How much does food cost in Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?
John K. Glaab - the settlement company®
There are lots of places to shop here in Los Cabos and La Paz and the food cost here is about 65% less than how much it costs in Toronto, Canada or in Seattle, Washington. In La Paz, most of the shopping is done in the markets but we do have Wal-Mart.
In Cabo San Lucas, we have Costco and they have good prices, which are quite competitive. We like to support the local merchants, who sell at a lower price. About once a month, we buy a lot of things in bulk at Costco such as...
There are lots of places to shop here in Los Cabos and La Paz and the food cost here is about 65% less than how much it costs in Toronto, Canada or in Seattle, Washington. In La Paz, most of the shopping is done in the markets but we do have Wal-Mart.
In Cabo San Lucas, we have Costco and they have good prices, which are quite competitive. We like to support the local merchants, who sell at a lower price. About once a month, we buy a lot of things in bulk at Costco such as certain brands of wine, which are mainly French and Italian wine that are not available in the local stores.
(Groceries delivered to the resorts in Los Cabos, Mexico, pictured.)
What would my neighbors be like in Coronado, Panama?
David Bayliss - KW PACIFICA
Most buildings in Coronado have over 50% Panamanian residents. Coronado is what you’d call their weekend vacation place. So if you’re in an apartment building, that means in most cases over half the units are owned by someone who lives in Panama. In certain buildings that are more attractive to the international market then it’s the other half of the building is going to be occupied by people from the US, Canada, all parts of Europe, Australia, Venezuela,...
Most buildings in Coronado have over 50% Panamanian residents. Coronado is what you’d call their weekend vacation place. So if you’re in an apartment building, that means in most cases over half the units are owned by someone who lives in Panama. In certain buildings that are more attractive to the international market then it’s the other half of the building is going to be occupied by people from the US, Canada, all parts of Europe, Australia, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, etc.; we’re a melting pot of virtually every version of everything. When you go to your pool, you’ll see people from all those different countries.
You’ll never be without somebody who is going to be able to speak to you in English in the Coronado area. In the restaurants Wednesday is what you would call the international happy hour at one of the restaurants. There will be 150 people from all over the world and that melting pot of fun is really what people love to see. It just goes on and on from different events; golf tournaments that are primarily going to be for the international market to anything that you find that you’re interested in, including learning how to make ceramics. You’re going to be meeting a lady from the US who lives in Italy who makes ceramics and teaches people how to make them. So life in Coronado goes all the way to the simplest and most common thread of a very international experience.
(Painting session at La Teca restaurant, Coronado, Panama, pictured.)
How does the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion work?
Tabitha Paddock - Greenback Expat Tax Services
The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) is a great tool that can be used to limit (or even eliminate) dual taxation while living abroad. With the FEIE, qualified expats can exclude over $97,000 (for 2013 tax year) of earned income from being taxed in the US!
In order the qualify for the FEIE you must pass one of two tests; either the Bona Fide Resident Test (live fully in the country and have no intentions of returning to the US) or the Physical Presence...
The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) is a great tool that can be used to limit (or even eliminate) dual taxation while living abroad. With the FEIE, qualified expats can exclude over $97,000 (for 2013 tax year) of earned income from being taxed in the US!
In order the qualify for the FEIE you must pass one of two tests; either the Bona Fide Resident Test (live fully in the country and have no intentions of returning to the US) or the Physical Presence Test (living abroad for over 330 days in any 365 day period).
If you pass one of these tests, you can then exclude up to $97,600 from being taxed in the US (up to $195,200 for Married couples filing Jointly). Just fill out Form 2555 and attach it to your US Federal return.
Unfortunately, foreign income from sources such as dividends, interest and rental income are not included since this income is not “earned” in the IRS’s view. In addition, US based income from things such as pensions will not qualify for this exclusion because it was not earned inside a foreign country.
Can I bring my dog or cat or other pets to Nicaragua?
Jeffrey Soderlind - Horizon Group
YES!!! You can most certainly bring your pets to Nicaragua and you do not have to quarantine most pets, such as dogs or cats.
Traveling to and from Nicaragua with your pet is relatively easy as long as you are prepared. Whether coming to or leaving Nicaragua, you will need an International Heath Certificate issued by a veterinarian and certified by the appropriate agency in your county of departure. In the United States, it is the US...
YES!!! You can most certainly bring your pets to Nicaragua and you do not have to quarantine most pets, such as dogs or cats.
Traveling to and from Nicaragua with your pet is relatively easy as long as you are prepared. Whether coming to or leaving Nicaragua, you will need an International Heath Certificate issued by a veterinarian and certified by the appropriate agency in your county of departure. In the United States, it is the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and in Nicaragua it is the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAGFOR).
The only tricky part is the certificate is only valid for 10 days so plan ahead!
How bad are the mosquitoes and other bugs and insects in Algarve?
Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living
The mosquitoes and other insects are not that bad here in Algarve. We are not Florida and we are not Central America. Anyone who is accustomed to living in those places would find Algarve to be a welcomed relief. We clearly do get some flies and mosquitoes in the summer but they are not at the epidemic level. Some houses here have pools so sometimes mosquitoes breed in the water and we have to swat them away but it’s not a big deal. People here often get wax candles that have a...
The mosquitoes and other insects are not that bad here in Algarve. We are not Florida and we are not Central America. Anyone who is accustomed to living in those places would find Algarve to be a welcomed relief. We clearly do get some flies and mosquitoes in the summer but they are not at the epidemic level. Some houses here have pools so sometimes mosquitoes breed in the water and we have to swat them away but it’s not a big deal. People here often get wax candles that have a scent that repels mosquitoes. These candles are easily available at the department stores or hardware stores and cost between €1 (US $1.10 or £ 0.75) and €5 ($5.50 or £ 3.69) depending on the size of the content. It’s a very efficient way of getting rid of mosquitoes.
Inside houses, you can also have electric, plug-in mosquito repellant units, but overall, there is no need to use mosquito repellant all the time here in the Algarve. To date, there has not been any outbreaks of any kind of diseases which are brought about by mosquitoes, such as malaria or dengue.
(Medieval castle, Castelo de Alcoutim on the San Marcos River, Algarve, Portugal, pictured. )
How much does it cost for a housekeeper or maid in Belize?
Jestine Dawson - AQ Belize Car Rental
Typically, if you have a two-bedroom house, a housekeeper would charge you around US $25 a day. The housekeeper won’t necessarily stay in your house for 8 hours but she will stay until all the chores for the day are done.
The housekeeper will do all the cleaning, the laundry, tidy things up, and other things that you may want to delegate. If you find somebody who moves fast, she could be done with all the chores in just 5 hours.
If you want to get...
Typically, if you have a two-bedroom house, a housekeeper would charge you around US $25 a day. The housekeeper won’t necessarily stay in your house for 8 hours but she will stay until all the chores for the day are done.
The housekeeper will do all the cleaning, the laundry, tidy things up, and other things that you may want to delegate. If you find somebody who moves fast, she could be done with all the chores in just 5 hours.
If you want to get somebody to do the housekeeping on a long term basis, where she would come in every day and spend 8 hours a day to clean your house, it costs around $74 to $100 per week. How good they do their job would depend on the skill level of the person.
(Villa with a pool in Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)
If you want to travel by any vehicle in the Riviera Maya (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Akumal, Tulum and everything in between), you’ll have to take the main highway. As in every other place in Mexico we’ve been, this means driving amongst Mexicans who drive way too fast to be safe, and lots of ill-advised passing. In addition, there are “returnos.”
The simplest, most non-threatening definition of a “retorno” is that it is nothing more than...
Since my last post I had to return to Australia to sort out finances and final arrangements, after 13 months in Chiang Rai.
Lesson 1- When you are fully committed to a permanent move, settle all that stuff well in advance of departure date; I left behind a property which in retrospect had become a burden. I should have sold up before leaving, since the ensuing sale was close to being a nightmare of new rules and bureaucracy. Banks & settlement...
Good friends, good coffee, great climate. Why not check out Boquete?
It was sad seeing the changes in America in the 2009, 2010, 2011 years. Obama had proven to be a total disillusionment. The rising cost of living was hitting us hard with increased costs for medical care and fuel, higher taxes, and Obamacare looming out there at the time. We were worried. Arne worked and earned good money as a freelance sound-man mostly for Lockheed...