Best Places In The World To Retire

Can I buy furniture in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?

Amaranta Santos - Eager y Asociados

Dining room. Ajijic, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Yes, you can buy furniture in Chapala and Ajijic. You can find rustic furniture here but if you are not into rustic Mexican or colonial Mexican furniture, there are furniture stores all over the village. If you go west, you will see a big new furniture store. They offer modern furniture, which is what most North Americans are more accustomed to. They have leather covered furniture. They also have metal and glass furniture if you are more into minimalistic or modern designs....

Yes, you can buy furniture in Chapala and Ajijic. You can find rustic furniture here but if you are not into rustic Mexican or colonial Mexican furniture, there are furniture stores all over the village. If you go west, you will see a big new furniture store. They offer modern furniture, which is what most North Americans are more accustomed to. They have leather covered furniture. They also have metal and glass furniture if you are more into minimalistic or modern designs. There is a decoration store in Riberas del Pilar, which is a suburb neighborhood in between Chapala and Ajijic, that has good quality furniture and many people buy from them.

Or you can go to Guadalajara, which is the second largest city in Mexico and is only about an hour away from Ajijic. You can buy the furniture in Guadalajara and have it delivered to you in Chapala or Ajijic. There are garage sales here where you can buy furniture from people who are leaving Ajijic. Many times it is still good furniture.

With regard to prices, if you go to the rustic furniture factory, you could probably get a full living room set for only about 6,000 pesos ($330). That would include one love seat, one sofa, one chair, and probably an ottoman or a coffee table. If you go to Liverpool, which is a big, US-style department store in Guadalajara, you can get a full living room for 55,000 pesos ($3,000). Liverpool and Palacio de Hierro are the most high end stores in Guadalajara where you can buy furniture.

In comparison with the quality of furniture in the US, that depends on where you buy your furniture. I also had the experience of buying horrible furniture in the US. You sit on the chair and it cracks, especially the ones that ones that you assemble yourself. Prices in Mexico are very reasonable. What you pay is what you get in proportion. There are things that are very cheap but that doesn’t mean that it’s bad. It’s cheap compared to what? If you pay 2,000 pesos ($110) for a full living room set, it probably won’t last that long. It is pretty much “what you see is what you get.” You will see the quality yourself and there is a whole spectrum of different kinds of furniture that will be within your budget and will fulfill your needs as long as you know what you want. The price would be much less than how much it costs in the US.

If you want to buy furniture that was imported from the US, you can expect that it would cost even more than it costs in the US, but we have that. But if you buy something that is from Mexico but with the same quality as the ones you see in the US, they would cost much less. Handmade furniture are generally inexpensive except for the ones that have wood carvings because wood carving here in Mexico is very detailed and it takes a lot of work. If you are willing to pay 25,000 pesos ($1,400) for a headboard that is, for example, Rococo, you can get it and it would be top notch quality. If you buy the same in the US, it would cost about $4,000.

(Dining room. Lake Chapala, Mexico

What are the best reasons to retire to Portugal?

Ana Ferraz

One of the best reasons to retire in Portugal is the safety. Where I live here in Portugal, I can go to the café or to the supermarket around the corner and I don’t have to lock my front door. The neighbors know each other and if anything happens, everybody watches for each other. In contrast, in England, everybody keeps to themselves. They don’t trust anybody because of the crime. We don’t have that here in Portugal because you know your neighbors. In England, you...

One of the best reasons to retire in Portugal is the safety. Where I live here in Portugal, I can go to the café or to the supermarket around the corner and I don’t have to lock my front door. The neighbors know each other and if anything happens, everybody watches for each other. In contrast, in England, everybody keeps to themselves. They don’t trust anybody because of the crime. We don’t have that here in Portugal because you know your neighbors. In England, you can live on the same street and not know your neighbor next door.

Another good reason to retire in Portugal is the lower cost of living. My daughter lives in England but she comes here four times a year and she is constantly amazed by the prices here in Portugal. It’s very cheap.

The quality and taste of food in Portugal is another factor for retiring here. Food here has a flavor. We have very good cuisine. The fish is unbelievable. Meat is very good as well. You only need to You just haves to know where to buy your food. Once you know that, you will have food that is very tasty.

Healthcare in Portugal is good. I would recommend the private health system here in Portugal because of the good quality and fast service. Relative to the US, healthcare I Portugal is extremely inexpensive and it’s possible to get insurance for a couple in good health, without pre-existing conditions for around €60 to €100 (US $65 or £44 to US $109 or £73) a month. If you have insurance and you go to see a doctor, it would cost €30 to €40 (US $33 or £22 to $44 or £29).

The weather is great in Portugal. During December, we have sunshine and the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit). That is winter, so it’s great. We are not on the Mediterranean but we are by the Atlantic Ocean so we have mild temperatures. We don’t get snow or frost. In the winter, the temperature goes down to about 10 to 20 degrees Celsius (50 to 68 Fahrenheit).

The lifestyle here in Portugal is very nice as well. People are very friendly. There are a lot of outdoor activities so you don’t spend too much time at home. You can definitely keep yourself busy by going to the beach, golfing, horseback riding, playing water sports, etc.

So to me, those are the best reasons to retire in Portugal; the safety, everything being cheaper here, the food, healthcare, great weather, and the wine. What else do you want in life?

Is Belize cheap?

Gwido Mar - Grupo Mar Realty Ltd.

Belize neighborhood – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I wouldn’t say “Belize is cheap.” I would say “Belize is affordable.” Comparing the United States to Belize, the cost of living in Belize is more affordable. Property taxes are cheap in Belize and the cost of living is more affordable.

If you are looking at it from an entire perspective, it depends on your lifestyle and whether you have kids and pets. Some people find Belize affordable and others don’t. Some people can live on a US $1,000...

What are the best places in the world to retire?

Jay Butler - Asset Protection Services of America

Over the last 10 years, various cities in Australia (Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney) and Canada (Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto) have ranked among the best places in the world in which to live or work. But in-so-far-as retirement is concerned, where do you go? That answer will ultimately depend on what you, as an individual, value most. As a 40 year-old American who has lived outside the United States for almost 1/4 of his life, I can share with you what I...

Over the last 10 years, various cities in Australia (Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney) and Canada (Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto) have ranked among the best places in the world in which to live or work. But in-so-far-as retirement is concerned, where do you go? That answer will ultimately depend on what you, as an individual, value most. As a 40 year-old American who has lived outside the United States for almost 1/4 of his life, I can share with you what I believe to be some of the most important considerations when trying to determine 'what are the best places in the world to retire' for you!

First and foremost is language. At retirement, a great many Americans look to move south to warmer weather and consistent climates. But, unless you speak Spanish or Portuguese, you may not find the lifestyle as enjoyable when ordering at restaurants becomes a nuisance and trying to initiate a conversation over drinks at the beach is problematic. If you only speak English and have no real desire to learn a foreign language, then your top choices may be anywhere in English speaking Belize or St Kitts & Nevis, or (in and around) Panama City where large numbers of expats reside and tourism demands locals speak your native English language.

Second may arguably be the cost of living. If you are on a fixed monthly income of say $1,500 (USD) a month, then you will certainly want to stretch every dollar and countries which offer favorable exchange rates will be of tremendous value. While the Dominican Republic has a (fluctuating) exchange rate of around 40 Peso to 1 Dollar, Chile offers an exchange rate over ten times that amount at around 490 Chilean Peso to 1 Dollar. Other top favorable (fluctuating) exchange rate countries include the Philippines (42 to 1), Mexico (12 to 1), and South Africa (7.5 to 1).

Jay Butler on a catamaran in the best places in the world to retire – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living Lifestyle and medical care might tie for third. If you live to snorkel or scuba dive, then you might want to live near a barrier reef in Australia or Belize. If you want hiking, back-packing and related outdoor adventures, then Ecuador, Argentina or Chile might be good possibilities. Ongoing medical issues could cause you stay within in direct-flight distances to Miami, Florida or Houston, Texas. Surprising to some, Costa Rica and Panama have excellent medical facilities and often allow for homeopathic remedies (prohibited in the United States) for cancer and age related maladies.

Notwithstanding any of the aforementioned concerns, and depending on which part of the world in which you wish to live, here is my list of the top 3 best places in the world to retire listed alphabetically by region:

Africa: Canary Islands, Republic of Seychelles, South Africa
Asia: Thailand, Philippines, Singapore
Central America / Caribbean: Belize, Dominican Republic, Panama
Europe: Estonia or Latvia, Ireland, Switzerland
South America: Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell (or) a hell of heaven."

- John Milton, Paradise Lost

Can I buy a business in Panama?

Yolany Alvarado - ProPanama

Yes, you can buy a business in Panama. You can do so by creating a corporation with a board of directors composed of 3 foreigners or 3 Panamanians. The directors' nationality will depend on the type of business you will run. If it is a services business, the board of directors can be integrated by foreigners.

If you will run a retail business, the board of directors should be 3 Panamanians.

Is there good bus service in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?

Eugenio Cortez - Hacienda & Ecolodge Morgan´s Rock

Bus service San Juan Del Sur Nicaragua – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There are no buses that go around San Juan Del Sur because there is no need for them. Everything in San Juan Del Sur is pretty close by, so you can just walk or take a bike in order to get around.

If you want to go to other cities from San Juan Del Sur, there are inter-city buses and there is a bus station just for those buses.

If you want to go from Managua to San Juan Del Sur, you can take a minivan called Expressos....