International Living Community

When it comes to South America and affordability, I'd look to either Ecuador or Colombia. We recommend Uruguay as well, but things (while still costing less than in the US, are more expensive than in those first two options).

Cuenca, Ecuador and Cotacachi, Ecuador are excellent options
https://internationalliving.com/countries/ecuador/cuenca/
https://internationalliving.com/countries/ecuador/cotacachi-ecuador/

Medellin, Colombia and Pereira, Colombia are excellent options as well
https://internationalliving.com/countries/colombia/medellin/
https://internationalliving.com/countries/colombia/pereira-colombia/

And, too, I'll simply say that smaller communities in Mexico can be very affordable as well. You might consider, for instance, the Lake Chapala area (that's over near Guadalajara), Queretaro (in the colonial highlands) or the northern Baja like Ensenada (that's just south of San Diego).
https://internationalliving.com/countries/mexico/lake-chapala-mexico/
https://internationalliving.com/countries/mexico/queretaro-mexico/
https://magazine.internationalliving.com/internationalliving/library/item/may_2023/4094025/

We have beefy itineraries for many countries here in our bookstore: https://www.ilbookstore.com/Search?q=itineraries

And our big Escape to guides--these include everything you need to know to go, retire, invest, travel get healthcare, etc. (they're each several hundred pages long)--for each country all have suggested travel routes in them, too: https://www.ilbookstore.com/Search?q=escape+to

And if you look on our website, you'll find lots of details about specific communities worth investigating... for instance:

Silver Coast, Portugal: https://internationalliving.com/countries/portugal/the-silver-coast-portugal/#how-to-spend-seven-days-on-portugal’s-silver-coast

France: https://internationalliving.com/countries/france/travel/

Spain: https://internationalliving.com/countries/spain/travel/

Ted Baumann did a piece on the latest requirements, here: https://internationalliving.com/countries/malaysia/visa-and-residence-in-malaysia/

Mind you, this MM2H program has been in flux. Keith Hockton, our Malaysia correspondent, says thatiIt seems like this state of affairs is here to stay--but one can't be absolutely sure!

Watch your IL magazine issues... we have some Albania covearge on the horizon.

That workshop and Q&A with Barton is posted here: https://internationalliving.com/community/category/workshops-20/263/

We do host live in-person events around the wold, too. At these, you can meet our experts, lots of expats, attorneys, real estate contacts, and more. We'll be in Panama, Portugal, Costa Rica, and then we'll host our big Go Overseas Bootcamp in Portland, OR in 2025. Details about these events here: https://internationalliving.com/events/

Here are a couple articles we've run in IL magazine about this. Generally speaking, our take is that the €1 homes aren't a great deal. They are often in ruins, and you're typically required to renovate on a deadline. Instead, consider a property you could buy for around $50,000 (often less), and renovate that. You can find such places in a quite habitable state. Details below...

You Can Buy a €1 Home in Sicily, But We Have a Better Idea
https://magazine.internationalliving.com/internationalliving/library/item/june_2024/4196109/

The Real Story Behind Sicily's €1 Homes
https://magazine.internationalliving.com/internationalliving/library/item/october_2022/4065088/

We also host in-person events around the world where you can meet with our experts and get all your questions answered. You'll find our upcoming calendar here: https://internationalliving.com/events/

Watch your January 2025 issue of International Living magazine -- we're coming out with a brand-new Regional Index that takes a deep dive into exactly what you're asking about.

I think your list is a good one (though Oaxaca is going to be warmer, possibly, than you'd like). I'd add San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to your list as well.

LOTS of people speak English in Panama, but if I were a betting woman, I'd say southern Portugal would find you among more English speakers, just because of the huge population of British and Northern Europeans there. That said, if you settle in Panama in a spot where there are lots of N American expats, you'll find many, many English speakers -- Boquete and Coronado, for instance, are two places you might consider.

Yes, my colleague Ted Baumann does this -- he's our Global Diversification expert and does exactly what you're talking about... he helps people sort through their best options for residency, investment, how to hold real estate, tax considerations, etc.
https://internationalliving.com/author/ted-baumann/

Colombia is still a good option. It's on our Global Retirement Index... and here's a recent piece that will hopefully give you some insights -- reasons you should (and should not) retire there. https://internationalliving.com/countries/colombia/

This little discussion of places for folks retiring solo might be helpful: https://internationalliving.com/can-you-advise-me-on-the-safest-countries-for-a-single-woman-to-live-in-qa/

More in-depth is this piece Jess wrote for us a little bit ago -- lots of good advice in here: https://internationalliving.com/singles-guide-to-fitting-in-and-making-friends-overseas/

We'll be sure that the replay has captions. Our apologies for not having that turned on at the first

A good resource that'll give you a sense for what's available all over the world is Idealista.com -- if you search "Idealista" with "Spain," or "Panama" or whatever country you're curious about, that'll give you a realistic feel for what's available. And in most places, you can search by specific area in the country.

In Mexico, you'll find options in San Miguel de Allende and in Lake Chapala. Here's a piece we ran a little bit ago with Three Case Studies for Long-Term Care in Mexico that should give you some insights:
https://members.internationalliving.com/articles/three-case-studies-on-affordable-long-term-care-in-mexico-mag-10-2019/

Tuula mentioned they exist in France as well.

Related: you might find this article useful, too, just FYI... Medical Tourism: How Insiders Afford New Hips, Hair Plugs, and Facelifts https://magazine.internationalliving.com/internationalliving/library/item/october_2023/4138620/

IF YOU ARE TUNING IN AND NOT YET SEEING THE VIDEO SCREEN ABOVE, PLEASE REFRESH YOUR PAGE!

https://internationalliving.com/where-are-the-best-gay-friendly-countries-to-retire-move-to/
The Best LGBTQ+ Countries to Retire to

You'll find some good insights there in that article, I'd say.

Also, tune in to this recent session we recorded at our big Go Overseas Bootcamp in Las Vegas, where we held a "Fireside Chat" on this topic:
https://internationalliving.com/search/?q=lgbtq

Are you talking Euro or US Dollar? Really, it doesn't matter. I would say, yes, that's plenty to live on in Ireland. I'm in Ireland right now -- and am tracking down some Americans living here who can give us some firsthand insights. Watch your magazine.

To clarify, I mean come back here at noon eastern time today--Monday.