International Living Community

THANKS for the info. ~ Pamela

One thing to add to the previous answer that my wife and I discovered the hard way when we first moved to Ecuador. Plumbed gas lines deliver at a higher pressure in Ecuador than in the US, so if you have a gas appliance made in the US make sure a qualified tech installs it and adds an adaptor to correct the pressure. We allowed one of the guardians in our building to do the installation, and we melted some polyester clothing in the first load!

susan's ideas for what to do with your home if you move pt to to Europe are great answers and I thought I would add one other thing. Don't get rid of your home in the US. Banks, Investment companys and brokerage houses all require a US physical address to continue allowing you to use thier services, so hang on to the property!

Just wanted to give a bit more info about costs... I have a colonoscopy schedueld for this weekend and it will cost $360 and a mamogram is about $70. A general office visit costs around $45 and I just bought an additional insurance for about $16 a month from INS (Instituto de Seguro Nacional) which should help reduce some out of pocket costs on some procedures. It is much more affordable to pay out of pocket in Costa Rica.

A great question, and thanks for asking. It is not hard to find alternative medicince in Italy. First many "traditional" doctors have some training in homeopathic cures that we would call allternaitive and at time my docs have suggested some "homeopathic" meds first to see if they would work. Also most don't know this but spa massages, and other treatments are available through the traditonal system... Italian docs are much more likely to embrace alternatives than a US doc. Chip

No, Costa Rica is not in the United States. It is located in Central America and borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. Canadian Passport holders can travel to Costa Rica as tourists for up to a maximum 180 days, no visa is required. You can find a lot more information on our Visa and Residency in Costa Rica page on the website: https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/visa/

Hi Aaron, Your existing credit and debit cards will likely work in Thailand, but using them can be costly. When you withdraw cash using a foreign card, you’ll be charged an ATM fee of about 220 THB (around $6.12; it will likely appear as part of the withdrawal amount and not as a separate fee on your statement). Your bank back home may charge its own fees on top of this. Plus, many institutions may give a poor exchange rate and/or charge fees up to as much as 5%. Credit cards can be used at larger businesses, but some add a fee or surcharge of up to 1.5% , and your bank may apply additional fees and charges. Before leaving home, tell your bank representative that you’re planning on spending time in Thailand and discuss these fees. You may find that opening an account in a different bank in the U.S., Canada, or wherever home may be, can save you money when you get to Thailand. Some banks—like Charles Schwab—have special offers for things like foreign ATM fee reimbursement, or better bill paying options, while others (like Capital One) may offer credit cards with no foreign currency fees. You’ll find it well worth your while to research these options exhaustively. Be sure to check out our dedicated Thailand resource page before you visit.

Hi Gary, Great choice on visiting Lima. It’s Peru’s business, culinary, and retail hub and is also home to the country’s largest concentration of expats. Using taxis overseas can be daunting. We all heard stories of people getting ripped off because they don’t know how to navigate the system. But you just need to follow a few simple rules. First off, it seems that anybody who is unemployed in Peru attaches a taxi sign to the top of their car and becomes a cab driver. Although most are both safe and fairly priced, you should take precautions, especially late at night. Taxis are not metered so if the price is not already fixed for specific distances, you will need to negotiate. Be sure to agree on a price before you set off in the taxi. Registered taxis can be recognized by the yellow stripe across the top of their license plates. It’s always better to have your hotel summon a taxi for you, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the system. And the taxis available from the airport desks are the best option when you arrive. Unlike other countries, prices are more competitive than the ones you will find outside. Learn more about Peru on the dedicated pages of our website here.

Hi Giles, Congratulations on your upcoming trip! Spain and Portugal are both beautiful European countries, with a lot to offer visitors and expats. There’s a lot to recommend in each country, and no way I can cover it all here (or you can see it all in just one month). But let’s look at some options. We’ll start with Portugal. Obviously, Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve are the main places that most first-time visitors will want to see. But for something more unusual, you might consider following in the footsteps of IL contributor Terry Coles, and taking a road trip along Portugal’s “Route 66.” She details her eight-day journey exploring off-the-beaten-path Portugal in this article, which could serve as some inspiration for you. Last year, we sent three of our editors to explore Portugal top to bottom. I think you’ll find their discoveries pretty useful too, especially Nazareen Heazle’s “Hidden” Algarve… Away From the Crowds. Read the full feature here. Now, on to Spain. The major places for tourists are, of course, Barcelona, Madrid, and the Costa del Sol. The Costa Blanca, around Alicante, is also popular with European tourists. But for some off-the-beaten-path options, IL contributor Tricia Pimental has suggestions for Three Towns Worth Taking a Detour For in this article. Or if you fancy going a bit farther afield, our Lifestyle Editor Sean Keenan was recently up north in “Green Spain” and loved what he found. Read his full account here. I hope that’s served as some food for thought to help you plan your visit in March. If you’d like some more specifics on traveling Spain and Portugal, we have some pre-planned itineraries for both countries available on our Bookstore. These pre-planned routes are designed to be modular, so if you’re spending one week, two weeks, or four weeks in the country, you’ll find an itinerary to suit. Check out the Portugal itineraries here. And the Spain itineraries here.

Hi Jessica, Thanks for your interest in Portugal and for writing to International Living. Although Portugal is a compact country, it does offer different options for living. From vibrant cities like Lisbon and Porto… to charming coastal towns along the Atlantic Ocean… to rural landscapes where sheep graze amid orange orchards and cork oak forests. Since 10 days is not that much time for a scouting trip, I would suggest that you first think about what type of environment you wish to retire in. If you are a city person, then I think you should concentrate on one of the two cities mentioned above. Do you prefer a climate like Florida, with hot summers and mild winters or are you ok with warm summers and rainy winters? For the best weather in Portugal, and perhaps all of Europe, the Algarve is the place to be. The southernmost part along the coast offers hot, dry summers and less rain in the winters than the rest of Portugal. Here you will find expat havens like Lagos, Tavira and Albufeira, a bit of a larger city where English is widely spoken and there are plenty of expats to hang out with. For more affordable living check out the Silver Coast, one hour north of Lisbon near the mid-sized city of Caldas da Rainha. Here the pace of life moves slowly, there are still expats, but most are from Europe or the UK and there is plenty of history and charming areas to explore. Winters here receive much rain with cooler temperatures and summers are not as hot as they would be in the south. To make the most of your 10 days, I do suggest that you rent a car to make exploring that much easier and quicker. If you’d like a detailed scouting trip itinerary, including links to trusted websites and contact information you’ll find immensely helpful, then you should consider our Portugal Scouting Trip Itineraries and Travel Guide. If you’d like to spend one week, two weeks, or up to four weeks in Portugal, this guide will show you how to have the trip of a lifetime while you’re there. Happy exploring and safe travels to you!

Hi Debra, The short answer to your question is yes, I do think that a single can live in Portugal for $1,600, which at the current exchange rate is around €1,485, depending on your lifestyle. Your largest expense will be rent, unless you plan to purchase a property outright. Depending on where you choose to live, rent prices vary. Lisbon, Cascais, Porto, and the Algarve are the higher-priced areas. Check out the mid-sized city of Caldas da Rainha, one hour north of Lisbon, which should have some affordable housing options. To give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for rent, I suggest searching on the property website idealista.com. You can change the filters to location, number of bedrooms, city center, etc… Here you will see terms like T1, T2—the T stands for apartment and the number indicates how many bedrooms. If the T is replaced with a V, it’s a freestanding house. You would probably want to live in a small community so there is no need for you to have a car, as gasoline is expensive—currently as much as $7.75 a gallon. As part of the resident visa for Portugal, you would need to carry private health insurance, which will add to your budget. Depending on your age and health condition, the prices of insurance will vary. But you will also have access to the public healthcare system to use if necessary, which will help keep your medical costs down. You can find more information about the cost of living in Portugal in Chapter 6 of the Escape to Portugal guidebook—available on the IL Bookstore here.

I would rather advise you on the safest “communities” than countries. Every country on the IL beat is safe for single women, though ideally you will want to read about towns in the country you like best and choose one that has a good size expat community. It is also important to note that safety is relative. Latin American countries don’t tend to rank among the top 20 safest in the world, according to indexes compiled by organizations like Mercer or The Economist. Neither does the U.S. Generally, Canada and European countries take the top spots—but there is no country on earth that’s completely free of crime. Long-term expats typically choose a town rather than a country. This makes sense. If you read about border towns, you could get the impression that the vast country of Mexico is unlivable. In fact, there are towns like San Miguel de Allende where that couldn’t be further from the truth. Even in smaller countries like Panama and Costa Rica, there are safe areas and not-so-safe areas. Occasionally, we meet idealistic singles who inquire about living in remote destinations where they can “really connect” and integrate into the local community. “I don’t want to live in an expat enclave,” they say. We get where they’re coming from. But we also encourage you to learn from IL’s cadre of seasoned expats, many of whom have learned their lessons the hard way and who share their experiences so you don’t have to. And one of the first lessons you’ll learn as a single abroad is that the happiest transplants tend to have at least a small expat community they can turn to. With that in mind, I think you’ll find the resources below, created by our globe-spanning network of correspondents and contributors, very useful: Our general travel safety guide for single women Safety in France Safety in Portugal Safety in Italy Safety in Spain Safety in Mexico Safety in Panama Safety in Belize Safety in Costa Rica Safety in Cuenca, Ecuador Safety in Uruguay Safety in Colombia

Hola Roger! This is a great question, but one that is always subject to so many personal choices that it makes it difficult to answer precisely. However, let me see if I can give you some general ideas that will help you decide about your specific situation. Let’s begin where you ended—healthcare. If you are coming here to become full-time legal resident, you’ll be enrolled in in the government social medicine program (affectionately called the CAJA) as part of that process.You would have full coverage, with no exclusion for pre-existing conditions. Think of it being sort of like the Veterans Administration medical system in the USA. Cost varies as a percentage based on your reported pension income. (We currently pay about $85 per month.) There are definitely two camps of expats—those that believe living here is more costly than the U.S. and those of us who find that we live on much less. What’s the difference? Primarily it comes down to two main choices. The first is where to live. Just like in the States, some areas of the country are much more costly to live in than others. As you might expect, tourist areas and beach areas are much more expensive than the mountain areas. And the rural areas are even more economical. For example, the rental price for a similar apartment on the beach versus a mountain area just outside the urban zones could be $1000+ per month vs. $300 per month. The second is adapting to the culture and buying local. Many expats of the “costs more” group only buy products that they already are familiar with—in other words, the products they used in the States. Those all carry a high import tax. Why buy laundry detergent made in and imported from the U.S. when there are similar Central America products that cost less? I can tell you that we and many of our friends all report living on less than half (closer to a third) of what we did in the States. You can find more information about the cost of living in Costa Rica on the International Living website’s dedicated resource page. I hope these general ideas will give you a better idea of what it would cost you to live in Costa Rica.

There are so many great destinations for singles these days. I lived in Panama’s capital, Panama City, for 17 years. It’s a truly cosmopolitan, international city—perfect for new arrivals eager to network and make friends. There are dozens and dozens of organizations that host fun events here. Check out websites and social media for the Alliance Française, the American Society, and Internations.org for starters. Whether you go to the theater, a gallery, or a sporting event, you’ll have opportunities to meet other singles. I walked, drove, took the metro, and used the Uber rideshare app to get around. I felt safe going out during the day or at night. When you see just how rich the nightlife and cultural landscape are, you’ll understand why. In August of 2021 I found a beach apartment with stunning views at a great price, so I moved. The beach town of Coronado—just an hour’s drive away—is one of the most welcoming places on earth. I’m 46 years old and already have friends of all ages and backgrounds. Some have weekend homes in and around Coronado, while others live here full-time, like me. Some are Panamanian, and some are expats. It’s a dynamic town, and it’s packed with restaurants and services that make life super convenient. I’m really glad I chose Panama, but I’ve spent time in Mexico, Spain, France, and several other countries with singles-friendly destinations. I’m certain I could’ve been just as happy in Playa del Carmen or Madrid. I tell you all about these places (and many more) in my Single and Ready to Move Overseas report. From one (very happy) single to another: yes you absolutely can live your best life overseas. I am!

Hi Joe, Colombia legalized same-s*x marriage in April 2016. Same-s*x couples married abroad are now entitled to the same visa, healthcare benefits, and inheritance and pension rights as heterosexual spouses, once they take a stamped marriage certificate and identification papers to the nearest designated office in Colombia. In 2015, same-s*x adoption laws allowed gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples when adopting children. That same year, Colombia legalized the right to change legal gender without requiring surgery. Discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation is illegal and is explicitly covered in the law. However, gender identity is implied but is not explicitly mentioned. The major tourist cities of Medellín, Bogotá, and Cartagena have a growing number of gay and gay-friendly bars, clubs, and hotels. Bogotá elected Claudia López as the country’s first openly lesbian mayor in 2019. One resource I recommend is Out in Colombia Travel, started by a U.S. expat. It’s an LGBTQ+ travel and tourism agency whose goal is to create life-changing and memorable experiences for gay travelers and to help create cross-cultural exchanges that unite the global LGBTQ+ community.

Hi David, Costa Rica, being a Catholic country, is socially conservative for the most part. However, the tide is changing. Same-s*x marriage was legalized in May 2020 under President Carlos Alvarado Quesada’s administration. It is one of the first countries in Latin America to not only recognize same-s*x marriage, but to legalize it. The Costa Rican people (especially in the cities and in the international expat communities) continue to be welcoming towards expats and tourists, regardless of sexual preferences or gender identification. However, in the more rural areas, it is still best to avoid obvious public displays of affection. There is a large LGBTQ scene around San José, where you can find a variety of bars and events supporting the community. An online search can point you in the right direction. Each year, the city hosts a big pride parade and event. Manuel Antonio, on the Central Coast, continues to be the number one alternate lifestyle tourist destination. There you will find hotels, bars, and tours catering to this growing tourism demand. Tamarindo, on the Gold Coast, hosted the country’s first ever Glitter Festival to promote diversity in Guanacaste tourism. It also recently opened a popular gay bar further cementing this Guanacaste beach area as an LGBTQ-friendly option in the country. It’s reopened for the season as of last weekend, and its drag shows are reportedly super fun.

Hi Karl, For individuals in the LBGTQ+ culture who are looking for social acceptance and legal protections, Ecuador is a viable option. Study Ecuador’s political history, and you’ll find this forward-thinking county protects more rights than expected. In 1998, Ecuador became one of the first countries in the world to constitutionally ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Since 2008, same-s*x couples can engage in civil unions with all of the rights of marriage (except for adoption), including participating in things like the national health care system or other legal contracts with all the rights of a married couple. Under the 2016 Gender Identity Law, transgender people can now change their legal gender solely based on self-determination, without undergoing surgery. Ecuador is also one of the few countries in the world to have banned conversion therapy. In 2018, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that same-s*x marriage is a human right protected by the American Convention on Human Rights, legalizing it in Ecuador. Because LBGTQ rights are part of the constitution, there’s no worry about the supreme court taking away your rights. There are also much-needed treatments in Ecuador for HIV medicines and doctors in Ecuador who specialized in HIV/AIDS treatments. It’s easy to find friends at local expat events, gay friendly bars, and through social media like Nomadicboys.com and the LGBTQ Expats Living in Ecuador Facebook page. But mostly, members of the gay community just make friends with expats and Ecuadorians, regardless of sexual preference. Cuenca is a gay-friendly community and there are many couples here. Because it’s a cultural center, there’s more of an understanding of different lifestyles as writers, artists, and musicians bring a more open ideology. As for other locations in Ecuador, Quito and Guayaquil are the two major cities in the country with the largest gay scenes due in part to the younger millennials living there. The city of Montañita, a village by the coast is famous for its bohemian vibe and very liberal attitude. It is a tourist town where if you are gay, you can feel extremely comfortable walking down the streets holding hands. In other Ecuadorian cities, it’s suggested that you do not show overt PDA, especially in smaller villages where there is less of an understanding of changing ideals on sexuality. You can read an overview of how the countries on our beat rate for LGBTQ rights on the dedicated page on our website.

Hi Eny, In the more popular expat areas of Belize general acceptance of the LBGTQ+ community is growing… thanks to the influence of expats from the US and Canada. The country’s first Pride parade was held in 2017, with Pride week also being celebrated in subsequent years. You’ll find many networks on Facebook to connect to the gay community, and especially on Ambergris Caye, you will find a well-established and visible gay community. That being said, I would not expect acceptance to equal what you have come to expect in the US or Canada at this point. Megan Rodden, an American expat living in Placencia, summed things up very well in one of her blog posts: “The experience in progressive and touristy hot-spots such as San Pedro is going to be light years apart from the experience in say, a rural, conservative Mennonite community in Toledo. Belizeans in general are a very live-and-let-live people but it was only in 2016 that they finally abolished their anti-sodomy law, recognizing discrimination based on sexual orientation unconstitutional. I think, in general, there’s mostly apathy regarding LGBTQ issues with a small population on either side of the spectrum either condemning or crusading for equality.” So, there has been movement in the right direction, and in most expat areas you should be fine. But there is still work to be done.

Hi Rocky, Let’s start with the general issue of taxes on your retirement income. The US is effectively the only country in the world that taxes its citizens’ income no matter where they live or where they earn it. In the case of tax advantaged retirement income, it’s going to be subject to normal US taxes no matter where in the world you may live. The main tax break for US citizens living abroad, the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, only applies to income from current employment or business. Passive income like pensions is not included in the tax break. On the specific question about Costa Rica, there’s good news: the country does not tax foreign source income, whether active or passive. So, if you live in Costa Rica, you won’t pay tax on your US pension income. However, once you are a resident, you will be liable for a 12.5% contribution to the National Health scheme. Costa Rica is the exception, not the rule. Most countries, including Portugal, another favorite destination, do tax foreign passive income, including pensions. But most countries have a tax treaty with the US that prevents double taxation of the same income. For example, if you lived in Portugal, you would pay Portuguese tax at normal rates on your US source pension income. But any taxes you’ve already paid on that income to the IRS would be deducted from your Portuguese tax obligations. That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t end up paying tax on your pension; it all depends on what your tax bracket is in Portugal compared to the United States. If your Portuguese tax bracket is higher, you’ll end up paying more tax on your pension than you would if you remained in the US. That’s why it’s critically important to understand relative tax brackets and tax policies in a country before you decide to move there. The ideal scenario is someplace like Costa Rica that has a fully territorial tax system, i.e., one that doesn’t tax foreign source income at all. For more details about taxes in Costa Rica, check out our Escape to Costa Rica guidebook.

Hi Linda, Congratulations on your decision to move to Ireland. As an Irishman myself, let me be the first to say, “céad míle fáilte” to the Emerald Isle. To your question, you’re in luck because of one fact a lot of people don’t know about Ireland: While it is a member of the EU, this green little country is not, in fact, a member of Europe’s Schengen Zone. The Schengen Zone is a European area with a uniform visa policy, which has abolished passport controls and most other border controls within it. This means that, upon arrival in the Schengen Zone, you only need to go through passport control once—and can then travel freely between any countries that are within the zone. So, how is Ireland not being in the Schengen Zone a good thing for you? This is down to Europe’s 90-day tourist visa. Non-Europeans can visit countries within the Schengen Zone as tourists for only limited amounts of time. For citizens of the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries, that limit is 90 days out of every 180 days. That 90-day limit holds for the entire Schengen Zone. So, let’s say you want to visit France and Italy, both of which belong to the Schengen Zone. You can spend up to 90 days either in France or in Italy… or you can divide your 90 days between the two. But you don’t get 90 days in each. But, because Ireland is outside the Schengen Zone, once you’ve spent your 183 days there you can simply hop across the Channel to any mainland European country that’s inside the zone and begin your 90-day visit as a tourist. During those 90 days, you’re free to move around however you like within the 27 countries that make up the Schengen Zone. When your time is up, you must spend another 90 days in a country outside the zone before you can return. You could choose to use that time to visit home for the Holidays, perhaps. Or you could simply stay in Ireland. Remember, the tourist visa limit is 90 days out of every 180. And your 183 days of residency in Ireland does not need to be consecutive, as far as I’m aware. That means you could spend 90 days in Ireland, hop over to the Schengen Zone for 90, return to Ireland for 95 days, then back to the mainland for the remaining 90. And just like that, you’ve spent a full year in Europe while fulfilling your residency requirements for Ireland. While we do not have any contacts with immigration firms in Ireland that we can share, you may find the following contacts useful: Department of Foreign Affairs, 80 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2; tel. +353 (1) 408-2000; website: www.dfa.ie Department of Justice and Equality, 94 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2; tel. 1890 221-227; e-mail: info@justice.ie; website: www.justice.ie Garda National Immigration Bureau, Immigration and Registration Office, 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2; tel. +353 (1) 666-9100/1; e-mail: gnib_dv@garda.ie; website: www.garda.ie