What is the best country to retire in is a question that is on top of many retirees’ minds.
Asking the question, what country gives the cultural opportunities while maintaining a low-cost of living, is the paramount concern in making this important decision.
Ease of transportation, the crime rate, and health care are also items to be weighed carefully in making this decision.
Affordable and easily accessed
Panama is currently at the top of the list of affordable, easily accessed countries that cater to expatriates living there.
Panama City was built by Americans for Americans.
Expatriates living there are numerous and there are many resources online that will be of great interest to anyone considering a move to Panama.
www.caribbeanliving.com/caribe/LivingInPanama.htm says, “You will find that living in Panama can be quite agreeable. All of the products and services (including business services) are available at comparable prices to what they are in North America.”
The Panamanian Gringo, thepanamagringo.com/ says, “In some neighborhoods you can get top quality sushi, traditional Panamanian food, killer pizza and vegetarian Chinese within walking distance of each other.” This sounds a great deal like the description of any metropolitan area in the United States minus the Panamanian food of course.
Panama’s Pencionado Program and Qualification
There are many countries that can boast about their attractions but Panama’s Pensionado program makes it the best choice for a growing number of retirees and why it is the best country to retire in. To qualify for this program you have to be able to prove you have a monthly pension, like social security, that is verifiable.
Other pensions from larger companies are also verifiable; if your pension is from a smaller company and it cannot be verified, you will have to be fifty years of age to qualify for this perk.
The current amount of monthly pension income that is required for these discounts is $500 USD or $600 USD for a couple. The discounts are 50% off movie and theatre tickets, discounts on real-estate fees, discounts on hotel bills, 25% off restaurant bills, and 30% off bus, train, and boat fares in country. The above information is located at http://www.walletpop.com/top5/retire/retire-abroad/.
The cost of everything is fairly low in Panama. This also means the wages are low if one is considering working after retirement; however, many jobs are available that may be suitable for retirees such as teaching English.
Many apartments come with utility quarters that can be compared to what Americans would conventionally call “a maid’s room.”
Groceries, utilities, rent, real estate, health-care, and insurance are all extremely affordable to this best country to retire in.
The tropical summers are considered by some to be the only drawback to Panamanian living but the low-cost of utilities can mitigate this problem.
“Moon Living Abroad in Panama” would be an excellent book to invest in if one is interested in living in Panama. The author, Miriam Butterman, is quoted at www.transitionsabroad.com/tazine/1003/moon-living-abroad-in-panama-book-review.shtml, as saying: “If your experience is like mine, living here will open your senses to new sights, smells, and feelings, fill your mouth with savory tropical flavors, and probably teach you about things in the natural world you never knew existed. But it may also leave you exhausted and confused.”
In other words, she pulls no punches and tells it like it is. She still holds residency in Panama. The best country to retire in may very well be Panama.
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