International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget

SUZAN HASKINS and DAN PRESCHER have been writing about life outside the United States for more than 12 years. Suzan and Dan ran a marketing firm in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2001, they moved to Quito, Ecuador to write for International Living. They have traveled and lived in numerous locations in Central and South America.

• foreword ixBill BonnerIntroduction xiWhat if you could retire better, more affordably,and even earlier than you expected?Part oneContemplating an Exciting Move1Chapter 1Can You Afford to Retire Where You Live? 3Chapter 2Can You Really Live (Well) Overseason $25,000 a Year?15Chapter 3What’s Your Deal Breaker?23Chapter 4The Most Common (and Avoidable) Mistakes Expats Make 33Chapter 5Health Care: Myth versus Reality 39Chapter 6The Challenges of Language and Culture 53Part TwoMaking the Move: It’s a Big World Where Should YOU Go? 61Chapter 7Belize: No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem(and It’s All in English!) 63Chapter 8Costa Rica:Your Easiest Choice 73Chapter 9Ecuador: Something for Everyone 87Chapter 10Mexico: The Top Foreign Destination for U.S. and Canadian Retirees103Chapter 11Nicaragua: Ready for Prime Time117Chapter 12Panama: The World’s Best Retirement Program(and Much More)131Chapter 13Uruguay: More First World Than the United States? 145Chapter 14Europe: All the Ingredients for the Good Life157Chapter 15Southeast Asia: Exotic and Affordable175Chapter 16Boots on the Ground: Zeroing In on the Community That’s Right for You 189Chapter 17You Found Your Paradise. Now What?: Should You Rent or Buy? And How to Know When Halfway Isn’t the Wrong Way 199Chapter 18Once You Know Where You’re Going: Put Your Plan in Action 207Part ThreeOnce You Get There: Adjusting to Your New Life 217Chapter 19Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitude: Maintaining the Bridge between Your Past and Present Lives 219Chapter 20When the Hammock Gets Boring: What to Do after You Retire and Move Overseas 227Chapter 21Moving On: This Is Not a One-Way Highway 239Epilogue If We Knew Then What We Know Now 245Index 251