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If you were moving OUTSIDE the USA for retirement, where would you go? (1 Viewer)

eoMMan

Footballguy
Assume you are retired and fairly comfortably with money but not loaded. You shouldn't have to work unless you want to.

Where would you go?

Why?

Costs?

New language?

Healthcare?

:coffee:

 
vietnam if you wan to live well on a limited retirement budget
If you have a limited budget, will you be able to go to private healthcare facilities? I don't believe their public care is desireable...especially if you are older and more likely to need it.

 
Belize.  Beautiful country,  you can live very comfortably with not a lot of cash.  For those that are 2nd language challenged English is spoken everywhere.  I would be there right now if it wasn't for the boss.

 
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Cuenca, Ecuador. 

Cheap cost of living.

Good healthcare.

Awesome climate.

Solid expat community.

Low crime.

Clean Water.

Beautiful architecture.

Lots of options for stuff to do (Andes mountains, rainforests, beach cities a few hours away) 

 
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Belize.  Beautiful country,  you can live very comfortably with not a lot of cash.  For those that are 2nd language challenged English is spoken everywhere.  I would be there right now if it wasn't for the boss.
Love it there. Spent a few days on Ambergris Caye (La Isla Bonita) and looked at some real estate and you could get amazing beach or lagoon front homes for well under $300k. Everyone on the island drives golf carts around, incredible food, people were great, Madonna was right...

Tropical the island breeze
All of nature wild and free
This is where I long to be
La isla bonita

 
New Zealand or Costa Rica. NZ is a little more developed with higher cost/standard of living than CR.  

Along with Argentinean Patagonia, those are the favorite places I've visited. I wouldn't live in Argentina as the economy is a mess.

 
Toss-up between Munich, Germany and Ecuador. My wife would lean towards Munich, but I love me some pristine Pacific beaches and tropical climates.

 
Vancouver 

Switzerland 

Melbourne 

Portugal

What do I get for winning?

People choosing third world countries are underestimating the importance of quality healthcare at that stage in your life.

 
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Vancouver 

Switzerland 

Melbourne 

Portugal

What do I get for winning?

People choosing third world countries are underestimating the importance of quality healthcare at that stage in your life.
Difference between retirement age and needing a home age

 
Vancouver 

Switzerland 

Melbourne 

Portugal

What do I get for winning?

People choosing third world countries are underestimating the importance of quality healthcare at that stage in your life.
This.  I wouldn't want to go to a hospital in Belize or Costa Rica for a stubborn cold let alone something that's serious. 

 
If you havent been taking care of yourself and are by nature not a healthy person I get it. 
Do you “get” cancer, neurological diseases and other very common conditions that have little to do with “taking care of yourself” ?

 
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Italy

But the language barrier will prevent me from doing it. I can get by on simple words but can't imagine legal and technical things, like medical forms and taxes, etc. I'd also be really nervous of something happening to me like getting seriously ill and having my wife try to deal with it all. As much as we'd love to retire to Italy, it would probably have to be an English speaking country. 

 
Vancouver 

Switzerland 

Melbourne 

Portugal

What do I get for winning?

People choosing third world countries are underestimating the importance of quality healthcare at that stage in your life.
Pretty good list there.  Portugal is probably the most underrated country in Europe IMO.  

If I could split time between two places, Stockholm or Copenhagen would definitely be on the list for May-October and likely somewhere in southern Brazil (Curitiba or Florianpolis) for the remainder.  

 
Italy

But the language barrier will prevent me from doing it. I can get by on simple words but can't imagine legal and technical things, like medical forms and taxes, etc. I'd also be really nervous of something happening to me like getting seriously ill and having my wife try to deal with it all. As much as we'd love to retire to Italy, it would probably have to be an English speaking country. 
The nice thing about Switzerland is you are a short drive away from Italy but reap the rewards of Switzerland’s superior infrastructure, including healthcare.

 
Belize.  Beautiful country,  you can live very comfortably with not a lot of cash.  For those that are 2nd language challenged English is spoken everywhere.  I would be there right now if it wasn't for the boss.
This.  Given the fact my meds make me cold at any temperature below 40 degrees, the climate will be more than acceptable.

 
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Pretty good list there.  Portugal is probably the most underrated country in Europe IMO.  

If I could split time between two places, Stockholm or Copenhagen would definitely be on the list for May-October and likely somewhere in southern Brazil (Curitiba or Florianpolis) for the remainder.  
Been to around 50 countries now...the list is pretty short on where I’d want to retire.  

Stockholm is cold as F.  

If I had to choose from Northern Europe I’d go with Norway.

 
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Chile would be my top answer for South America.

Costa Rica if you forced me to pick a Central American country.

 
Top Asian country would be Japan or the city of Hong Kong.

Africa would be South Africa and I can’t think of a close second.

 
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Friends who have lived in Switzerland have said cost of living is insane.

Jamny...fwiw, I lived briefly in Italy as a young stupid guy- let myself get really sick before friends sent me to the hospital with walking pneumonia. I spoke Italian the equivalent of a toddler, but felt very well taken care of. But yeah, I can imagine legal matters might be disconcerting.

 
Bavaria, Germany or Southern France pretty tough to beat. Montreal comes to mind as well. 

Got to be some place in the South Pacific Islands for my vacation form my vacation.

 
Belize or Costa Rica. Large expat community in both, reasonable beach real estate, plenty of English spoken, solid healthcare systems.

Nice that you are close to US if you need/want to come back for a trip/family visit.

There is a show on HGTV "Beachfront Bargain Hunt" where they often show Belize (Isla Bonita as mentioned above) and the prices for property are insanely reasonable.

 
This.  I wouldn't want to go to a hospital in Belize or Costa Rica for a stubborn cold let alone something that's serious. 
I don’t know about Belize, but Costa Rica has a fairly big medical tourism industry IIRC. So it’s probably pretty decent, and 90% of routine healthcare could be performed by a chimp anyhow.

 
Belize is nice because it is close so you could do the snowbird thing 8 months there 4 months here.  Or if you retire early move for 15 years or so come back in your 70s if health care is a concern.

 
Belize, Costa Rica, or Spain are my top options.  Would probably prefer the latter two, but doubt my wife would learn Spanish

 
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El Floppo said:
Friends who have lived in Switzerland have said cost of living is insane.
This.  

Just got back from Switzerland yesterday - my 4th time visiting in the last 7 years (can't get enough of the mountains).  I told my son it's gonna be a long time before we go back because I just can't tolerate the cost.  We had an airbnb to help save on food, but even getting takeout pizza one night for 2 was over $50, and the pizza wasn't even good.  Real restaurants are even crazier.  I ordered a Negroni at the local bar and it was $22.  Beers that were $3 in Germany were $8 in Switzerland.  For what we spent on 4 days hiking there, we could have gone to the Italian Dolomites for over a week, and probably close to a month in Slovenia.

Plus, even though their health care is excellent, it's also crazy expensive.  No nationalized medicine for the Swiss.

If I sound bitter, it's because only 24 hours ago, I paid a metered cab $29 to drive me 5 km to the airport.

 
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And to answer the question:

My wife has talked about moving to Grand Cayman.  Expensive for the caribbean, but it's still way cheaper than DC/Baltimore.  It has a really higher standard of living, making it by far the safest of anywhere I've visited among the islands or Central America.  

If it were up to me, I would say Berlin.  Just so interesting and vibrant and funky - and still cheap compared to any other major city in western Europe.  But I've only been in the spring/summer, so my mind might change if I visited in February.

 
Terminalxylem said:
I get your point, but even cancer and neuro diseases are impacted by how you take care of yourself.
Well, I’m in tip top shape and wouldn’t consider retiring in some of the countries being mentioned.

you retire in your 60s and die in your 80s (on average)

the odds are very high you will need medical attention during those last 20 years.

most people don’t die in their sleep peacefully.  

 
rustycolts said:
Belize.  Beautiful country,  you can live very comfortably with not a lot of cash.  For those that are 2nd language challenged English is spoken everywhere.  I would be there right now if it wasn't for the boss.
:goodposting:

A friend of mine is retired in Belize. He lives in a community of mostly 50-something Americans and he says it feels like living in Florida except with fewer crazy people.

 

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