International Living Community

Sorry. Posted in the wrong place. For Mexico look into Guadalajara and Oaxaca.

I have used YourBestAddress for several years now. They are in South Dakota. They will hold your mail till you tell them to ship it; or you can upgrade (not expensive) to a scan / shred service. www.yourbestaddress.com. Their customer service is outstanding. If you need to retain US citizenship in a non-income-tax US state, they can help with that for SD. Usually, my mailbox is a sufficient address for businesses i deal with , but some banks don't like it--they flag it as a mailbox--so when i opened a new credit card, YourBestAddress offered the use of a residential address for me to use for that single purpose.

There are a lot of businesses where people help you relocate, yet I don't have someone in perticular I can recommend. Have you done research on Costa Rica to see which areas could be the best fit.
https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/maps-of-costa-rica/
https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/
https://internationalliving.com/best-places-to-live-in-costa-rica-five-top-expat-havens/

You may want to look into the online version (which would be cheaper) of the conference. It is a good way to get lots of info and start to figure out if Costa Rica is right for you. Are you looking for a rental or to purchase a property? I know some real estate agents I could recommend depending on the area you are interested in.

Feel free to give me some more details into what you are looking for by sending an email and I can try helping you more. 🙂
bbottone@internationalliving.com
Bekah Bottone, IL Correspondent in Costa Rica

I am planning to retire next May and am getting truely obsessed with the idea of moving to Europe (right now it's Portugal, but who knows until I do more research). My plan is to rent out my home here in the US and rent in Europe for 1-2 years (or more if I love it). I want to use it as a base for travel to the rest of Europe. I keep reading that I'll be able to live off my soc security in Europe, I can't do that in the US. And I'm feeling more and more like this country is no longer my heart and soul.

Hi Katherine,

Good questions.

There are not a lot of organized expat groups to choose from in Uruguay. A good strategy might be to just get to know some English-speaking expats and locals, and then gradually find individuals who share your values and interests.

The only organized English-speaking expat group in Uruguay that I know of is Punta del Este Expats. They meet once a month. It’s common for expats from other areas to attend their monthly meeting.
https://puntadelesteexpats.com/

Also, small group Spanish classes is another way to meet English-speaking locals (the teachers and staff) other English-speaking newcomers to Uruguay (your fellow students), as well a learning some Spanish. Through the school, you may also learn of locals who are learning English and may enjoy practicing with you.

Piriapolis is a smaller town outside of Punta del Este that you may find interesting.

The Internet is generally very good in Uruguay, with fiber-optic lines in many areas. With my basic home Internet plan, my plugged-in computer has a 408 Mbps download speed and a 31 Mbps upload speed.

Good luck to you,
David

(P.S., We have a new "Uruguay" category on the International Living Community page, whuich is the first place I look for new messages each day.)