Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
inbox788
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by inbox788 »

Ari wrote:Retirees ought to have lots of time to learn a new language, and it's very neuroprotective (reduces the risk of Alzheimers a lot!).
I've heard about the studies, but I wonder if there isn't a Darwinian explanation, that those without Alzheimers and have more mental function travel more. My personal experience is that travel is nice, but often the anticipation and memory is limited and actually living in another country isn't as romantic as it sounds. Very different experiences to stay somewhere 3 weeks vs 3 months vs 3 years.

For me, ultimately, it's going to be the personal connections that decide where to retire to. And as others have pointed out, health insurance and other considerations, financial and otherwise, will have influence.

What companies provide worldwide services for health, auto, and other insurance? What do the wealthy globetrotters use, and is it affordable for upper middle class folks? Or are the wealth self insured?

And not just for retirement, but also for travel to foreign countries, do folks carry international health insurance and such? I've traveled occasionally, and I think I just didn't worry about not being covered, but as one ages (and spends more time abroad), the chance of health problems will be more important to consider.
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HueyLD
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by HueyLD »

It takes an unique combination of characteristics for Americans to retire happily in another country. And seeking lower cost of living is not one of them.

Those people tend to have lived overseas for many years during their work lives. They tend to master at least one other language, have a good understanding of local customs and cultures and are receptive to other cultures. Many also have family connection to the chosen country either by birth or by marriage.

If a person expects the world to be just like the U.S., he will be a very unhappy ex-pat.
inbox788
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by inbox788 »

Hayden wrote:
Will do good wrote:
Hayden wrote:I did a trial run in Spain, and absolutely loved it! Next up is Mexico; I want to check out San Miguel de Allende.

At this point in my life, I favor a nomadic lifestyle, spending several months in each place. But, logistics have become a nuisance. Ive come to dread the question, Where do you live? Seems like everyone (banks, insurance companies, etc) needs to know where I live, and can't deal with a nomad answer. This is currently a problem for me.
Does it matter if you are only staying each place a few months and if you have a permeant U.S. mailing address? That what I hoping to do shortly.
My permanent US mailing address is a box at the UPS store. Banks want a physical address, not a mail box.
RV nomads deal with this all the time. You could follow their lead. There are services that forward mail (and I think the newer ones will even scan them and email them).

http://www.technomadia.com/2012/07/chap ... nd-voting/
https://www.escapees.com/support
https://www.sbimailservice.com/
TheGipper
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by TheGipper »

Ideally, somewhere on a nice beach.

Realistically, as close to as many of your kids and grandkids as you can pull off. That is what it is really all about.

Or split the difference :)
PandaBear
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by PandaBear »

US. However, a specific city in the US: Vancouver, WA. No state taxes and I can drive to Portland to buy stuff with no sales tax. Plus, Portland offers a lot of entertainment--like watching hipsters.
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HomerJ
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by HomerJ »

peterinjapan wrote:USA is good too. The idea is to reduce basic living expenses during retirement. I could rent a place for $500-700 in Spain, way cheaper than anything in California
There's a lot more to the USA than just California.


Me, I'd like to spend a month or three in Italy, New Zealand, and a couple different Caribbean islands.

But I don't see myself ever moving permanently out of the USA.
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Elsebet
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Elsebet »

I'd like to move to a rural area near a medium sized Midwest city, probably Columbus, OH.

My current location east of Seattle is pretty idyllic just outside of several smaller cities (Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Fall City) with a very new hospital only 2 exits down I-90. However I doubt it will be affordable on retirement income, even with a senior discount on property tax.
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Traveler
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Traveler »

I plan on keeping my inexpensive townhouse in Atlanta and heading off to a new destination each year for 2-3 months. So home will be in the US but I will take extended vacations/excursions to other countries. Greece, Italy, France, Portugal, maybe a few places in Asia, New Zealand, Australia, maybe Latin America. All of those sound good to me.
Non7WoodUser
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Non7WoodUser »

USA! We experienced the following in other countries:

- no public restrooms
- no or poor air conditioning
- no or limited hdtv (really bad cable - we missed a lot of our shows)
- lots of dog waste on streets and sidewalks
- unfriendly people
- overpriced and nasty food/drink
invst65
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by invst65 »

I married a woman from the Philippines and we had it in our minds that we would retire there someday but after paying a visit a few years ago and then listening to current events, I think the idea has now completely gone by the wayside. I was once an adventurous soul but at this point in my life (age 67) the idea of hopping on my bike for a nice ride through the countryside while having to worry about being kidnapped for ransom and possibly be-headed by Islamic terrorists does not appeal so much to me.
island
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by island »

quantAndHold wrote:I'll probably stay in California, but it would be hard to beat New Zealand. Beautiful country with friendly, English speaking people (all of them, not just the expats) and a developed economy with good healthcare. And they'll take an American without much hassle.
Hey are you Mr Island? You sound just like him! 8-).
We've been in CA for years, but originally one of us from East Coast, the other Midwest and most of out families are still in those areas.
No plan to leave the USA other than for long vacations, but I'm not ruling out a change of coast.
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Crimsontide
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Crimsontide »

Toons wrote:I live in it :mrgreen:
I'm with Toons, USA all the way. I think doing 3 months or so every year in a different locale (as long as you're healthy enough and can afford it) is a great idea. But completely uprooting your life away from family and lifelong friends just doesn't hold the same appeal for me.
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JamalJones
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by JamalJones »

avalpert wrote:
JamalJones wrote:I was thinking about the northern part of Norway, way up there among the fjords (Hammerfest, Storslett, Kunes). That would be great, boating in and around all those long, narrow inlets in between those majestic cliffs. Not sure about the cost though. Likely not the cheapest option, but the thread title said "favorite" not "low cost" country to retire to!

MOTBH!
Midnight sun is great, but the novelty of no sunlight in winters will probably wear off fairly quickly.

Maybe I'll just spend the the summers there! 8-) 8-)
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madbrain
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by madbrain »

AlohaJoe wrote:
madbrain wrote:Vietnam under possible consideration as my husband was born in Vietnam, but lack of same-sex marriage recognition is an issue.
I thought Vietnam passed some kind of same-sex marriage law last year? I remember something going into effect on New Year's Day last year. (Though I didn't really pay attention to the details.) The current US ambassador is gay and arrived with his husband, which was a first.
It's all pretty meaningless right now. The new law just means that people who perform a same-sex marriage in Vietnam won't be prosecuted. But there is still no legal recognition whatsoever. It wouldn't help for immigration purposes.

Anyway, my husband is a naturalized US citizen, so he lost his Vietnamese citizenship. I think they would let him live there still if he wanted to, though. But for that to extend to me, I think it would require legal recognition of our same-sex marriage by Vietnam.
I haven't had any major problems with the quality of healthcare here. Admittedly for anything super-serious I'd likely to fly to Bangkok or Singapore. But I almost consider that a positive, that I have those kinds of options.
We are both HIV+ . I personally get sick a lot, especially during trips. We have traveled to Vietnam 4 times. I have experienced first hand the ERs in Ho Chi Minh and Ha Noi. They left a lot to be desired. In those situations, flying for care is out of the question. Access to prescriptions is also an issue. Some of the prescriptions I take are not available in Vietnam. Our regular maintenance prescription cost, US retail, pre-insurance, is about $60k/year. Some of the ones that my husband takes are available as generics over there, but not mine. So you can see how health coverage would be an issue. Do you live in Vietnam ? If so, how do you get prescriptions ? Perhaps you are lucky enough not to need any expensive ones. But we are 40 & 45 and we already have 11 maintenance prescriptions between the 2 of us, and I'm not counting supplements.
Last edited by madbrain on Thu Jun 23, 2016 8:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.
madbrain
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by madbrain »

Ari wrote:
madbrain wrote:Hong Kong is more expensive than most places in the US. Not a good choice if the idea is to reduce expenses in retirement.
Well, I'm not in the US, nor considering moving there to retire. And Hong Kong is not expensive. Hong Kong ISLAND is ridiculously expensive, sure, but I wouldn't want to spend much time there with all the expats and finance people. Nice to visit for sightseeing and such, but I wouldn't want to live there. Just go to Kowloon and the prices drop pretty fast, and once you're out in the New Territories, like Sha Tin or Tuen Mun, it's at least a lot cheaper than Sweden, though I don't know about the US.
Yes, I meant Hong Kong island. We visited last xmas for a week. It's nice to visit, but horribly expensive, and accomodations are very small. We were staying in Wan Chai. I did visit Kowloon, but wasn't staying there. But I met one person there and his apartment was still tiny in Kowloon. At least 5x the price per sq ft as my mansion in the hills of San Jose. Other parts of HK island are more like 10x. And I don't think any comparable properties even exist in HK, it's all built-up. Guess I'm not as much of the big city type, so I just couldn't see myself living there at all, not just for cost reasons.
countofmc
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by countofmc »

Maybe I'm romanticizing this, but I'd love to stay in the USA but move to a small town. One of those towns with a main street full of small businesses and charming store fronts. Small enough that people say hi and are willing to lend a helping hand, but large enough that they know to mind their own business. I don't know, maybe this only exists in movies.
madbrain
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by madbrain »

BTW, this timely article just came out about the cost of living in Hong Kong island.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/22/asia/ ... d=25792966

This was very much my experience as a tourist. If I ever visit HK island again, it will be for less than the 6 days I was last xmas - it's that expensive. Expatriating there is out of the question.
AlohaJoe
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by AlohaJoe »

madbrain wrote:It's all pretty meaningless right now. The new law just means that people who perform a same-sex marriage in Vietnam won't be prosecuted. But there is still no legal recognition whatsoever. It wouldn't help for immigration purposes.
That's disappointing :( I guess it is progress of a sort...but from a pretty low bar and not much.
So you can see how health coverage would be an issue. Do you live in Vietnam ? If so, how do you get prescriptions ? Perhaps you are lucky enough not to need any expensive ones. But we are 40 & 45 and we already have 11 maintenance prescriptions between the 2 of us, and I'm not counting supplements.
Yes, I live in Vietnam. You are right that I am lucky (in many ways). If I needed prescriptions and couldn't find them in Vietnam for some reason, I would order them from India/Thailand/Singapore/any of the other mail order places with cheap prices and worldwide delivery.

Actually, I don't actively recommend living in Vietnam to anyone. If someone is looking for recommendations on where to live then they almost certainly won't enjoy life in Vietnam; there are plenty of downsides.
madbrain
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by madbrain »

AlohaJoe wrote:
madbrain wrote:It's all pretty meaningless right now. The new law just means that people who perform a same-sex marriage in Vietnam won't be prosecuted. But there is still no legal recognition whatsoever. It wouldn't help for immigration purposes.
That's disappointing :( I guess it is progress of a sort...but from a pretty low bar and not much.
Right :(
Yes, I live in Vietnam. You are right that I am lucky (in many ways). If I needed prescriptions and couldn't find them in Vietnam for some reason, I would order them from India/Thailand/Singapore/any of the other mail order places with cheap prices and worldwide delivery.
Yes, that can be an option as long as it's legal to ship those meds, and you are certain that the meds are legit and not fake. We can't stop taking our meds for even one day, or it can cause drug resistance which would be devastating. Taking a fake drug would be a nightmare. These countries have declared health emergencies and don't honor the US patent system on many drugs. Still, not all patented HIV drugs have been cloned by generic makers in India or other countries - one of those that I am on has not been yet.
Actually, I don't actively recommend living in Vietnam to anyone. If someone is looking for recommendations on where to live then they almost certainly won't enjoy life in Vietnam; there are plenty of downsides.
I think I would be fairly happy living in Ho Chi Minh City if it wasn't for the healthcare / political issues. Maybe in 10-15 years things will have changed, I don't know.
jlawrence01
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by jlawrence01 »

invst65 wrote:I married a woman from the Philippines and we had it in our minds that we would retire there someday but after paying a visit a few years ago and then listening to current events, I think the idea has now completely gone by the wayside. I was once an adventurous soul but at this point in my life (age 67) the idea of hopping on my bike for a nice ride through the countryside while having to worry about being kidnapped for ransom and possibly be-headed by Islamic terrorists does not appeal so much to me.

I do not think your post reflects the situation in the Philippines. The few kidnappings that have occurred were located in Mindonao, one of the southernmost islands in the nation. There are 600 other islands that Americans and other ex-pats live without any fear of being kidnapped.
heyyou
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by heyyou »

stay in the USA but move to a small town. One of those towns with a main street full of small businesses and charming store fronts. Small enough that people say hi and are willing to lend a helping hand, but large enough that they know to mind their own business.
We live in one of those that does not meet the last condition, and I was going to post the state as being like a foreign country. It is by urban coastal standards. The running joke is about time zones--turn your watch back about twenty years when you enter this state, or fifty years if you are an elected official, but the cost of living is low.

Consider looking for where altitude and latitude combine to have weather that suits you. Some very warm regions have mountains with cooler climates, the Big Island of Hawaii, Flagstaff Arizona, San Miguel de Allende Mexico, Boquete Panama.
invst65
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by invst65 »

jlawrence01 wrote:
invst65 wrote:I married a woman from the Philippines and we had it in our minds that we would retire there someday but after paying a visit a few years ago and then listening to current events, I think the idea has now completely gone by the wayside. I was once an adventurous soul but at this point in my life (age 67) the idea of hopping on my bike for a nice ride through the countryside while having to worry about being kidnapped for ransom and possibly be-headed by Islamic terrorists does not appeal so much to me.

I do not think your post reflects the situation in the Philippines. The few kidnappings that have occurred were located in Mindonao, one of the southernmost islands in the nation. There are 600 other islands that Americans and other ex-pats live without any fear of being kidnapped.
My wife is from Mindanao - Ozamiz to be specific. We own a rice farm in Lanao Del Norte which is being worked by my wife's sister and brother-in-law. Our intention was not to retire there however, but in Cebu which struck me at one time as being the most American like city in the Philippines, but still I did not feel comfortable there on my last visit for reasons I won't go into now. I have visited the Philippines since the late 1960's when I was in the Navy.

I agree that it is true that many Americans live there without fear of being kidnapped. My wife's cousin is married to an American who speaks fluent Visayan and they are raising three kids there and are very happy. I don't mean to reflect negatively on your country, if it truly is your country, but I just don't feel like the situation will be the same for me and my wife currently agrees.
takingcharge
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by takingcharge »

hirlaw wrote:
Herekittykitty wrote:Texas.
+1
+1
texasdiver
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by texasdiver »

Chile: Most modern and the efficient country in Latin America. Also the least corrupt by far. Take the west cost of the US from SE Alaska to Baja California, flip it upside down, and you basically have Chile. Except with taller mountains. The bulk of the population lives in the Central Valley which is similar in climate to Napa CA or perhaps Sacramento. So Mediterranean and full of wineries and artesenal cheese factories.

Also not many Americans there compared to places like Costa Rica. But then we have inside connections. My wife is Chilean and her whole extended family is there and our kids are dual citizens. So we have the connections and resources that most others would lack. Don't go to Chile to save money though. Cost of living is perhaps equivalent to the non-coastal parts of the US.
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parsi1
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by parsi1 »

as of today, England
ctwhyexit
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by ctwhyexit »

India.
We own some agricultural land. Do farming the traditional way and try and make income of it. Plus there is no tax on any agricultural income in India. If you make a million of it you don't need to pay a paisa (cent) on income tax!
Oliver
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Oliver »

Hayden wrote:
Will do good wrote:
Hayden wrote:I did a trial run in Spain, and absolutely loved it! Next up is Mexico; I want to check out San Miguel de Allende.

At this point in my life, I favor a nomadic lifestyle, spending several months in each place. But, logistics have become a nuisance. Ive come to dread the question, Where do you live? Seems like everyone (banks, insurance companies, etc) needs to know where I live, and can't deal with a nomad answer. This is currently a problem for me.
Does it matter if you are only staying each place a few months and if you have a permeant U.S. mailing address? That what I hoping to do shortly.
My permanent US mailing address is a box at the UPS store. Banks want a physical address, not a mail box.
This might work for you. I have heard about the service but have not used them.

https://www.sbimailservice.com/business-travelers.htm
LarryAllen
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by LarryAllen »

I have some interest in checking out New Zealand and Australia. Good weather and they speak the language. I have never been to either though.
madbrain
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by madbrain »

takingcharge wrote:
hirlaw wrote:
Herekittykitty wrote:Texas.
+1
+1
Did I miss the part where Texas became its own country ? We just had Brexit, do we really need Texit too ?
14thMed
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by 14thMed »

Sopron,Hungary. About halfway between Budapest and Vienna.What could be better! 14
hmw
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by hmw »

1. USA
2. Canada
3. The Philippines. A distant third choice.
sk.dolcevita
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by sk.dolcevita »

Healthcare insurance (Medicare) will likely keep me anchored to the USA. However, if my health and finances permits, I would like to take winters out of my life. Summers in USA and winters somewhere in southern hemisphere or tropics. If not, I will just buy lots of sweaters.
jlawrence01
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by jlawrence01 »

invst65 wrote:I do not think your post reflects the situation in the Philippines. The few kidnappings that have occurred were located in Mindonao, one of the southernmost islands in the nation. There are 600 other islands that Americans and other ex-pats live without any fear of being kidnapped.
My wife is from Mindanao - Ozamiz to be specific. We own a rice farm in Lanao Del Norte which is being worked by my wife's sister and brother-in-law. Our intention was not to retire there however, but in Cebu which struck me at one time as being the most American like city in the Philippines, but still I did not feel comfortable there on my last visit for reasons I won't go into now. I have visited the Philippines since the late 1960's when I was in the Navy.

I agree that it is true that many Americans live there without fear of being kidnapped. My wife's cousin is married to an American who speaks fluent Visayan and they are raising three kids there and are very happy. I don't mean to reflect negatively on your country, if it truly is your country, but I just don't feel like the situation will be the same for me and my wife currently agrees.[/quote]


I do not live in the Philippines although I have a lot of Filipino friends. It would NOT be my choice of a place to retire to as 1) it is very hot and humid, 2) the healthcare system would not meet my needs, and 3) I like where I am at. When I asked my employees in Manila what they thought about retiring in the Philippines, I got two responses - Are you loco? or How about a home swap??

Not going to the Philippines due to the kidnappings would be like avoiding the US because there has been 500 murders in Chicago this year.
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Crimsontide
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Crimsontide »

madbrain wrote:
takingcharge wrote:
hirlaw wrote:
Herekittykitty wrote:Texas.
+1
+1
Did I miss the part where Texas became its own country ? We just had Brexit, do we really need Texit too ?
Our old tourism campaign used the tag line "Texas, it's like a whole other country". Texit, I love it :happy
marcos123
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by marcos123 »

Brazil. For the people, the climate, the culture, the beaches (outside of urban centers), the mountains. Don't move however for a COL reduction. Learn the language for a meaningful experience. Be sure to have budgeted for a private health plan (may be local with rider for international travel), as Medicare won't cover you in country and you don't really want to solely rely on the local public health care system. Retired here over a decade ago. It's definitely not for everyone but was definitely for me.
LuigiLikesPizza
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by LuigiLikesPizza »

I find that many Americans have a less informed view about other countries. Mark Manson's essay on the topic seems on point, to me.:

http://markmanson.net/america
rockonhumblepie
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by rockonhumblepie »

Herekittykitty wrote:Texas.

:D
I've ruled out third world countries... :wink:
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VictoriaF
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by VictoriaF »

cinghiale wrote:I hope it's not too gauche to quote one's own past posting, but I wrote this on a similar thread a short while ago:

"We are now where a few decades of travel and careful retirement planning led to: Mediterranean Europe. Low cost of living, with abundant seafood, fruit, produce, wine, and olive oil. Lots of free or low-cost live music. Exquisite climate. Friendly people (well, at least toward us...). A good-sized, though walkable city with bike paths, green spaces, and excellent public transportation. Reasonable rental rates, though prices for buying a place still seem high to us. And, the rest of Europe is a train ride or EasyJet flight away."

We are near Spain's Costa deal Sol, but far, far away from the British expat communities. Consider Spain if you are willing to learn the language and live among Spaniards.
Hi cinghiale,

I wholeheartedly agree about the benefits of living in Spain. In the past, I was considering retiring abroad and possibly becoming a nomad. But then I've discovered an optimal (for me) solution that I can pursue while maintaining permanent residence in the U.S. My solution is walking el Camino de Santiago: it's abroad, it's "nomadic," and it's affordable. In each of 2015 and 2016, I've spent about two months walking in Northern Spain and then exploring Galicia and Madrid. Now, I am considering coming to the Camino annually.

On the Camino, I've met several expatriates from other countries owning and running albergues, including Britain, South Africa, and Italy. I've also met volunteers from the UK, US, Canada, and other countries, managing albergues for two-week stretches. They all live inexpensively and happily, with extensive social interactions with pilgrims from around the world.

My second best potential destination is the Czech Republic. Most people are familiar with Prague, but the rest of the country is also beautiful, diverse, and affordable. I traveled around the Czech Republic for a week in 2010, and will do so again in August this year. At that time, I will also visit Poland, which is another contender as an optimal European destination.

Victoria
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BW1985
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by BW1985 »

marcos123 wrote:Brazil. For the people, the climate, the culture, the beaches (outside of urban centers), the mountains. Don't move however for a COL reduction. Learn the language for a meaningful experience. Be sure to have budgeted for a private health plan (may be local with rider for international travel), as Medicare won't cover you in country and you don't really want to solely rely on the local public health care system. Retired here over a decade ago. It's definitely not for everyone but was definitely for me.
What state? My wife is from Brazil, she only wants go back to visit. She prefers to live in the US.
Chase the good life my whole life long, look back on my life and my life gone...where did I go wrong?
sabhen
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by sabhen »

Interesting thread. Any update from people who made the leap to retire overseas?

I like the idea of spending some time in a college town overseas. Cambridge or Oxford are nice towns and close to London.
Northern Flicker
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Northern Flicker »

PandaBear wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2016 1:04 pm US. However, a specific city in the US: Vancouver, WA. No state taxes...
Huh? Washington has taxes.
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by uaeebs86 »

Northern Flicker wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 5:47 pm
PandaBear wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2016 1:04 pm US. However, a specific city in the US: Vancouver, WA. No state taxes...
Huh? Washington has taxes.
No state income tax in WA. No sales tax across the river in Oregon.
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celia
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by celia »

California (already retired and living there)

Some day we may become the 5th largest economy if we become our own country.

Need to keep this post financially-focused:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_California
Northern Flicker
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Northern Flicker »

uaeebs86 wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:16 pm
Northern Flicker wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 5:47 pm
PandaBear wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2016 1:04 pm US. However, a specific city in the US: Vancouver, WA. No state taxes...
Huh? Washington has taxes.
No state income tax in WA. No sales tax across the river in Oregon.
You will pay in gasoline, automotive wear and tear, and time if you want to live in Vancouver and do all of your shopping in OR. And sales tax is not the only tax in WA. Moreover, Oregon does not tax social security benefits.
srt7
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by srt7 »

The United States of America.

Easier for me as I immigrated here 3 decades ago and built my life from scratch. Not gonna just throw that away now :D
Taking care of tomorrow while enjoying today.
jebmke
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by jebmke »

Northern Flicker wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 7:37 pm
uaeebs86 wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:16 pm
Northern Flicker wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 5:47 pm
PandaBear wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2016 1:04 pm US. However, a specific city in the US: Vancouver, WA. No state taxes...
Huh? Washington has taxes.
No state income tax in WA. No sales tax across the river in Oregon.
You will pay in gasoline, automotive wear and tear, and time if you want to live in Vancouver and do all of your shopping in OR. And sales tax is not the only tax in WA. Moreover, Oregon does not tax social security benefits.
may be use tax as well. Just because it doesn't get paid doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
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Random Musings
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Random Musings »

With family here - the U.S.A. But we will move to a similar (or slightly lower) COLA area, having seasons but light on the winter one.

RM
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Firemenot
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Firemenot »

Colombia is quite nice. Political risk though so I’d rent. There’s always the possibility it could go the way of Venezuela, which would be very sad. It’s a beautiful country and they are nice to Americans.
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Bogle7
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by Bogle7 »

Portugal, but the language barrier is difficult.
España, where the prices are higher, but the language is easier.
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truenorth418
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Re: Your favorite country to possibly retire to?

Post by truenorth418 »

Non7WoodUser wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2016 6:58 pm USA! We experienced the following in other countries:

- no public restrooms
- no or poor air conditioning
- no or limited hdtv (really bad cable - we missed a lot of our shows)
- lots of dog waste on streets and sidewalks
- unfriendly people
- overpriced and nasty food/drink
Nothing wrong with retiring in the USA but I can’t help but disagree with your reasons. It all depends on the specific country or city but most of these reasons don’t make sense to me. And I’ve travelled to over 100 countries.

- no public restrooms - in my experience major US cities have a major lack of public restrooms. Thank God there are so many Starbucks and McDonalds but even they are beginning to lock their restrooms now. Many foreign cities have easily accessible public restrooms in the major centers, albeit usually for a small fee, which goes for keeping them clean which they invariably are.

- no or poor air conditioning - agree this is an issue in Europe and the UK. I have suffered through many summers in those places. But many other places don’t need air conditioning - ever. The well known retirement communities of Cuenca, Ecuador and Antigua, Guatemala have pleasant spring like weather all year round. Tropical cities in South America and SE Asia have plenty of AC.

- no or limited hdtv (really bad cable - we missed a lot of our shows)- this has not been my experience. Although I pretty much stopped watching TV years ago, and am much better off for it.

- lots of dog waste on streets and sidewalks - there is no worse place in the world for dog waste in public spaces than the USA, where I have even seen dogs defecate and urinate in supermarkets, restaurants, hotel rooms. But don’t call this out to the dog owners in the USA because they’ll just scream at you. The dog worship in the USA and other western countries has gotten completely out of hand.

- unfriendly people- Americans were once known the world over as super friendly- sometimes overly and superficially so. Now all it seems they want to do is rant about politics. It’s so refreshing to spend time in other countries and not have to deal with that. The nicest / happiest people I have ever encountered in my life have been in Colombia, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, Ireland, Malaysia.

- overpriced and nasty food/drink - what countries are you referring to? Food and drink as well as lodging/ housing are far less expensive outside of the US in places like Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe etc. which is what attracts so many Americans to retire to those places in the first place. They’re generally far more affordable on every measure.

Not saying the USA doesn’t have its good points too because it sure does, and it all comes down to what you want out of life and as always YMMV.
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