Ya know...the more i think about it, the more i think I'll be an ex-pat after I retire

[Roland99]

‘Health care will keep us from going back to the U.S.,’ says Texas couple who retired to Spain on about $2,000 a month
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/health-care-will-keep-us-from-going-back-to-the-us-says-texas-couple-who-retired-to-spain-on-about-2000-a-month-2019-10-17?mod=home-page

Kevin and Susan Bryant, 55 and 48, spent most of their lives in Texas, recently in retiree hot spot Austin. But “when Austin became a mini Silicon Valley, we were priced out,” Kevin, a now-retired history teacher and principal, tells MarketWatch.

...

To find the right spot, they toured Spain, rejecting Barcelona because it was too big; Tarragona because it was too far north (they wanted somewhere a little warmer); and Peñiscola, because, though they liked it, Susan jokes, “I could never tell my mother I lived in a town with that name.”

...

The cost: The Bryants say they live on Kevin’s pension from being a teacher, and say they “live very well on $2,000 per month.” They spend about $665 on rent (they live in a two-bedroom apartment near the beach with a shared pool), $82 on electricity, $33 on water, $33 on internet, $44 on phone, $90 on gym, $130 on health insurance, $490 on food each month, they tell MarketWatch.

...

Health care: The Bryants say they spend roughly $130 for both of them for private health insurance each month — and they’ve been very pleased with the quality of their care. “I go to the freaking doctor here. I grew up male in Texas — we don’t go to the doctor unless something is dangling off or broken,” he jokes. “Any time we need something now we go to see the doctor, we get in in a day or two,” he adds, noting that “our doctor is Dutch and speaks five languages — cool guy, too.” Some expats may be able to qualify for the free state health-care system in Spain (here are the guidelines); expats who don’t qualify for that — or who want to forgo the sometimes long waits that come with the public system — can buy private insurance to cover themselves. (You can read about the different health-care systems here).

2 gorgeous countries with ‘high quality’ health care — where you can live on less than $2,500 a month
It can be hard to find affordable living and quality health care
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/2-gorgeous-countries-with-high-quality-health-care-where-you-can-live-on-less-than-2500-a-month-2020-01-14?mod=home-page

[virgogal]

1. No thanks. The couple profiled

are young,when you reach my age it’s important to have family around.

[Hortensis]

14. This. And old friends.

Long ago a couple of sisters from Turkey told me the wisdom in their culture is to choose new homes for the neighbors. So obviously wise for most, even in our modern world, that I've never forgotten.

We're a small family with our son and his family close by, daughter and hers 3 states away. But we have a number of friends whose lives revolve around their extended families, and a buunch of their children have chosen that over all other choices.

[virgogal]

22. Very true,old friends are vital.

[snowybirdie]

2. Been there done that

Spent first few years in Mexico in a beautiful oceanside spot. Inexpensive living, Wonderful home, neighbors and time. However that gradually wanes and you start missing the USA, family and culture of "home". Glad we did it, glad we came back. Good luck!

[Roland99]

4. Maybe we'll do a "summer" residence somewhere in Canada.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. Retired at 55 and 48 on a single teachers pension in TEXAS?

[Horse with no Name]

12. Yes. In Texas the Teachers Retirement Plan

You can retire if your age and your years of service equals 80.
So if you are 55 and have taught for 25 years then you can retire with full pension.

[samnsara]

5. look into Iceland or Finland..

[PasadenaTrudy]

6. To a hot and humid country?

No thank you!

[Roland99]

8. I'm in central FL. It's hot and humid for 7-8 months out of the year already

[OnDoutside]

17. Depends where you are in Spain. Somewhere like Murcia can get up to 115F in summer, but on the

coast along the Costa Blanca etc, you might get about 90F.

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Check out Boquete in Panama.

Lots of ex-pats there.

[Roland99]

9. That's one area I've considered.

Also thought about Mexico. Still pretty close to “home”

[Baitball Blogger]

10. Probably a good idea to check out the area.

I suspect the U.S. retirees in Boquete are right-leaning. Not difficult to figure out. Find out where they congregate for drinks on Thursday night and listen to their conversations.

[A HERETIC I AM]

18. This is an interesting video I saw a while back about that area;

The most interesting and potentially concerning issue is the Burden Of Proof doctrine is reversed down there (probably the same in Spain, for that matter). You're guilty until proven innocent, so don't piss off anyone with any power over you.

[Baitball Blogger]

20. I only got to the two minute mark.

Panama is very conservative in many ways. They will treat you as they see you. You walk into their federal buildings in flip-flops and shorts and they will treat you accordingly -- if they don't throw you out. Remember, they have the benefit of knowing how we lived because many of us Zonians grew up there. And dressing properly when conducting business is one way they'll size you up as a person who should earn the benefit of the doubt, or not.

I'll balance that out by saying that there is a lot of corruption that goes on, especially when it comes to palm greasing -- but there is a whole core of Panamanians who frown against that. They're all my tias, I think.

Seriously. The girl in that video has camel toe. What was she thinking? The Panamanian men don't even wear shorts. They think it's a sign of a weak man.

[A HERETIC I AM]

21. I concede your expertise.

I didn't mean to suggest that particular young couple has it completely correct. As I said, I just found it interesting.

[Hortensis]

11. Well, that's the old winning attitude.

Hope the newly recovered chances of Democrats against the Republicans didn't somehow spark that.

Whatever. You and others could always vote from afar to help others who have to live with what those who run from what they expect to leave behind them. Hope you would, religiously and with the wisdom of age, at every chance. But who knows, just maybe others will rescue you from the need. We've done it before.

[A HERETIC I AM]

13. Shit, man! You're only 140 miles away from me!!

I hear ya, though. I am dead serious when I say that when Trumpy was elected, I took a deep dive investigating moving to New Zealand. The problem soon became obvious; I was too old. They have a skills and age based system, so if I was a 60 year ol Neurosurgeon, or a Civil Engineer well schooled in Earthquake mitigation, I would have been golden. But a 60 year old trucker? Not so much.

I'll tell ya what though, I love this country, but it embarrasses the shit out of me nowadays, and I just don't see that changing in a dramatic way, any time soon. Even if we take all the positions available in November, sweep the houses, the Presidency and the various states, it will still take decades to undo what the Repubs have done. Not to mention that since our politics tend to emulate a pendulum, after 8 years of Dems fixing things, and making life better for everyone as well as the planet, the American electorate will bloody well very likely find itself another fucking Trumpy!

For no other reason than they want assholes to be in charge again.

[Roland99]

15. And it's not really about the politics of it for me

And it’s not out of a wanderlust

It’s more pragmatic (financial, health, etc)

[A HERETIC I AM]

16. And I get that as well.

I don't blame you, not for a second. You would have plenty of company, there is no doubt. From what I understand, there is a fairly good sized American Ex-Pat community in SE Asia, as well. The kind of places where a couple hundred grand in savings would let you live like a king; for example in Laos or Viet Nam or Thailand (Not sure whether my understanding is now seriously out of date, but oh well), that sort of thing.

Nope, I don't blame you in the least.

[pat_k]

19. I think I have no choice.

My "nest egg" was invested in property -- and was wiped out by malfeasance and refusal to engage in loss mitigation as a consequence of securitization. After litigating from 2007 to 2012, I ended up in bankruptcy. Assuming I'm able to keep working for the next ten years (max SS benefit) and beyond, there is no still way back to even a quarter of where I was.

The big decision is where. Costa Rica is currently high on the list.

Payment into Medicare Part A and B (in case I return or need care back in US) + payment for access to healthcare in a place like Costa Rica, is a fraction of what I would be paying for a decent Medicare Advantage plan here. Adding that to lower cost of living on everything else, makes retiring elsewhere the only way I can see forward.