Best place to live as a pensioner

[Arizona_928]

I'll open it up to CONUS or OCONUS with a modest pension of $500 USD a week.
Where do you recommend?

I have some work acquaintances from a higher caste in Nepal that recommended moving there with a relatively luxurious life at ~ $1,000 a month...

[pwd72s]

Cross Oregon off that list...It's pretty much California North tax wise. Now that I'm too old to move, I feel stuck. Many tax hell refugees seem to be fleeing to Texas, Idaho, and others. Really depends on your political and economic situation, with climate & recreation likes mixed in.

[GH85Carrera]

Way too many variables. It all comes down to your preferences. If you just have to live near a beach, or if like me a beach has zero appeal. California coast is beautiful most of the time, not so much right at the moment.

I am totally happy to live in near the middle of the country, in an area of lots of wide open spaces. Thousands of restaurants to eat at, peace of mind in our safety, and the freedom to get in my car and drive anywhere in the country at my own whim. There is an awful lot to see and experience in the USA. Yea, Europe has an appeal, but the higher prices to live is not a big appeal.

[pwd72s]

Edit: Paul, this isn't PARF.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

An Expat friend of mine from Baja MX now lives on the beach in Turkey for about $400 USD per month rent
The whole region just oozes history too.

[pwd72s]

I'm with Glen on beaches...I live 60 miles from the Oregon Coast. The last time I went there was for a pool tournament being held in a Casino. As far as the beach itself goes, meh. The Pacific is big, blue, wet, and here, cold water. The towns along the coast? Heavily crowded tourist traps. One can only get off on scenery for a short time.

[Seahawk]

$500 clear a week, $24k a year, is going to drive some interesting choices.

As Glen wrote, way too many variables: Family attachments, health, health concerns and medical care, safety, climate preferences, etc. and unless you have other safety nets, OCONUS FTW.

https://retirable.com/advice/housing/the-worlds-cheapest-safest-retirement-countries

[cockerpunk]

I've herd Vietnam is the place to go ... free healthcare, cheap to live, beautiful land, very little regulation.

[David]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Way too many variables. It all comes down to your preferences. If you just have to live near a beach, or if like me a beach has zero appeal. California coast is beautiful most of the time, not so much right at the moment.

I am totally happy to live in near the middle of the country, in an area of lots of wide open spaces. Thousands of restaurants to eat at, peace of mind in our safety, and the freedom to get in my car and drive anywhere in the country at my own whim. There is an awful lot to see and experience in the USA. Yea, Europe has an appeal, but the higher prices to live is not a big appeal.

I'm surprised you think Europe is expensive. I've found it the same or cheaper than the US. Especially for food and drink.

Portugal and Spain are at the top of my list for retirement outside the US.

[911 Rod]

At this rate it will be my kid's basement. Payback is a bi#ch!

[Dixie]

$500 is considered less than a living wage. Still, it's probably doable provided your home and car are paid for, you shop goodwill, cut your own hair, skip any dental care, never get sick, and don't go out.

As for moving off shore, I think that's a much bigger adjustment than most realize. Things like giving up family connections, needing to make new friends, adapting to cultural differences, and learning at least a bit of the local language, are harder than most realize

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by cockerpunk

I've herd Vietnam is the place to go ... free healthcare, cheap to live, beautiful land, very little regulation.

Add in Thailand. I couldn't do the heat and humidity. I've often wondered about Portugal.

[Alan A]

Given NC is full of displaced yankees ruining what used to be a nice place, and SC is brutal in the summer, TN or KY are the next choices.

Portugal is tightening up on ex-pats. Prices going up are squeezing the locals.
Plus language barrier.
North coast of Spain is nice. So is Languedoc in France. Assuming you can communicate.

[fintstone]

I think it would be pretty difficult to comfortably retire anywhere for much less than you lived on before retirement. I spend more during retirement. Much more.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Add in Thailand. I couldn't do the heat and humidity. I've often wondered about Portugal.

I've heard a lot about Thailand and the Philippines. While the healthcare and dental is not free, it is incredibly cheap and better quality of care (dental at least) compared to the United States.

[Deschodt]

Not sure I can help with "+" but I heard of some "- "

- Lots of people I know tried Portugal - well Vaca is not retirement. It is cheap, great food, nice views from your cheap apartment, etc... Almost all of them have returned. Not that much to do past the initial fun, big time medical desert in cheaper areas, hard language to learn, visa is harder now...no work at all if you want to do part time fun stuff to supplement income.

- Other cheap southern Europe places, northern italy, south of france, spain, away from the expensice touristy $$ areas: tough for US citizen and medical care. Socialized medicine yes, just not for you. Visa (so part time?), helps if you can prove EU ancestry and get a passport then it gets simpler somewhat.

- FL: I never understood that one (and I lived there and liked it), the property taxes are atrocious. The humidity may kill old people. Even if no state income tax, chances are you make less $ anyway in retirement, but still don't wanna live in a dump and we were paying so much property tax it was painful. Also $ for the bug guy, the yard guy (watch the damn grass grown in a day), AC guy, AC bills, boring roads, hurricanes, or worse, the effing HOA.

My haircut guy says you can live like a king in Danang (Vietnam), I know some did thailand too... I think the exotic nature of it all would be fun for 3 months and get old quick for me.

Currently I'm leaning towards a 1/2 retired (some remote work from over there) and half and half plan location wise. Sell expensive Cali property, buy cheaper smaller apartment (lockable and less maintenance) in the US elsewhere. Invest difference in a southern europe small village house (cheap & utilities are low vs the US), have fun from there on cheap ryan air flights everywhere across europe 6 mo / per year. Air BNB the US place while gone. For those with multi citizenships, I researched a lot and it's best to keep bank assets and address in the US for the IRS (cheaper too, not all countries recognize Roth IRAs as tax free for instance, and the IRS will follow you everywhere due to their grip on world banking), and return stateside half the year to see the kids and observe how much more decrepit the roads are (but how much less traffic cameras there are).

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Capt. Carrera

$500 is considered less than a living wage. Still, it's probably doable provided your home and car are paid for, you shop goodwill, cut your own hair, skip any dental care, never get sick, and don't go out.

As for moving off shore, I think that's a much bigger adjustment than most realize. Things like giving up family connections, needing to make new friends, adapting to cultural differences, and learning at least a bit of the local language, are harder than most realize

In the United States, $500 is week probably 1.5-2 times the poverty level. One is either renting a rat hole in a low COL city/state, just paying for property tax and utilities, or living in a van (van life). $500 a week is just enough not to qualify for gov sponsored healthcare.

Home is where you make it.

[WPOZZZ]

Here. https://smartasset.com/retirement/cheapest-countries-to-retire

This one is fron 1/26/24. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/15-most-affordable-places-to-retire-abroad

[Deschodt]

Costa Rica in there is a joke. Housing is expensive (with bars on the windows), cars too, import duties $$$$, food is great but not that cheap...Lots of friends from there, each time they return home their luggage is full of... home depot stuff ! Over there you can live with 3 maids, sure, but in terms of living space and material comfort it's really not cheap in my recent and repeated experience. They do have the highest literacy rate in the world though !

[Evans, Marv]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Add in Thailand. I couldn't do the heat and humidity. I've often wondered about Portugal.

I really liked Portugal when I was there. That would be my choice if I weren't married - or my wife would agree to it.