Best Places to retire

[Pilotman]

Compare Costa Rica with LOS.  It's depressing!   Well it is if you have retired to LOS. 

 

 https://internationalliving.com/the-best-places-to-retire

 

 

[tonray]

You had better also compare the violent crime rates against foreigners and hope you don't catch the attention of the drug dealers looking for an easy mark for kidnap bait. Not even close...Latin America is a cesspool of violence unless you want to live in a gated and secured community with escorted supervised shopping days and lots of backgammon with fellow oldsters inside your walled compound.

 

 

[jerry921]

That web site is run by someone who makes their living giving seminars and leading exploratory trips. I think most of the focus is on Latin American countries and Spanish speaking countries, and I suspect that's because that's where the person's expertise is centered. Consume their information with an understanding of their perspective.

 

I'm currently retired in Mexico, looking at a move to Thailand - because of the deteriorating security situation where I live.

 

How many murders per capita in Pattaya last year? Has the number been doubling year over year for the past two years like it has in my city?

[JAFO]

Really??? Mexico first world living?  Thats really funny. Nicaragua?  Colombia? I will pass. Those places are noted for expat violence. 

 

So we are clear, I am not defending Thailand just commenting on the top 10 mentioned in that article.

 

 

[Neeranam]

Another bitter retiree, been taken to the cleaners by a Thai woman half his age?

 

[norrska]

Lots of home invasions and ATM express kidnappings over in CR. Not quite as bad as mexico though

[Justfine]

These lists change every month. Shonks selling free stuff to get mugs hooked before paying.

 

Costa Rica is full of yanks. Why bother?

 

 

[norrska]

4 hours ago, Justfine said:

These lists change every month. Shonks selling free stuff to get mugs hooked before paying.

 

Costa Rica is full of yanks. Why bother?

 

 

Why all the whingeing about Yanks then? sounds like you wish you were one but didn't qualify!

[Jingthing]

These lists change every month. Shonks selling free stuff to get mugs hooked before paying.   Costa Rica is full of yanks. Why bother?

 

 

 

 

They don't change all that much actually. Destinations do come in and out of fashion though. Colombia is definitely on an up trend.

Nicaragua too.

Colombia more for first world amenities in Medellin and Nicaragua more for colonial charms with poor infrastructure in Grenada.

Of course Latin America tends to attract lots of. ... Americans.

Who knew?

Colombia crime situation has improved greatly but security is still an issue.

You can qualify for retirement status there with a pension under 800 dollars a month.

That is close to the lowest requirement in the world but it's not as cheap as that to live there.

Look for it to become more popular as Mexico's retirement visa is now out of reach to most Americans on only social security.

Colombia's currency is weak now so real estate is tempting.

 

 

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Justfine]

1 hour ago, norrska said:

Why all the whingeing about Yanks then? sounds like you wish you were one but didn't qualify!

Yes my IQ is too high.

[Justfine]

 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/media/10-best-places-to-retire-overseas/

[Justfine]

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/pensions/9677415/The-10-best-places-to-retire-abroad.html?image=7

[jerry921]

Well for sure Puerto Rico has moved a few notches down in the rankings in the last year.

 

Mexico doesn't have a "retirement" visa per se, you can get temporary residency (without the right to work) at any age with either a certain level of monthly income or a certain amount of savings in the bank. The actual amounts for 2018 are (copied from another forum):

 

Assets of 20,000 days minimum salary in MXCD, or
Income of 400 days minimum salary in MXCD

Current minimum daily salary in MXCD is $88.36 mxn
Using $1 usd = $18.5 mxn

Assets: $95,500 usd
Income: $1910 usd/month

 

Those amounts will indeed be out of range for someone who never owned a house or saved anything and who retires with no assets. A third site listed the average 2018 US social security benefit as $1404.

 

But you don't even need temporary residency to retire in Mexico, you can simply come on a tourist visa and do a border run every 180 days to renew it, and they don't give anyone a hard time for years of border runs (like they do in Thailand).

 

Overall Mexico makes it pretty easy for retirees, as long as you have some assets. Navigating the bureaucracy to get the visas takes more time than in Thailand, but it's a little cheaper and it's not something you have to keep doing forever. You go through a process to get the initial temporary resident visa, after the first year you renew it for 3 years, and then at the end of 4 years you go through the process a final time to get permanent residency. Then you're done forever, and there's never any 90-day reporting nonsense.