My wife watches a lot of "HAG-TV" (HG-TV). Featured are shows depicting retirees leaving the States, many bound for some places I might fear even visiting. European destinations are common, though I think many of those are job re-locations. Never mentioned is the "red-tape": I hold you can't just "up and move to....." many places as a permanent resident, without some sort of governmental interference, not so? Wife calls me "spoil sport", I say realist. Retirement living is sought where meager U.S. pensions may be stretched further, usually poorer countries: Costa Rica, Mexico, South American countries, often. What of the histories of these destinations? Stability of the country chosen, politically; safety. Sure, American developers have offered large retirement communities abroad, American-owned. Until some power-hungry General takes over? Am I being too harshly judgmental? What about taxation of U.S. pensions, abroad? What about limitations on personal assets which our government here will not allow to leave our country? I could not mail my nephew's reimbursement check for the loss of his truck which occurred in Missouri, to his Government Post Office location in Japan! Our local P.O. refused it, stating "Customs" would intercept it, and return it. $9800. I am leery of leaving the U.S. permanently. Should I not be? Frank
Roatan! Lovely place, relatively low cost of living, etc. Just don't get sick. https://internationalliving.com/countries/honduras/roatan-honduras/
I have similar concerns. I'm content to stay where I am but I'm always curious about the way others choose to live.
I think that's the crucial point. Lots of people spend the first years of their retirement where it's warm and sunny, i.e. Spain and its Meditarrainean islands but the vast majority has taken precautions that they can come back as soon as the get seriously sick and most of them do sooner or later. There's regular TV coverage showing that. With summer getting as hot as it has always been in the Meditarrainian region there will be less need of leaving for those places, though. Things are changing right now.
We sometimes watch the same HGTV show. Many of the destinations I don't think would be safe to live in, but that's me. My wife has been to the UK and Paris to visit. I've never been to either, but have been to cities in the Pacific when I went on a Westpac Cruise to Nam in the Navy. Most of those cities I'd never/ever chose to live in. We both prefer to live right here in the U.S..
We have talked about how much cheaper it would be to live in one of the “less advanced” countries, but neither Bobby or myself wants to move elsewhere. Even though @Martin Alonzo does really well living in the Dominican Republic, he still has to deal with hurricanes coming through, only part-time electricity, and many things that we here all take for granted in our lives. When I lived alone in Idaho, and didn’t have electricity or water, I survived; but it is definitely NOT something that I am prepared to do now, at my age and physical limitations. One of the things that I find to be interesting, especially at this particular day in time, is that the Central American countries are much advertised as the ideal place to live cheaply and enjoy retirement years in comfort and leisure. This is the very SAME countries where we have thousands of “starving, repressed people” marching on foot to try and live a better life here in the UNited States, and escape from the drug lords and criminal gangs that rule those countries. Just look at this article about living in beautiful Guatemala and ask yourself why all of these caravan people are leaving such an idyllic land when it is the perfect retirement place...... http://www.terraxatitlan.com/retirement_retire_guatemala.htm
As you mention my name I thought I should drop in and comment. As far as these people are leaving their country to go to the US it is a dream given to people to make them move. For example there are boat loads of people for years trying to sneak into Puerto Rico from the DR. They pay good money to take a chance to make it they are not the poor. Most Dominicans that go to the US for a better life come back here to retire. Interesting if conditions are so bad they had to leave why do they come back when they retire?? We all know that one morning a few thousand people wake up with the idea of quitting their jobs selling everything and moving to another country all at the same time this just not happen. This is a coordinated plan by some very rich people just to cause problems and chaos to destroy a country.
I spent half of each of the past 26 years living in New Zealand and California. Winter in New Zealand, Spring & Summer in California. Owned a home in each country. The cost of living and the money exchange rate was very favorable to the U.S. dollar.
My best friend has lived in El Salvador for years and the cost of living is much lower than here in the US. She is able to not only live very comfortably on her income but also help out many of the really poor people over there by hiring them to help maintain her home and grounds, etc. She even paints helps maintain the police station that is not to far from her home...which they appreciate and help her in return by making sure she has all the protection she will ever need. She has a very good life there and is able to help others too.
If I could get my significant other on board, I'd be living in Ecuador tomorrow. Low cost of living, world class medical care in the bigger cities (and a national medical plan that resident foreigners can buy into for a reasonable rate), wonderful people and an incredible amount to do. Ecuador has no currency of its own (except for a coin kept for nostalgia sake) but uses the American dollar. I still draw the line at eating guinea pigs, though.