“You get what you pay for” is one of my mother’s favorite sayings. The implication being the less you pay, the poorer the quality. In some respects, she’s right…but when it comes to retiring overseas, my mom’s theory goes out the window.
All around the world, there are retirement havens where a couple can live a happy, comfortable retirement on less than $2,000 a month. And each month we tell you how you too can afford to live that life. But what if you have a bit more to spend?
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, “older households” (people 65 and over) spend on average of $45,756 a year. That’s about $3,800 a month. While that may get you a satisfactory retirement in the U.S., it won’t get you a maid to clean your spacious penthouse apartment with its ocean views, rooftop pool, and private gym. Or regular massages and nights out with friends in a top-class restaurant. But overseas, it will.
With a budget of between $3,000 and $5,000 a month, a couple can live like royalty.
You’ll automatically upgrade your retirement to one of pure luxury…and it’ll cost you far less than a comparable retirement back home. We’ll show you exactly where you can do it, here.
Hong Kong is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world. Harvey Thomlinson describes it as “a glamorous melting pot of cultures.” But with a budget of $4,500 a month, a couple can experience all that this high-energy, sophisticated (yet still traditional) city has to offer…including its signature dim sum. And with Harvey’s insider tips, that figure can be even less.
Also this month, we explore the world’s wine regions and uncover properties for sale in the places where some of the best wines are produced… Barbara Diggs uncovers the grandeur of Bordeaux, a less expensive alternative to Paris…and former New York resident Alison Plen shares her story of living in Cape Town, a city she says “compares favorably with any in Europe or North America.”
Read on to find out how spending just a little more can get you a lot more overseas…
You won’t find the coolest beach bar on Roatán by accident. In fact, even with directions, it’s hard to find. Take the west end road and go past the large number of touristy restaurants and bars all competing for your business. Continue past these, all the way until the narrow, paved street becomes an unpaved, sandy trail…and keep going...
One of the benefits of being an International Living roving editor is that I’ve been to a lot of beach towns in the Caribbean and Central America. After just one afternoon in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, I already have a new addition to my top five. Many know it for its world-class kite boarding and windsurfing, thanks to its steady trade winds...
Mexico is known for Día de los Muertos, its famous “Day of the Dead” observance on November 1 and 2. At this time, Mexican families visit their beloved dead—and share a meal with them—at cemeteries across the country. They decorate colorful altars in their homes and buy sugar sweets shaped like skulls and skeletons at street-side stalls...
Copper Prices Soaring to New Highs David Forest, Caseyresearch.com Governments around the world are rushing to secure copper supplies. Why? Just look at the chart. The global copper market is bigger than the market for any other industrial metal. The value of copper bought and sold around the world is seven times that of other Read more...: Keeping Your Devices Private, Opportunities in Turkey, and More
Before Panama was a blip on their radar, Fred and Renee Proctor, originally from New York and Boston, lived a dream life. They spent 11 years sailing their charter boat, the Pepper, around St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. “I want your job” was a constant refrain from customers who had enjoyed a day aboard the Pepper...
Heather Boylan’s morning starts early in Bali. If her menagerie of adopted pets fails to wake her, These broadcasts are part of the daily neighborhood ritual and soundscape—a reminder that, even though Bali is an island full of expats, it is a Hindu island. “I think even the animals know what time it is based on the prayers,” says Heather...
The sun is shining, the ocean is calm, and a couple of small fishing boats slowly go about their business below me. I’m checking out a 14th-floor rental that looks south along the beach toward the center of what is arguably Thailand’s premier beach destination, and site of the Thai royal family’s summer residence—the cosmopolitan resort of Hua Hin...
Whether you’re house-hunting or simply looking for a getaway, central Dalmatia, in Croatia, can be a great place to hang your hat for the winter. Even during the coldest month—January—the lowest temperatures stay in the high 40s F. In October and November, daytime temperatures between 60 F and 70 F are the norm. Over the past five years, my husband and I have rented everything from a studio apartment in the heart of Trogir’s Old Town to a two-bedroom apartment in Split’s historic Varoš neighborhood. If we’d booked these centrally located properties during the peak season, they likely would have cost $50 to $125 a night. But in winter our monthly rent—including utilities—only cost €400 to €450 ($492 to $554).
I worked on rigs and vessels all over the world, so I was no stranger to Bangkok. I probably first visited in the late ’70s. Twenty years later I had a condo there, now it’s 20 years later again and look where I am.” Barry worked as a mechanical engineer in the petrochemical industry for over 30 years. Sometimes he was lucky and worked in the Gulf of Mexico or in the Caribbean...
It’s spring in the southern hemisphere, which means that the southern right whales have returned to the shores around the Western Cape Peninsula. This annual migration is one of the world’s great natural wonders. And it’s a big part of why Allison Plen decided to put down roots in Sea Point, a cosmopolitan suburb bordering central Cape Town...