Western Borneo the mercury is at 90 F. I’ve escaped to the cool of the Tong Hing café where a freshly baked pastry and a coffee costs $2. This is Kota Kinabalu, gateway to adventure, a city of 800,000 that a small number of expats—and now I—have discovered.
It’s a low-cost and convenient destination. One expat I met lives on $1,000 a month all in and loves the year-round heat. Spend $2,000 and you’ll live very well indeed. Air-conditioned malls, international cuisine, golf, beaches, and rainforest adventures…it’s all here.
This latest IL scouting trip will soon take me to another of the region’s low-cost havens. I’ll be visiting with Arizona-native, Andy Wazer, who lives in the Philippine city of Cebu. Andy describes it as “laidback the way Hawaii is, but at a fraction of the cost.” He reveals all here.
And I’ll catch up with Dave Christopherson in another ocean-side city there called Dumaguete. Dave traded the cold of Minnesota for year-round golf, diving, and temperatures in the 80s F. Here he explains how he enjoys this early retirement on just $1,500 a month.
If a monthly budget of $1,500 sounds good, but you prefer a cooler climate, then IL correspondent, Wendy Dechambeau, has found what she’s calling “the holy grail of expat destinations” with a year-round temperature of 60 F to 80 F. See here for Wendy’s article.
For an even lower-cost option, consider Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where 57-year-old Tom Richter reports his $1,000-a-month social security check covers him for a central apartment with a balcony, great food, and regular adventures throughout Southeast Asia. See the entire story here.
Phnom Penh’s boulevards echo those of Paris. But if you want the real thing yet always felt France was too expensive, then turn to page 20 where IL correspondent Barbara Diggs reveals the best destinations in France to live comfortably for $3,200 or less a month, including rent or a mortgage.
A salty sea breeze…tropical birds calling in the treetops…sunlight reflecting brilliantly off the white sand… Another relaxing day in paradise. And this particular paradise offers apartment rentals to suit any budget. On the island of Roatán—in the Caribbean about 30 miles off the coast of Honduras—you can rent from $400 to $2,000 a month. But how do you find the perfect one?
"My favorite thing about my new life is the kindness of the people,” says Carol Blair Vaughn, 63, of her rustic retirement in Costa Rica’s Southern Zone. “I have never been treated so warmly and generously by anyone. They are gems.” For Carol, the people may be the main benefit of life in the small town of Quebradas, but they’re certainly not the only one. Here she has found her perfect spot for a peaceful, rural retirement.
I’m here to tell you that I’ve found the Holy Grail of expat destinations. Each of us has our own priorities, but to find a place that ticks the boxes on nearly everyone’s list is something special. A perfect climate that’s neither too hot nor too cool (60 F to 80 F all year); amazing natural surroundings; plenty of cultural events; history-filled cities; superb healthcare; friendly people; and a welcoming country…all with a fantastically low cost of living—figure $1,500 a month for a couple, all in.
France is a land that seduces quietly. One minute you’re a tourist, gazing up at the craggy peaks of the Alps, or wandering through a picture-perfect medieval village, or biting into a warm, flaky pain au chocolat in a Parisian café. And the next moment, you realize that you’re in love. And you never want to leave. It’s no surprise that France inspires such love. With its stirring architecture and landscapes, diverse climates, incomparable foods and wines, and mellow lifestyle, the country offers a personal gift to everyone.
Picture a jumble of honey-colored stone houses with russet lichen-covered roofs nestled together in a valley, thick with lush green trees. Rising above the village, a medieval château of pale stone stands protectively, its slate-grey turrets piercing the sky. At the foot of the village, a river slides by with deceptive slowness. This is the kind of sublime scene you’ll find in the Dordogne, again and again.
The Costa del Sol, a stretch of coast that runs along Spain’s southern coast, has struggled with a mixed reputation over the years. It was long known as a place where visitors from northern Europe came for cheap beer and sunshine. And the city of Málaga, east of the better-known Marbella, had an even worse reputation. It was the place even those “cheap-beer-and-sunshine” visitors wanted to avoid—a dirty, grimy, and crime-ridden port city. Millions of passengers landed each year in Málaga airport, to head west along the coast to the beaches, golf courses, and English pubs. They didn’t even think about visiting Málaga. It seemed as though this ancient city had been lost: 2,800 years of human settlement decaying.
The timing of the next great macro trend couldn’t be better. Social and political pressure, market innovation, falling prices, and global demand have all fallen in line to form one of the great investment opportunities of our time. And investors in the know stand to reap huge profits.
So you’ve moved overseas to start a new life. Maybe you’ve left an old job and started a new business—and it’s thriving. Perhaps you are finally living the overseas retirement you always dreamed of. But wherever you go, and whatever you do, if you’re a U.S. citizen, you cannot escape your annual U.S. income tax responsibilities. Luckily, filing your taxes from overseas is as easy now as it’s ever been. And you may even qualify for some great benefits by doing it.
As a child, I ran roughshod across our Chinese carpets without a thought for their value. When my sister and I divided up the family home, I let her take our parents’ deep-piled prized possessions. I’m rather regretting that now… Authentic rugs and carpets from the Eastern world have strong collectible value, regardless of changing trends in fashion. Authentic pieces add an exotic touch to any home, whether hung on the wall or (as their creator intended) laid on the floor.
"I arrived without a plan…just a duffle bag and a laptop,” says 45-year-old Greg Hillen of his decision to move to Colombia on a one-way ticket back in 2008. Many would think this rash. But Greg was so struck by what he had seen here that he had to yield to his heart’s call. After vacationing in Colombia that year, the Californian was certain that this was where he wanted to spend the rest of his life. And in the small mountain town of Guatapé— famed for its colorful homes and spectacular mountain surrounds—he found a spot with a lot to offer visitors…and a perfect place to open a hostel to accommodate them. Along with an expat buddy, he has done just that.