Anyone retired to or considering retiring to another country?

[A_Woman_from_MI]

Curious about the experiences of anyone who has retired to one of the many apparently affordable places in the world - I'm currently looking into Costa Rica or Belize, but have seen many European countries mentioned as viable.

[Lonestarblue]

1. I thought about it a few years ago but decided it was not for me.

I went to Portugal, and it is a lovely country with lots of expats in the south and around Lisbon, so English is common. English is not common in the smaller towns, and Portuguese is not an easy language to learn. That said, we had no trouble buying groceries or getting around.

Friends visited Belize this year and said once you get outside the expensive resorts, it’s not considered very safe.

I’ve read about parts of Mexico and countries like Ecuador and Colombia being good for expats, but there’s also a lot of violence in those countries. Low cost of living isn’t everything.

[bif]

2. I'm considering moving either to Canada or Great Britain.

Especially if the criminal is elected. I'm a huge Anglophile and love everything about it. We live right across the border from Canada, so that would be far easier. Especially since we have family in the Detroit area.

[enid602]

14. Medicare

If yore a senior, you can hop across the border to take advantage of Medicare,

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. Important things to consider:

Countries that have cheaper cost of living are cheaper for a reason. Make sure to do your due diligence on health care and crime.

also, many EU countries have seen a surge in support for RW neo-fascism, so consider that too.

We moved to Canada when we were 55, and have since retired. Although Canada has its share of RWNJ's, and is likely to have a conservative government after the next election, we still love it here.

[GreenWave]

4. I suppose there are varying plus and minus factors for possible destinations.

Also by factoring in global warming, some places may suddenly be more appealing.

As far as Latin America, it depends on your skills. Once affordable Costa Rica is now pricey thanks to the influx of expats. Scientists say Chile may be the place to be if the "slippage" of the ice caps occurs. There was a drift toward Europe by the ice cap, a few years back of many a mile instead of inches as it the usual pattern. Even though no update has been given, I would still steer away, South Africa has blackouts and predators roaming. Crime rate follows the migration of expats.Bottom line, methinks Canada with its health care and reasonable rates is a safe bet.

[Bobstandard]

8. Remember Canadian healthcare is not free for expats

If you have health needs that must be taken care of in Canada you will be a ‘retail’ customer, paying for everything out-of-pocket. You may also be plagued by long wait times for access to care that is not urgent (this is a problem many Canadian’s complain about). Also, Medicare and other US based health care plans do not pay for most care provided in Canada. They may pay for initial emergency care, but not for many, many other things. You know how us health insurers hate to pay for your treatment in the US? It goes double or triple for care outside the US with many more fine print exclusions to help them.

How do I know? My wife had an emergency in semi rural northern canada that required emergency care and two nights of observation in a Canadian regional hospital. The level of care was very good. After a huge, long, paperwork, phone-tree, and phone call nightmare dealing with our insurance company, we ended up paying a couple thousand dollars for the Canadian care. I must say the Canadians were very patient when we kept putting them off with the excuse of dealing with our insurance system. I think we actually paid them off over a year after the incident.

Nevertheless, we keep our rural property there now specifically for in case Trump is elected and things go as he promises. Interestingly, quite a few of our neighbors initially came to Canada to avoid going to Vietnam. They’re well integrated in the community and, like OG Canadians, great people I’m happy to know and be around. There may be RWNJs about, but I don’t run into them.

[lark]

10. Canada is very picky about who can move there.

We applied after tcf stole the election and were turned down - too old. I was 66 at the time.

[ShazzieB]

12. Yeah, we're too old for Canada, too.

And every other place is too far away from my daughter and her partner. We don't have much other family left, and I want to stay close to them. Besides, the older I get, the less I like the idea of starting over in a new place where we don't know anyone. Have done that in the past, more than once, but I was a lot younger and more energetic then.

It's expensive to live here, but there are things that make it worthwhile, like the variety and quality of health care that's available, which is very important to us at this stage of life. I think we're here to stay.

[lark]

13. I would basically have to be chased from here too.

If tcf steals our country, I don't know if I could survive living in FL. Our house is paid for and our neighborhood is decent, it's easy to grow food and flowers here, we live across from the river, but most of all, as with you, it is our daughter that has kept us here so far. I'm just praying and working to ensure that the fascists don't win and we can stay here and maintain our SS and Medicare as well as closeness to our daughter and her live-in.

[ItsjustMe]

5. I know of two men that retired and moved to Pattaya Thailand.

Apparently it's very affordable with good weather and lots of beautiful Asian women.

[Joinfortmill]

6. I did when Trump was elected.

Had an entire spreadsheet. For me, it boiled down to 3 countries: Canada, because my mother was born there and I would have no problem obtaining citizenship; Portugal, because of affordability; and Mexico because of proximity, affordability, lots of Americans, and easy immigration regs.
My kids thought I was nuts. 9 years later one of them is considering Ireland. Need a lot of money to settle in Ireland, though.

[snowybirdie]

7. Did it for a few years

Had a beautiful beach cottage and many expat friends in our small Mexican Pueblo. Why we left? I grew tired of trying to speak a new language all the time and missed our kids terribly. They couldn't visit often. It just wasn't the USA and I missed home. We found the average expat goes home after five years or so. A wonderful experience but glad to have come home. Do lots of research if you go.

[Florida Dem]

9. Just Retired

I retired in February. I have a little over a decade in with Federal agencies (DEA, DHS, etc.) and many other jobs when younger. You may want to add Panama to your list since you're considering Costa Rica and Belize. It has excellent healthcare (U.S. affiliated hospitals) and a reasonable cost of living in many areas. As someone else stated, Costa Rica has become more expensive and has started to experience drug-related crime issues. I'm not saying don't retire there, I'm saying just be aware that they are experiencing these issues.

Latin America is a bit of a mess right now. For instance, Ecuador, which was very recently an excellent choice for retirement due to the tranquility of the country and very low cost of living, has completely imploded. I love the vibe of Colombia where I have traveled extensively over the years, but it has it's own set of issues. A DEA agent was murdered (on video) when two robbers jumped into the backseat of his taxi right after he got in. He made his way out of the taxi but ended up dying in the street from stab wounds. If it can happen to a physically fit, highly trained DEA agent, it can happen to anyone. That was years ago but is a risk that still applies today IMO. Medellin, which is a great city, has recently been experiencing a string of murders of Americans and has been plagued with an insane number of druggings/robberies. Some of those druggings have resulted in fatalities when too much of the drug was used.

I guess Belize could be considered because of English being their primary language but it is substantially less-developed than Panama or Costa Rica. And I believe you get much better healthcare in those countries than Belize. Mexico is great for proximity to the U.S., but comes with with its own set of well-known issues.

Someone mentioned Pattaya, Thailand. I have been there and Bangkok also. In my brief time in Pattaya I found it to have a bit of a rough edge. I noticed a lot of Russians and Pakistanis or Indians (not sure which). Some of the Pakistanis/Indians were extremely rude in sexually lurid ways to my female companion just walking down the street. I almost beat the crap out of one guy but she talked me down and rightfully convinced me that we didn't want to ruin the night dealing with Thai law enforcement. Still, it was disturbing that they felt free to act in such a manner. I also observed a lot of shady looking Russian guys. Some seemed like Russian mafia types. She confirmed that is an issue there. But Pattya is a decent size city with a lot to do, near the water. I wouldn't cross it off the list but be aware that of what I encountered in the bar/nightlife area of town.

I didn't see any of those issues in Bangkok. But it has its own problems because it is simply massive. Traffic is possibly the worst of any city in the world. There are many other areas of Thailand I didn't have a chance to go to that I understand can be outstanding places to retire. Chang Mai, Hua Hin, etc. it kind of depends what type of lifestyle you're looking for.

In virtually all of these countries that I and others have mentioned in this thread, usually the big cities and tourist towns tend to be more expensive and the costs of living can be substantially lower as you move out to more rural areas. So the cost of living can vary wildly within each of the countries.

I will be moving overseas to live out my retirement. I am considering Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Thailand, and Philippines. I may add Portugal and Spain to my list since I have a friend who will be retiring in Portugal. Those countries tend to have a higher standard of living and are quite a bit safer than the ones I am currently considering. I'm willing to take on a bit more risk for more disposable income since I am single.

[A_Woman_from_MI]

15. Panama

Thank you for the information. Hadn't really looked at Panama, but will add it to the list of places to look into. I'm not committed to any destination at this point, just gathering info, and planning a few exploratory visits.

[Florida Dem]

20. Panama Retirement Visa

I forgot to mention that Panama has probably the best American retirement visa in the world. But I must say that I have never been there and I also need to do an exploratory trip.

Panama's pensionado discounts are available to legal residents (55+ for women, 60+ for men). These generous discounts include 25% off airline tickets, 25% at restaurants, 50% off at hotels during the week, exemption on import tax for up to $10,000 household goods and much more.

[Florida Dem]

19. Some Troubling Info on Medellin

One tourist a week dying in Medellin. This is a recent popular hotspot for digital nomads and retirees. Be careful. *Note: This relates to my previous post.

https://www.newsweek.com/medellin-colombia-american-tourist-deaths-1917228?piano_t=1|

[SWBTATTReg]

11. I have one who would migrate to Canada, but the skills he has is speech therapy, so I don't know if they would

want him or not, plus his age is an impediment too. Not that I'm against age as a factor considering I'm up there too. Everytime there's a thing like tRUMP or other things, they go into a spasm, and yada yada yada. I personally would rather stay, fight the good fight and not go down so easily. So no matter what, I plan on staying. After all, this is my Country too (and most of us here too).

Best of Sundays to you all...

[Skittles]

16. no

and I most certainly would not abandon my country to fascism; I would stay and fight

[A_Woman_from_MI]

17. Thank you for your feedback

I know this is a political board, but I really am not considering "abandoning my country" so much as seeking a comfortable and affordable retirement. If the seniors forum requires only political content, please report my post, and I'll accept whatever penalty is meted. On the other hand, I suppose the retirement challenges so many US seniors face could be indicative of a political issue

[Skittles]

18. oh sorry that was not directed at you specifically

I've seen many I'LL LEAVE THE COUNTRY IF TRUMP WINS, that kind of thing

but then that's the way it always is - some people serve, others do not