourist for up to 90 days. This may be extended for an additional 90 days, but the extension must be sought, it’s not automatic. In order to live in Colombia beyond...

Hospital Insurance in Panama

My husband is 73 and he was on several medications over the last few years in America. We have been in Panama only 10 months and he has cut his medications in half. He feels better, has more energy and feels less stressed. We attribute our good health to foods, climate, and less stressful lifestyle here. He has lost over 12 pounds, walks often and enjoys our life here.

We were paying almost $700 per month additional to Medicare for supplemental...

Our First Ride on the Metro in Panama

The Metro de Panama, the first subway system in Central America, started operating on April 5. Line 1 operates from Albrook to Los Andes, with 19 trains that make stops at 12 stations. It takes only 23 minutes to travel the length of the line. Seven stations are underground and five are elevated.

Escalator at Panama City Panama Metro – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Each train consists of three cars, with air conditioning, video surveillance, passenger information systems, and wheel chair accessibility. The trains also have fire safety systems...