Best Places In The World To Retire

Dental care in Mexico is good. In fact, I can say it’s like what we have in the United States. From the perspective of a Mexican, dental care is expensive, but from the perspective of an American, it’s not. For example, a treatment my brother had would cost him 25,000 – 30,000 pesos ($1,470) in the United States, but it only cost him 5,000 pesos ($245) here in Mexico, and that’s a big difference. He had several teeth that were falling that needed to be fixed. 
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Dental care in Mexico is good. In fact, I can say it’s like what we have in the United States. From the perspective of a Mexican, dental care is expensive, but from the perspective of an American, it’s not. For example, a treatment my brother had would cost him 25,000 – 30,000 pesos ($1,470) in the United States, but it only cost him 5,000 pesos ($245) here in Mexico, and that’s a big difference. He had several teeth that were falling that needed to be fixed. 
 
For paying 1/5th the amount that it would have cost in the United States, my brother got the same quality of service in Mexico that he would have gotten in the United States. If you go even cheaper than that, you take a risk. As an example, if we went to as low as 1,000 pesos ($50), we might not have gotten the best results. Sometimes paying for the cheapest alternative can cost you a lot of other expenses. 
 
Dental cleaning here in Mexico costs about 500 - 800 pesos ($25 - $40). In the old towns in Mexico, the dental clinics don’t have modern facilities, but in Guadalajara, they have much better facilities.

 

 

The Mexican government is working on improving the dental insurance we have in Mexico. It’s not the best coverage yet, but it does cover you for the basic things. They need to do a lot of paperwork so that they can reimburse you with dental insurance, and that’s one of the reasons it’s not a good coverage yet, but they are looking into making it better. Generally speaking, dental services are not that expensive, so it’s not worth the trouble to insure.  

 

(Dentist and assistant at Dr. Hector Haro's dental office, Riberas del Pilar, near Ajijic, Mexico, pictured.)

If you receive Social Security or other pension income, it does not qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exemption (FEIE).  They are considered passive income. 

If you have ACTIVE income from a job or business, then you can take advantage of the FEIE.  There are rules of course.  It is best to consult with an international tax attorney or CAP who specializes in international taxes for more details. 

 

Even if you can't reduce your...

If you receive Social Security or other pension income, it does not qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Exemption (FEIE).  They are considered passive income. 

If you have ACTIVE income from a job or business, then you can take advantage of the FEIE.  There are rules of course.  It is best to consult with an international tax attorney or CAP who specializes in international taxes for more details. 

 

Even if you can't reduce your income taxes, you will be probably be able to reduce your cost of living my moving offshore. 

You can drive in Portugal with your home country driver’s license.  However, if you move your residency to Portugal, it is advisable to either obtain an international driver’s license or register your driver’s license at the Portuguese authorities in order to convert it into a Portuguese driver’s license.  

 

(Old Town Madeira, Portugal, pictured.)

You can drive in Portugal with your home country driver’s license.  However, if you move your residency to Portugal, it is advisable to either obtain an international driver’s license or register your driver’s license at the Portuguese authorities in order to convert it into a Portuguese driver’s license.  

 

(Old Town Madeira, Portugal, pictured.)

It is not necessary to own a car in Placencia but the beauty of Belize is having the power to do what one wants.
 
The country of Belize is so beautiful that you would want a car whether just to go into town or to go on trips. There are lots of trips that you could take from Placencia. You could go into the mountains, you can go to the Mayan ruins, or visit several towns within a couple hundred miles radius. You can even go further and cross the border into Mexico. Having a car...

It is not necessary to own a car in Placencia but the beauty of Belize is having the power to do what one wants.
 
The country of Belize is so beautiful that you would want a car whether just to go into town or to go on trips. There are lots of trips that you could take from Placencia. You could go into the mountains, you can go to the Mayan ruins, or visit several towns within a couple hundred miles radius. You can even go further and cross the border into Mexico. Having a car will go you the convenience.
 
You don’t have to have a really nice car. It could be a small or medium-sized car because as long as it has wheels and it gets you around, it can be used for your independence. Being in a country like Belize, which is very beautiful from top to bottom, you would want to explore it whether on a long weekend from Thursday to Sunday or just a one day short excursion.
 
If you are from Mexico, you would appreciate it because Belize is close to the Mexico border. A lot of my friends have taken multiple trips to and from Belize to Mexico. A friend of mine is in Chetumal (a city in Mexico just over the border with Belize) right now and he is having a very good time. That is why I would recommend one to have a car.
 
The cost of oil is coming down in the States so it is much more affordable to get a car now. Insurance cost is also reasonable and the roads in Belize are getting better, which makes driving a lot easier and more enjoyable.

 

(Chetumal, Mexico, pictured above.)