If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Illiane_Blues

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by Illiane_Blues »

I thought Uruguay is expensive?
If not it's worth looking into.
buffalofan
Posts: 350
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:08 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by buffalofan »

Regarding Mexico, Baja (except for Cabo) is appealing, but probably not as a full-time base. I would want to balance it out by also having a base with a little more going on. Mexico City is great, but the rents there for the neighborhoods I would want to be in are high for a retiree teacher (and insanely high when compared to the rest of Mexico). PV is popular but just too touristy for my taste. I have heard good things about Guadalajara & Guanajuato but have not yet visited these cities so hard to say if they would be suitable. Love Oaxaca city as a place to visit but I think it is just a little too small to live there - with that said you could live there very cheaply. I think coastal Oaxaca would also be worth checking out, but have not been there myself.
ILMathTeachr
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:38 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by ILMathTeachr »

buffalofan wrote:
I think coastal Oaxaca would also be worth checking
> out, but have not been there myself.

I honeymooned in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo and enjoyed it very much 17 years ago, fwiw. (And yes, I checked the phone books while I was there; no Andy Dufresne nor Randall Stevens listed.Very disappointed. ;-) )
PsyGuy
Posts: 10945
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Inquiry

Post by PsyGuy »

@ILMathTeachr

You really think they (Andy) would have a (landline) phone?
PTADV
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2025 5:43 pm

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by PTADV »

Portugal is one of the best countries to retire. The climate is mild, the cost of living is lower than in many Western countries, healthcare is excellent, and the lifestyle is relaxed and welcoming. Many retirees also appreciate the safety, friendly communities, and beautiful coastlines.

If you’re considering your retirement options, check out this guide on retiring in Portugal.

https://www.portugalresidencyadvisors.c ... -portugal/
PsyGuy
Posts: 10945
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Comment

Post by PsyGuy »

Id prefer Spain (theres a new digital nomad visa).
Heliotrope
Posts: 1198
Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 1:48 am

Re: If not in your home country, then where do you plan to retire?

Post by Heliotrope »

Spain and Portugal are both great countries.
I wouldn't mind living in either Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, Sevilla or Valencia, or perhaps smaller cities like Coimbra, Zaragoza, Braga or Bilbao.
The Azores (Portuguese archipelago in the mid-Atlantic) also look amazing, although perhaps too remote for my liking.
I already speak Spanish, so Spain might be the easier choice of the two. Lisbon does look like the nicest city of the bunch, but all seem really great, with Valencia being the runner-up for the top spot.

But while both Spain and Portugal are now relatively easy countries to retire in, the quality of healthcare, COL and the ease of getting a visa might be very different by the time I retire. Also, the Summers in Spain (and I assume Portugal) are already brutally hot at times, and might be a lot harder to endure in a decade or two.
Even though I like to plan ahead, sadly I'll have to wait and see what the world looks like when I'm closer to retirement, but both Spain and Portugal are definitely countries I'll keep an eye on. It's really sad that neither countries has great international schools with a decent savings potential.
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