The Cheapest Places to Retire by the Beach

When it comes to living in retirement on the cheap we all know the concept is almost completely subjective - that is to say one persons cheap could be completely different than another. Lifestyle factors are the first consideration. For some living in the cold is no big deal. Some retirees may even have problems dealing with heat and exposure to the sun and therefor really want and need to live some where cool and cloudy or at least shady. On the other hand many people and in all likelihood the majority of people would say living by water and specifically near a beach would be wonderful. So, is it possible? Can one find a cheap place to retire by the beach? I think so! Let's have a look at -

The Most Affordable Places for Retirement by the Beach

Choosing the cheapest places to retire is not a task that should be taken lightly. Retiring abroad is the dream of many people who have lived and worked in the same places their whole lives and want to experience something different in their twilight years. In some cases people want to return to a place that they have visited on vacation before, in others they are looking for an adventure. It is always best to conduct serious research into any country before visiting, let alone moving there permanently. For the few who actually get to do it, choosing the right place usually involves selecting based on a list of criteria including personal taste, cost of living, quality of the healthcare available and familiarity with the culture.

Panama is One of the Best Places to Live After Retirement

Panama is one of the more popular places for retirement outside of the USA for several good reasons. The first is the potential for it to be a tax haven for those who meet certain qualifications. Another is the fact that the country has a relatively high standard of living while also being an affordable place to live. Panama also uses the US dollar as its national currency, making things a lot simpler for new residents as they will not have a new currency or new exchange rates to figure out. To make it all even more appealing, Panama has always had strong ties with the US and there is a large community of ex-pat retirees in place there already. Those retiring to Panama can choose between the bustling metropolitan life of Panama City or, for a more rural setting, they may want to venture into the the hills and forests of the county. For many, the selling point is the abundance of beaches and the relaxed atmosphere of the beach towns.

Mexico Has Some of the Best Beaches in the World

Good old Mexico has gotten a bad rap recently due to drug cartel squabbles, but the fact is that those occur mostly in border towns and therefore ex-pats elsewhere in the country should be relatively safe. Apart from being next-door to the USA, Mexico has good food, a plentiful supply of beaches and in the big cities it is possible to find a good standard of living and reasonable healthcare. This is to say nothing of the fact that there are thousands of ex-pats living there already, therefore newcomers will have a community ready and waiting for them to join in.

France Has an Excellent Healthcare System

France is well known as a tourist destination. French food, wine, and art are all of a high enough quality that people travel from all corners of the world to partake of them. The French beaches of Canne and St Tropez are also among the more glamorous and well-known Europe. In fact, it could be said that no one can truly consider themselves a world traveler without experiencing a trip to France. Well, France is no longer just for backpacking college kids and the average summer tourist. It is widely considered to be one of the more appealing places in which to retire. Apart from the culture and countryside, France is one of the all-round best places to live in the world and offers a number of benefits including relatively affordable home ownership some of the very best health care available anywhere.

Cheap, Safe, and Friendly: The World's Top Retirement Havens

There are places, the world over, where people are friendly, crime is almost non-existent, health care is excellent, and prices for everything from homes to groceries and doctors' visits could make you think it's 1953 again.


Places where it is possible to reduce your retirement cost of living, perhaps dramatically...while increasing the quality of your life.


We have prepared a series of five Country Retirement Reports that contain complete details on retirement opportunities in some of the world's top retirement havens right now.

Go here now to learn more

Is the idea of moving abroad for a cheap place to live in retirement just not your cup of tea? If you're goal is to live in retirement in the U.S. there are plenty of cheap places to live and many are on the beach. Check out the post below for a free report on the cheapest places to retire in the U.S. and a review of the new comprehensive directory by the Rich Habits Institute.

Does Cheap Rent make it one of the Cheapest Places to Live?

Bob McPhail writes in the San Diego Reader about Cheap Rent in Tijuana.

“The loss of employment in the United States and the impossibility of paying rents over a thousand dollars a month has prompted many families to change their residence to Tijuana, where they can pay rents between 400 and 600 dollars,” reports the Tijuana daily El Mexicano.

Sounds a lot like many other Latin American destinations like Panama where Americans can find some of the Cheapest Places to Live.

Bob says that, "According to real estate agents, there has been an increase in emigrados (Mexican residents with legal permission to work in the U.S.) who have moved to Tijuana in search of a house.

By paying cheaper rent, the hope is that they can improve their financial situation. Even though Tijuana rents are high compared to the rest of Mexico, those who have lost their jobs can still afford to rent here with their unemployment insurance, said the report.

Meanwhile, the influx of emigrados is having a negative effect on Tijuana residents, who are also looking for less-expensive places to live during the economic crisis.

“They are trying to change to more economic housing whose rents are fixed between 250 and 300 dollars a month, but emigrados are renting many of these available homes,” according to El Mexicano. Real estate agents told the newspaper that when they show an emigrado a home that rents for 500 or 600 dollars a month, “for an emigrado, that’s cheap because over there on the other side you’re talking about thousands of dollars.”

Because of the effect of emigrados' on the housing market, real estate agents have adopted a new policy to protect themselves from the fluctuating value of the peso (currently about 13 pesos to the dollar): they are fixing prices in dollars instead of pesos in new rental contracts.

Source: San Diego Reader | Home Is Where Cheap Rent Is

Switzerland Boasts World's Best Wages but it's not the Cheapest Place to Live

Employees in Zurich and Geneva have the highest net wages in the world, a study by banking group UBS shows, while those in India's Mumbai take home the lowest.

The Swiss cities were also ranked among the top five most expensive in the world in the bank's 2009 "Price and Earnings" international study.

"With its extremely high gross wages and comparatively low tax rates, Switzerland is a very employee-friendly country," the Swiss bank said in a statement.

"No other cities allows workers to take home more income at the end of the month than Zurich and Geneva."

Oslo was this year's most expensive city, based on a standardised basket of 122 goods and services, followed by Zurich, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and New York.
When rents are also taken into account, however, New York rises to the top spot, the study said.
London, which was the second most expensive city in 2006, fell nearly 20 places following the pound's drop earlier this year.

The analysis involved more than 30,000 data points, collected by several independent observers in each city, in March and April, the bank said. All amounts were converted into a single currency before being compared.

The world's cheapest places to live were Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur, Manila in the Philippines, and India's Delhi and Mumbai.

Forbes Names Greeley as the one of the Cheapest Places to Live

Forbes named Greeley as the 13th cheapest place to live in the U.S. but where the heck is Greeley?

I love the first comment for this article on the Forbes page,

"Yeah but whats in Weld county but cows and wetbacks that run stop signs and kill people, no thanks but I will stay in Buffalo Fart Wyoming."

OK, it may be one of the Cheapest Places to Live but where the heck is Greeley???

Greeley is in Weld Cty Colorado.

The Forbes article, "Where to live cheaply," looked at 380 U.S. metro stats areas and divisions. 1st it ranked all the cost-of-living data from Moody's Economy.com and then home affordability from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

But, go figure as the commentor said, "whats in Weld county but cows and wetbacks that run stop signs and kill people!".

At least places like Panama offer low cost, exotic living with tropical weather and tranquilo people!

Las Lajas, Chiriqui Panama, Time travel to the 1950's on a tropical beach

Las Lajas, Chiriqui Panama, Time travel to the 1950's on a tropical beach

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Tax Haven Myths and Facts

If you're looking for the cheapest place to live this is a very interesting and important lesson. Taxes have a dramatic impact on creating the Cheapest Places to Live.

Watch it once, watch it twice. If you find yourself resisting - defending, justifying - pause, write down your objection and then keep watching!

Tax Haven - Myths and Facts

Having previously discussed the Economic Benefits, as well as the Moral Necessity of Tax Havens, and their role in creating legitimate tax competition and liberalizing economies, Dan Mitchell discusses the facts surrounding six of the biggest myths about the idea of tax havens:

1. Tax havens promote tax evasion.
2. Attacking tax havens promotes more compliance with tax laws.
3. Tax havens create higher taxes elsewhere.
4. Tax havens promote bad policy.
5. Tax havens are all rogue political regimes.
6. Tax havens promote money laundering.

Enjoy!

Click Here - Organized Exploitation: Tax Havens: Myths vs. Facts - to watch the presentation.

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Panama Travel 101: Who are the Kuna Indians?

An interesting trip to see the Kuna Indians in San Blas. As you saw in my post from last season I spent a few days enjoying the beautiful San Blas archipelago and the beautiful, peaceful people of San Blas - the Kunas. Enjoy!

Panama Travel 101: Who are the Kuna Indians?

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Auto Shipping Helps Canal Recovery Says Panama Canal CEO

By Andrea Jaramillo and Eric Sabo

July 23 (Bloomberg) -- The Panama Canal Authority has begun to see “signs of recovery” in shipping traffic, including from freighters transporting cars, said Alberto Aleman, the authority’s chief executive officer.

Aleman said he expects traffic in the fiscal year ending in September to total about 295 million tons, up from a previous range he had given of about 290 million to 295 million tons. Traffic in the 95-year-old canal totaled 310 million tons in 2008. Revenue this year will be “similar” to last year’s record $2 billion, Aleman said.

“Amid the crisis, amid the recession, this is good,” Aleman, who’s run the canal since 1996, said in a telephone interview from Panama City. Car shipments have “declined as was to be expected given the problems that we’ve seen in the automobile industry worldwide but we’ve seen signs of recovery in this segment.”

U.S. auto sales have run at an annual rate of fewer than 10 million vehicles for each month this year, after averaging 16.8 million from 2000 through 2007. Domestic sales through June slid 33 percent for Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan and 40 percent at Detroit-based General Motors Co., which emerged from a U.S.-backed bankruptcy reorganization this year.

The Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea, is undergoing a $5.25 billion expansion project through 2014 to handle larger vessels. The authority has secured $2.3 billion in funding from loans from overseas banks and plans to fund the rest with cash it generates from shipping fees, said Aleman.

‘Very Flat’

Shipping traffic through the canal between October and June dropped 3 percent compared with the year-earlier period, according to Aleman. Total transits from April to June fell 6.4 percent compared with a year ago, the authority said in a statement today.

Aleman predicted traffic will “stabilize” in 2010 near this year’s levels.

“I see a very flat year, a year very similar to this year,” Aleman said. “Maybe a little bit higher, but we’re being conservative in our analysis.”

The authority in June temporarily cut reservation fees for larger vessels and eased penalties for ships that arrive late in a bid to lure more shipping companies amid the recession. Aleman said he’ll review the measures at the end of September, the original deadline, before deciding whether to extend them.

Reduced Traffic

A May increase in what the canal charges for tolls helped compensate for lower income this year from reduced traffic and the temporary drop in fees, according to Aleman. He predicts income from tolls, which accounts for about 70 percent of the authority’s total revenue, will rise 9 percent this fiscal year to about $1.44 billion.

The Panama Canal Authority will transfer some $740 million in revenue this year to the Panamanian government, up from $700 million last year, said Aleman.

The U.S. is the largest customer for the waterway, representing about 70 percent of traffic, almost a decade after it handed over the canal authority to Panama. China is the canal’s No. 2 user, the authority has said. The canal, which shortens the route for Asian goods destined for the U.S. East Coast, handles about 5 percent of the world’s seaborne freight.

To contact the reporters on this story: Andrea Jaramillo in Bogota at ajaramillo1@bloomberg.net; Eric Sabo in Panama City at esabo1@bloomberg.net.

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009: Mexico vs. Panama

The 12-team tournament for the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean continues with a doubleheader tonight in Houston, Texas, with Guadeloupe facing Nicaragua and Mexico vs. Panama in the nightcap.

Despite Mexico’s 2-0 victory against Nicaragua on Sunday, the squad received bitter criticism because of their disappointing performance.

Tonight, El Tri will try to notch their second win of the tournament at the Reliant Stadium. Mexico and Panama have played a total of eight times and El Tri has won six and tied twice. Panama must at least squeeze a draw against the Mexicans to stay alive.

The match kicks-off at 10:00 p.m. EDT.

You can watch Mexico vs. Panama here (free live stream). You can also check out the live online coverage of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup at the tournament’s official website.

Noriega Wants US Supreme Court to Stop Extradition

As reported by Curt Anderson on the AP wire -

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his extradition to France to face money-laundering charges.

Attorneys for Noriega filed papers Tuesday seeking a Supreme Court review. Three federal judges in Miami and a federal appeals court have refused to stop the extradition. The Supreme Court will likely decide whether to hear Noriega's case in the fall.

Noriega contends that the Geneva Conventions rules for prisoners of war require that he be returned home to Panama. Noriega was declared a POW by a federal judge after his 1992 conviction on U.S. drug racketeering charges. Noriega finished serving his prison sentence in 2007.

Noriega was ousted from power after the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama.

Anselmo Moreno retains Bantamweight Title

Anselmo Moreno of Panama has retained his World Boxing Assn. bantamweight title in Poitiers, France, with a split decision over Mahyar Monshipour of France.

Moreno (26-1-1) kept his composure Saturday as Monshipour pressured strongly between the eighth and 10th rounds. Two of the judges scored the bout 116-113 and 116-112 in favor of Moreno, while the third gave the fight to Monshipour, 115-113.

Moreno, whose only loss was in 2002, started strongly, catching Monshipour with a left hook in the first round and several sharp jabs in the second.

Pro-business president takes office in Panama

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Businessman Ricardo Martinelli was sworn in as Panama's new president on Wednesday, promising to start the biggest job-creation push ever in the country.

Martinelli said he wants to make the nation of 3.3 million inhabitants the best place to do business in Latin America.

"The people have given us a clear mandate to bring change to the government, from top to bottom, and that is what we will do," Martinelli said at the ceremony attended by various foreign leaders, including Honduras' ousted president, Manuel Zelaya.

Martinelli, 57, a conservative supermarket magnate, also expressed a desire to become "an active partner" with Colombia and Mexico in the fight against drug trafficking during his five-year term.

One of the new government's proposals is a billion-dollar plan to build a train system for the capital's metropolitan area.

Martinelli's predecessor, Martin Torrijos, launched a $5.25 billion project to increase the Panama Canal's capacity and allow it to accommodate larger ships.

The canal is Panama's economic motor and Martinelli supported its expansion, but the world's economic woes have generated uncertainty over the project, which is receiving $2.3 billion in international financing.

And the country's real-estate boom, another driving force of the economy, has also been affected by the international financial crisis and economic downturn.

Martinelli acknowledged "our administration will not have the resources the previous administration had."

Panama Video

Here are a couple of videos I came across from our friends at Prima Panama. Unfortunately, Prima is no longer offering their Premium Passport service, which I must say was excellent. I believe the airport VIP greeting is still available through a different group. I will let everyone know on the Learn About Panama Blog as soon as I have additional information. For now enjoy these scenes and interviews by our friends at Prima.

Part 1



Part 2

Panama Travel and Tourism

Panama YouTube Video

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Panama is becoming the Business Capital of the Americas

Very interesting article from Nancy Hanna at PanamaInfo

March Panamainfo Update‏

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We're Back! from Panama

Hey! We're back from our latest Panama adventure.

Check out this beach!















I took a ton of pictures and plenty of video too. Rather than post them all here I find it easier if I just put it them in one spot where you can find everything.

For photos I use flickr.

Go to - Flickr.com/LearnAboutPanama

And Here's a little sample of video -

For more videos, I upload those to my YouTube page here - YouTube.com/PanamaMark

Enjoy and let me know what you think! I'd really like to read your comments.

Mark

San Blas is Calling!

After getting the book '1,000 Places to See Before you Die' for Christmas I realized I have been so close to one of those places but have never gotten around to visiting. I'm talking about the San Blas Islands in Panama.

That's all about to change. On February 4 I'm off to San Blas! (Watch the blog for updates of my journey. I even plan on getting some video on here.)

This opportunity is just another one of the reasons I believe Panama is the Best Place to Live. It also makes Panama one of the Cheapest Places to Live - you might be thinking... what? Well, here I have the chance to visit one of the '1,000 Places to See Before You Die' and it's really going to cost me very little. For $60 I get picked up at Playon Chico and taken by canoe to the small island lodge; I am fed 3 meals a day; taken by a guide to deserted islands and other locations each day and stay in a fantastic cabana - check out the pics!


If you want to read about San Blas and why I'm so excited you can check out this recent article which appeared on the New York Times -

New York Times Explorer | San Blas Islands, Panama

Oh, and Watch the Blog for photo and video updates. I may even get around to figuring out how to do a PodCast!

Panama Real Estate Property Tax Exemptions are Back

Great News from the Government of Panama! Just before Christmas the following article appeared in La Prensa -

La prensa – december 22, 2007

BRIEFS. Real estate

Property Tax exoneration extended

The Consejo de Gabinete has approved an extension of the 20-year property tax exemption for apartments and houses, according to minister of Housing Balbina Herrera.

The measure applies to projects whose building permits are issued before Dec. 31, 2009. Herrera explained that the measure extends the property tax exemption that expired in August.

Iván Carlucci, president of the Asociación de Corredores de Bienes Raíces (Acobir), said that "this change is healthy, and it is a sign that the sector will continue to grow dynamically."

Carlucci said that the waiver, which will benefit all types of buyers, gives Panama a competitive edge over other countries in marketing real estate projects.

Read more about the changes and Panama Real Estate Opportunities at the Learn About Panama Blog.

Tax Haven Savings

Thinking about the cheapest places to live typically involves looking at how much the basics of life cost. However, it's often the unseen expenses that take the biggest chunk out of your lifestyle.

More and more we are all becoming aware of the role taxes can play in making or breaking the bank account. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a place where property taxes are waived for five, ten, even up to twenty years? How about no taxes om interest income or income derived from sources outside of the country? Fantasy? Not in Panama. If asset protection and tax savings are a high priority for you than the benefits of living in Panama make it best place to retire.

Panama continues to be recognized as one of the leading nations for asset protection and tax savings. In his popular blog, The Way it Looks from Here, Bob Bauman reminds us that Panama still ranks at the top as world class tax havens.

In this recent blog post Bob also shares some insights into International Living and the recent price hikes in Panama City Real Estate. Take special note of Bob's comments, "the big downer in Panama at the moment is the upward spiral of real estate prices, mainly in condo-saturated Panama City." and, "There are still many good bargains in beach front and mountain properties away from the city, but you have to be careful and do your shopping."

Bob praises the strengths of Panama and also comments on the difference between a simple retirement destination vs one which can provide the added benefits of asset protection and tax savings. You may be thinking, I don't have enough money to worry about that. This stuff is just for the big cats with loads of cash. I encourage you think, read Bob's blog and think again. In todays volatile world we all need to be thinking asset projection and looking for ways to save taxes. 'cause it ain't gonna get better anytime soon!

To Learn About Panama and how this safe haven could be a very smart investment sign up for our Free 'Letters from Panama'.

Cheapest Places to Live

On search for the cheapest places to live my wife and I settled on Panama. We discovered there are so many nuances which make for a cheap place to live. It’s not just about house prices or the price of gas. It’s all about what motivates you to spend money and how you spend the money you have. In Panama we found we could live on a small fraction of what we lived on in Canada and all without sacrificing a thing. In fact, during our Panama retirement we found we were truly living like royalty. Fresh fruits and veggies are so much more flavourful and healthy than the ‘manufactured’ food we pay a fortune for in America. We dine out on gourmet fare – fresh fish and fine wine for under $25 - and thats for two! Then there are the tax benefits and the great discounts which come with a ‘Pensionado’ Visa. And you don’t even need to be retirement age to get one!

See more progress on: Find the Cheapest Places to Live