Best Places In The World To Retire

Raising children in Portugal is wonderful. There is no violence here. It’s very secure so the children have lots of freedom and they can have lots of activities after school.
 
Here in Portugal, you will see children the age of 12 going to school by themselves by getting on to public transports. By the age of 15, they go to the cafes or the cinemas without adult supervision. Most cafes in Portugal don’t close until 1 AM. They go on their own. Parents don’t need...

Raising children in Portugal is wonderful. There is no violence here. It’s very secure so the children have lots of freedom and they can have lots of activities after school.
 
Here in Portugal, you will see children the age of 12 going to school by themselves by getting on to public transports. By the age of 15, they go to the cafes or the cinemas without adult supervision. Most cafes in Portugal don’t close until 1 AM. They go on their own. Parents don’t need to always guard their children here.
 
Raising children in Portugal is totally different from raising children in England. I raised my daughter in England and at age 6, she couldn’t go to the sweets shop by herself. Here in Portugal, you would see children ages 5 to 7 who go to the sweets shop on their own or they go to the small stores to buy bread, etc. You will see 12 to 15 year olds at the beach without their parents. You can let your children go on their own here in Portugal but you can’t do the same in England because England has more crimes; it’s unbelievable. In England, you’ll hear of children who got raped at the age of 6 or 7. You never hear of that in Portugal. Children get abducted in England and here in Portugal, that doesn’t happen. It’s safe here in Portugal.  

 

(Easter egg hunt in Portugal, pictured.)

As previous posters have said, US $140 is the minimum salary for a housekeeper in Nicaragua. I have known some maids to make as much as $250 or more a month depending on experience and length of employment.  For $140, you will probably find a maid with little experience, and she will require a lot of training and supervision. 

 

I would like to add that paying employees in Nicaragua is not cut and dry with a monthly salary amount. There are employment laws...

As previous posters have said, US $140 is the minimum salary for a housekeeper in Nicaragua. I have known some maids to make as much as $250 or more a month depending on experience and length of employment.  For $140, you will probably find a maid with little experience, and she will require a lot of training and supervision. 

 

I would like to add that paying employees in Nicaragua is not cut and dry with a monthly salary amount. There are employment laws there that inflate this cost. For example, you will pay her 1 month salary at the end of each year due the first week of December. You will also give her 30 days of vacation each year.  Unless you are ok without a housekeeper for 15 consecutive days, you'll have to find a temporary one. This is generally not hard to find, but you'll have to pay her.  You will also pay her social security tax, called INSS in Nicaragua. Currently, this is about 20% of her monthly salary.  You will also be expected to deduct her 6% contribution and pay that to INNS on her behalf. 

 

So, the real cost for a $200 maid is really about $275.

 

$200 * 12 = $2,400

$2,400 + $200 extra month pay + $200 fill in while on vacation + $480 INSS

$3,280 / 12 = $275 each month

 

You are also expected to provide meals for her. If she lives with you, that is understood, but if she lives out, lunch is expected. 

 

 

 

You do not need a second passport if you retire and choose to work or live abroad. It is, though, highly recommended to get a residency, which, for example, in Nicaragua is a very easy thing to do.  All you would need to do is pay $2 for the application, fill it out, get a couple of medical tests and then you are all set.

 

With this residency you wouldn't have to worry about migration problems, you will be able to come and go from the country and you are...

You do not need a second passport if you retire and choose to work or live abroad. It is, though, highly recommended to get a residency, which, for example, in Nicaragua is a very easy thing to do.  All you would need to do is pay $2 for the application, fill it out, get a couple of medical tests and then you are all set.

 

With this residency you wouldn't have to worry about migration problems, you will be able to come and go from the country and you are free to work in whatever way you may want.  You will receive your retirement money as you would back in your home country. 

We were in El Valle Panama a couple of months ago and all of us six (including our kids; 15, 10, 8 and 3 years old) all just drank the tap water; the taste was great and no one ever had a problem; we felt great all the time in El Valle! We also talked to a lot of other travelers and it seems nobody worried about drinking the water!

 

We were in El Valle Panama a couple of months ago and all of us six (including our kids; 15, 10, 8 and 3 years old) all just drank the tap water; the taste was great and no one ever had a problem; we felt great all the time in El Valle! We also talked to a lot of other travelers and it seems nobody worried about drinking the water!