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If you were moving OUTSIDE the USA for retirement, where would you go? (4 Viewers)

Portugal for me

I have family there, speak the language and its basically a 7 hour flight available daily to the NYC area should i need to return. 

Cost of living is very cheap if you avoid the major tourist spots. Majority of people would speak English.

My wife would never do it so that may be all the motivation i need to go...I'll send her some postcards. 

 
TripItUp said:
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.
That and it’s one of the more expensive places in the world to live, which is awesome when you’re on a fixed income :)  

 
That and it’s one of the more expensive places in the world to live, which is awesome when you’re on a fixed income :)  
The original post implied you could live in Switzerland however, your money obviously goes less further there.   

 
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.
Yeah, the Cayman Islands have no tax as well.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
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.  
I understand. But much like the US, people with money are able to get good medical care, especially in countries with medical tourism. And unless you abruptly developed an imminently life threatening illness, routine care is algorhythmic - hence the shift to non physician providers doing a lot of it in this country. You could return to the developed world if you had something more rare requiring special expertise or technology.

Then again, dying quickly at a beautiful destination doesn’t sound too bad either.

 
I understand. But much like the US, people with money are able to get good medical care, especially in countries with medical tourism. And unless you abruptly developed an imminently life threatening illness, routine care is algorhythmic - hence the shift to non physician providers doing a lot of it in this country. You could return to the developed world if you had something more rare requiring special expertise or technology.

Then again, dying quickly at a beautiful destination doesn’t sound too bad either.
If you have the option of going back to the US for medical care, that would Definitely create more options. 

 
Lots of countries in Europe I would consider, as well as Grand Cayman.  I would also consider Panama, Belize and Costa Rica.  They aren't really 3rd world countries anymore and have a large and growing expat population.  I used to think Dominican Republic could be a good option, but not anymore.

 
Canada. Probably Montreal for the international flair. Gotta get ahead of the climate change stuff, and they have a great jazz festival there every year. 

 
ok ...outside of being so rich you don't care, why are we looking at places that are way more expensive than the States?  

Also, clearly, costs vary greatly across the country.  (speaking from a very reasonably priced part of the country).  

 
TripItUp said:
When it comes to healthcare I’m not rolling the dice on ####### Ecuador/Vietnam  etc.  But maybe that’s just me.
Definitely something to consider.   I don't care how well you take care of yourself, eventually you're going to have problems and being misdiagnosed and/or mistreated could be a disaster.

 
My number 1 out of the US choice is Belize for cost of living, climate and and language.

If I felt comfortable with Spanish. I'd probably go for Medellín Columbia. Awesome climate and world class city with low cost of living.

 
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.
Which listed do you classify as third world?

 
Several Montreal votes surprise me. What’s the appeal?
It's an amazing city.  One of my favorites in North America.  Feels like a mix of Europe and America.  Not sure I can live there full time due to the winters but the Spring and Summer are ideal.  

 
It's an amazing city.  One of my favorites in North America.  Feels like a mix of Europe and America.  Not sure I can live there full time due to the winters but the Spring and Summer are ideal.  
Yeah, I was thinking the weather sucks and I’m more interested in the outdoors than culture, with the possible exception of cuisine. I assume they have a lot of French places, oui?

 
Lots of countries in Europe I would consider, as well as Grand Cayman.  I would also consider Panama, Belize and Costa Rica.  They aren't really 3rd world countries anymore and have a large and growing expat population.  I used to think Dominican Republic could be a good option, but not anymore.


Panama is good because its infrastructure was helped along by a big American presence. So the water is fine. And its my understanding that they've good health care.

 
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.
I've actually looked into moving to NZ NOW, screw waiting for retirement.  There's a fairly robust slice of my industry there (relatively speaking, of course.  NZ isn't very big) and not a ton of population to pull from to fill all necessary positions.  

Logistically, I just don't think it'll ever work out (and I'd probably have to leave my 'fraidy cat wife here if I really intended to take that kind of a leap), but I could probably talk myself into doing it pretty easily.  The landscape there is beautiful, the Kiwis I have got to meet through work/etc. have all been genuinely positive and/or empathetic individuals, and it's far, far away from most of the frothing yahoos I've been forced to deal with in these parts the past couple of decades. 

 
Austria is very tempting. My wife and I loved the small towns on the Danube.
Just got back from a trip through Austria and I have to agree. From Salzburg to Vienna, there are countless great small towns in the Austrian wine region: Melk, Spitz, Krems, Aggsbach, etc....  

But my pick would have to be Prague. So much to do there, reasonable cost of living, great food scene, amazing people, and a beautiful city in so many ways.

 
I've actually looked into moving to NZ NOW, screw waiting for retirement.  There's a fairly robust slice of my industry there (relatively speaking, of course.  NZ isn't very big) and not a ton of population to pull from to fill all necessary positions.  

Logistically, I just don't think it'll ever work out (and I'd probably have to leave my 'fraidy cat wife here if I really intended to take that kind of a leap), but I could probably talk myself into doing it pretty easily.  The landscape there is beautiful, the Kiwis I have got to meet through work/etc. have all been genuinely positive and/or empathetic individuals, and it's far, far away from most of the frothing yahoos I've been forced to deal with in these parts the past couple of decades. 
I know a guy that’s semi-retired in NZ, and I’ve also considered moving there before retirement.

The two barriers are: my wife’s elderly parents (she doesn’t want to abandon them) and the unpaid speeding ticket I got on our honeymoon while on the South Island 7 years ago.

 
I would probably choose Portugal for the costs and location.  I don't speak the language, but I speak Spanish and would probably pick it up quickly.  When I visited there years ago, the coastline there reminded me of the California coast quite a bit.  

 
It's an amazing city.  One of my favorites in North America.  Feels like a mix of Europe and America.  Not sure I can live there full time due to the winters but the Spring and Summer are ideal.  
I see that Vermont and Maine are listed as 4th and 5th most popular retirement states (same climate as Montreal), would most people who retire there go to Florida for the winters like so many Canadian retirees do?

 
I'm in PA and have done pretty well. We'll probably keep a place here and get a place in Panama or Costa Rica. Never see freezing temps again. Panama just because you can live close to the beach with solid hospitals and 85° pretty much guaranteed 350 days. 

 
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.
The visual of Berlin in February might be the definition of cold.

 
Bali. Lots of ex-pats. Could pretty much live like a king with the cash I already have put back. Looking at it already TBH.

 
Just got back from a trip through Austria and I have to agree. From Salzburg to Vienna, there are countless great small towns in the Austrian wine region: Melk, Spitz, Krems, Aggsbach, etc....  

But my pick would have to be Prague. So much to do there, reasonable cost of living, great food scene, amazing people, and a beautiful city in so many ways.
Yeah Prague is wonderful 

 
I’ve never been to New Zealand but I believe it’s a good choice from what I’ve heard. Too far away for me, though. The appeal of Montreal includes the proximity (you can drive there easily), the temperate summers, the European feel, the fantastic cuisine and night life, and the Canadian health care. I could see Florida in the winters and Montreal in summer. Sounds very good. 

 
If you have the option of going back to the US for medical care, that would Definitely create more options. 
That's my working assumption, that we're still capable of traveling back to the States once in a while, maybe annually. 

I'd probably be good with 6 months in New Zealand, 6 months back in the States. 

 
I’ve never been to New Zealand but I believe it’s a good choice from what I’ve heard. Too far away for me, though. The appeal of Montreal includes the proximity (you can drive there easily), the temperate summers, the European feel, the fantastic cuisine and night life, and the Canadian health care. I could see Florida in the winters and Montreal in summer. Sounds very good. 
I could get on board with that.  

Decent beach house in Florida, gulf shores or the Carolinas plus Montreal or NZ... could work well if you have a decent support network in both places.

 
I know a guy that’s semi-retired in NZ, and I’ve also considered moving there before retirement.
If you don't mind sharing, what part is he living in?  By "semi-retired" I'm guessing you're talking part-time there/part-time states?  Or are you meaning he's there all the time, but still does some work?

I did a lot of reading on both the ex-pat/full citizen angles for relocating to Wellington about 7-8 months ago when my job here went sideways (for what feels like the umpteenth time in the last 5 years); comparisons on cost of living, "quality of life" type stuff, etc, etc.  I honestly think the biggest reason I stopped pursuing it in earnest was that I wouldn't know what to do with my dog if I decided I wanted to live abroad (maybe permanently) even if I could convince the wife to do it. 

 
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) 
I just got back from a party, where one of the guests was an Ecuadorean physician. She said the healthcare sucks FWIW.

 
If you don't mind sharing, what part is he living in?  By "semi-retired" I'm guessing you're talking part-time there/part-time states?  Or are you meaning he's there all the time, but still does some work?

I did a lot of reading on both the ex-pat/full citizen angles for relocating to Wellington about 7-8 months ago when my job here went sideways (for what feels like the umpteenth time in the last 5 years); comparisons on cost of living, "quality of life" type stuff, etc, etc.  I honestly think the biggest reason I stopped pursuing it in earnest was that I wouldn't know what to do with my dog if I decided I wanted to live abroad (maybe permanently) even if I could convince the wife to do it. 
Somewhere on the N Island. He’s a cardiologist who works in Hawaii part of the year, lives in NZ the rest. I can’t recall if he has a NZ license for medicine.

 
Watch the prices and cost of living in Belize skyrocket over the next 20 years as it becomes the de facto retirement destination for rich North Americans, starting with present Boomers to future retiring Gen-Xers. Like how home prices and cost of living spiked in Portland and Seattle as people from California started to look for cheaper COL climes.

Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver has always been a potential for me as I'm still a citizen (my kids are dual) and my retirement dollars could stretch 30% further (depending on exchange rates). But COL is super high in all three places -- moving outside of the GMAs of these towns is the likely move.

What about Panama? I think they use the US dollar as their currency, which may or may not be advantageous. Close to the US in case you need to come back for health care, they have a pensioner discount that applies to a bunch of things regardless if you are a citizen or not, and some pretty amazing coastal areas for those that like the beach. I don't know too much about it.

 

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