I am retired and am desperately trying to find a place to retire to. According to the Lonely Planet guide Panama City has a lot of petty crime, although the upside is that it has good shopping, infrastructure etc. I believe many go to Bocas Del Toro. I went to a seminar on moving to Costa Rica, and got on the next plane home. Security is not good. California is not a place to retire due to cost of living, particularly LA with its lack of centralised facilities.
Americans must remember that it is not possible to live anywhere because many countries have visa restrictions. This would include France and Australia, and most developed countries. Anyway, France has incredibly high tax, and in the Riviera, houses are expensive and not particularly nice. South Africa is not very ‘stable’, has a serious crime problem, and recently had a moratorium on foriegn owned houses. It is developed, had(?) a retirement incentive scheme, is cheaper, and good infrastucture.
There are parts of the world that offer something. Croatia will give you residency if you buy a house. It is still comparatively cheap, has a beautiful coast, and culture and is close to W Europe. Andorra is a tax haven that borders Spain and France, so no tax, modern infrastructure, and you can buy residency for a paltry amount. Houses are quite expensive but not like Monaco. Switzerland, the most civilized country in the world is available for any one over 55 years old. You negotiate your tax based on the house you buy. Restrictions apply.
Things I try to remember when assessing somewhere:
1) Visas, and retirement incentive schemes
2) Security
3) Health care facilities
4) Infrastructure
5) Cost of living
6) Weather and environment
If any one can find a place with a tick by all of these, let me know.
