“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…
Scotland might sound like an unusual place to retire, but ours was an unusual retirement. For one thing, we deliberately moved from the Southern California sunshine to a land of wind and rain. For another, we brought our entire family along. Edinburgh is a small capital, with about half a million year-round residents...
When my wife Rebecca and I made the decision to move with our 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son from the Washington, D.C. area to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, we spent a lot of time thinking about a cost-efficient way we could safely, reliably, and conveniently access our money to pay for day-to-day expenses like rent, groceries, transport, and entertainment...
I’m strolling along Bordeaux’s handsome promenade as it curves along the left bank of the Garonne river trying to imagine how the area must have looked before its glamorous makeover some 15 years ago. It’s hard to believe that this bright, tranquil esplanade was once an eyesore of a port, filled with grimy buildings and rusting warehouses...
Red-sailed junks ply the calm waters of the bay against a backdrop of subtropical vegetation fronted with tightly packed steel and glass architecture. The city’s restless forward motion is reflected in its glistening, high-rise skyline…but what makes Hong Kong special is that it retains its own historical, local charm...
An overseas retirement offers so many benefits…an escape from bitterly cold winters, affordable healthcare, a wider range of real estate options, and a more comfortable, less stressful lifestyle. Each month we bring you details on how you can live that life on a small budget...
Palace living isn’t very luxurious if you have to spend every waking hour cleaning and maintaining it. So how about getting someone to do the chores? Treat yourself…you can afford it.“Another thing I’ve taken advantage of here is the good, reliable hired help,” says Jessica Ramesch. “When I lived in the green Clayton sector of Panama City...
Imagine a condo inside a giant Seaworld-style aquarium, complete with circling sharks…you wake to an ocean view like no other. It’s a cool idea. But condos and a restaurant inside a huge fish tank? Don’t ask me how that works; the idea was all inside the head of the developer who pitched it to me, and that’s where it stayed...
In a recent presentation I gave at an International Living conference, attendees wanted to know if it was legal for them to open a foreign bank account. They also wanted to know if accounts could be monitored online, and if it was easy to obtain funds if you lived abroad. These are all excellent questions. And they highlight some of the concerns expats have about retirement abroad...
Pizza is universal. Everyone understands it. Most people love it. It’s relatively easy to make, and anyway, it was my wife’s idea,” says James Devos with a smile. James never imagined himself running a pizzeria in small-town Thailand. To be fair, not many people would think of such a thing. But in 2013 he met a nurse’s assistant working in his hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut...
Argentina is best known for one thing: meat. Well, perhaps soccer, wine, and the tango, too. But the food that most readily springs to mind is beef. Large chunks of it. And it’s true that the traditional Argentine asado grill of high-quality meats and rich sauces is a staple of local dining. You catch mouthwatering wafts of sizzling meat from the neighborhood parrillas (grills) as you walk down Buenos Aires’ jacaranda-lined streets...