The Best Places in the World to Retire in 2025 Workshop
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As a gay couple, my wife and I would love to live abroad in our retirement. What countries are welcoming and which should we avoid?
I know many gay couples in Costa Rica and gay marriage is also legal here.
Walking down the street in San Jose, I have seen the pride flag flying high by the Costa Rican flag, which I love.
Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent
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I live in a CCRC currently. That is a Continuing Care Retirement Community. If you are not aware, that is an independant living community with attached assissted living and rehab and nursing care sections. I had what I thought was a good deal because all maintence and utilities except telephone were included in the monthly fee aa well as a 20% discount on any stay in assissted living or nursing care. Also I liked the feeling of security it gave me. Is anything similar available abroad? I am still independant and relatively healthy.
It's too long a story for an email, but this CCRC has had a bankruptcy and the "life care" contract I signed is not worth the paper it was printed on! My deposit refund and the 20% discount on the medical section are gone. I consider it a fraud, but it is legal. I have an unbreakable lease for a year. Then I could stay here or move to another CCRC here in the States, but I have learned my lesson! I am looking for another option that would make me feel secure - perhaps a gated community?Hi P,
Retirement facilities like the one you describe aren't very common in Panama. There are a couple nicer ones including Wonder Years (https://www.facebook.com/WonderYearsPty/?locale=es_LA) but mostly families care for their elder members in the home, hiring at home help. You may well have more options in Mexico as described in the other replies here.
Best,
Jess Ramesch
IL Panama Editor -
Can you please make available the email addresses of the speakers? Thanks!
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Hi Mary,
Panama generally makes it easy to bring in dogs (or cats). The easiest way to do this is to contact a Panamanian relocation service or attorney, but you can also handle things yourself, just make sure you plan ahead as documentation is time sensitive. You’ll need to get health certificates for your pet(s) within 10 days of travel and get them certified by the appropriate local authority (USDA or Canadian Food and Inspection Agency) and a Panamanian embassy or consulate (or Apostille).
Best,
Jess Ramesch
IL Panama Editor -
We don't speak any language but English. I've tried to learn, but perhaps we need better tools. I know a few words of Spanish. I have health issues that require a combination of regular and alternative treatments and meds. And we'd like a place with moderate temps that is affordable and maybe within an hour of a beach. Is all that even realistic in any of these destinations? If we visit places first, do you offer help to visit the best areas to live for expats?
Most private doctors speak English here in Costa Rica and I find there are a lot of alternative treatments available in this country.
The Central Valley and Arenal area has moderate teperatures, in my opinion, kind of like an eternal spring. Living in Atenas and Grecia in the Central Valley, you can get to a beach in about an hour. You are also close to the best healthcare in the country in these areas.
If you decide you are interested in Costa Rica, the conference in May 2025 is the best place to start and get a feel for the country.
Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent
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what was the book?
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We are big music people. What countries/cities have the best nighlife (as in live music, not "club" music).
In Costa Rica, there are lots of concerts these days, so many more than in the past. I don't consider it a huge music scene, however, there are more options than in the past.
Maybe you can check out these places:
https://www.bandsintown.com/c/San-Jose-Costa-Rica?came_from=335&livestreams=true&genre_filter=Christian%2FGospel&genre_filter=R%26B%2FSoul
https://www.songkick.com/metro-areas/56440-costa-rica-heredia
https://www.songkick.com/venues/80783-estadio-nacionalI just saw a few I would love to go to! Thanks for getting me thinking about this.
Bekah Bottone, IL Costa Rica Correspondent
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Can you please make available the email addresses of the speakers? Thanks!
Hello,
Here's mine for France: france@internationalliving.com -
Two questions. First, I am a single man, almost 87, who is in excellent health. I think that, more important than where you live is the human relationships you form. That said, finding a female partner in a country where more than half the people voted for a criminal, traitor, and overall despicable person as president is very difficult. I hope to find an educated, more enlightened woman in the expat or native population of the country I move to. What areas are best for cultivating female friendships that may lead to a relationship?
Second, I am a writer and author, and want to continue plying my avocation where I relocate. In what spots would I most likely thrive?Hi T,
if you visit and find you like Panama City, Panama, it could be the place for you. It's where you'll find a larger concentration of educated people in all kinds of fields from STEM to literature and pretty much every other field imaginable. It's also a very comfortable place to live with excellent entertainment, shopping, hospitals, etc etc. As a writer I am able to write from anywhere here with the generally excellent internet/cell connectivity. You'll find my big feature article on Panama City in this month's issue of IL Magazine.
Best,
IL Panama Editor Jess Ramesch -
As a US expat, is it necessary to have an address in the US for matters of federal/state tax, Social Security, Medicare Advantage coverage, etc.? If so, do the mail screening and forwarding services that provide you the US address, that is not a P.O. Box, an effective and practical solution?
More and more we're seeing expats say it's best to have a U.S. (residential, not commercial) address if you maintain accounts (brokerage, bank) in the States. If you're not already signed up for and reading the free Field Notes newsletter you may want to sign up, they're very informative:
https://globalintelligenceletter.com/subscribe-3/Best,
IL Overseas Editor Jess Ramesch -
Im wondering about the advantages and disadvantages of buying vs renting property
also, Im not much of an urbanite. I prefer to live within reasonable distance to town, but would prefer living in a quiet riral area, in a small bungalow-type of home. Im having a hard time finding a website to begin a search
thank you in advance
Brucieil_admin said:
The Best Places in the World to Retire in 2025 Workshop
Our Annual Global Retirement Index Explained
If you’re looking for your just-right place overseas, this roundtable discussion is for you. Here at International Living, we’ve been exploring the world’s best options for better living abroad since 1979. Each year, we create a useful tool with our Annual Global Retirement Index—comparing, contrasting, ranking, and rating the 20 top countries for retirement living across seven key categories.
Jennifer Stevens, Executive Editor, together with expats who live in the countries that snag the top five spots in the 2025 Index—Tuula Rampont in France, Bel Woodhouse in Mexico, Glenda Cole in Portugal, Bekah Bottone in Costa Rica, and Jessica Ramesch in Panama—will discuss what life is like in their respective countries and dive into the benefits that make them top contenders. You’ll discover how they compare when it comes to healthcare, cost of living, day-to-day lifestyle, climate, and more, plus take a look at those under-the-radar perks that make these places special.
Our experts will be online answering your questions, below. Please type your questions, and we’ll get you the insights you’re looking for.
Monday, December 2, 2024
12:00 Noon Eastern TimeHi Brucie,
You can read a vast number of accounts from expats who rent and expats who've bought in IL Magazine and on the IL website - there are good arguments for each and you can live well no matter which route you choose.
I'd say at least half of the areas we cover are not urban.
Best,
IL Overseas Editor Jess Ramesch -
As a gay couple, my wife and I would love to live abroad in our retirement. What countries are welcoming and which should we avoid?
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Do any/all of the 5 countries require lengths of stay within the country to establish residency or can you come and go without restrictions?
Hi, Jonathan. In Portugal, you will need to spend four months on a long stay visa that you apply for while still in the USA. Once you are a resident, you must stay in the country for about eight months a year. Of course, I would confirm with a lawyer.
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Interested in Colombia to retire, is this not an acceptable place any longer?
Hi L, we still see lots of happy expats in Colombia, particularly Medellín, you'll find lots of info on the IL website (www.InternationalLiving.com, search "Colombia").
Best,
IL Overseas Editor Jess Ramesch -
Hi. In Portugal, there are a couple of health insurance companies that do accept people at age 75. It requires some research ahead of time, but they are out there.
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What's the best way to handle my social security payments abroad? I'd prefer to set up an account in the US before I move overseas. Are there any "safe" international banks I can do this with? I'm primarily looking at Schengen area countries. Thank you!
Hi, Wendy. I actually prefer to have my social security payments go into my Charles Schwab international account in the USA. Then I wire transfer what I need to Portugal each month or so.
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What is it like living as a SINGLE WOMAN in your best places? I spent a semester in Rome, Italy a long time ago and remember the papagali (Italian men just "standing on the corner watching all the girls go by") were quite annoying., Of course I am no longer a bella ragazza but a 77 year old. But I still like to shop and even eat out alone and I worry about being harrassed especially in "latin" countries like Costa Rica, Panama, Portugal, France, Mexico and yes Italy. I will be moving alone leaving my family behind, with no men to "protect" me. I guess that makes me a scarlet woman.
Pat, no problem being single in Portugal!! At 63, I started spending winters here by myself. It was great fun, I met a ton of charming, welcoming people, and never felt threatened once. I also did a little online dating here and met some lovely men, no safety concerns like I had dating in the US!
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I live in a CCRC currently. That is a Continuing Care Retirement Community. If you are not aware, that is an independant living community with attached assissted living and rehab and nursing care sections. I had what I thought was a good deal because all maintence and utilities except telephone were included in the monthly fee aa well as a 20% discount on any stay in assissted living or nursing care. Also I liked the feeling of security it gave me. Is anything similar available abroad? I am still independant and relatively healthy.
It's too long a story for an email, but this CCRC has had a bankruptcy and the "life care" contract I signed is not worth the paper it was printed on! My deposit refund and the 20% discount on the medical section are gone. I consider it a fraud, but it is legal. I have an unbreakable lease for a year. Then I could stay here or move to another CCRC here in the States, but I have learned my lesson! I am looking for another option that would make me feel secure - perhaps a gated community?Hi, Pat. So sorry to hear that! There are a couple of retirement communities in Lisbon, that they say are similar to what we have in the US, but frankly, I don't think they will have all the services you describe. But I will tell you that there is a senior residence in my little village that is attached to a child day care. What a great idea! The caretakers take care of both, and the seniors can have as much or as little interaction with the kids as they want. My plan is to hire someone to come into my home when I need the help. It is SO much cheaper here to get even skilled nursing care. And people are so much kinder and more respectful to people our age, it's a beautiful life! Glenda