The Expat Retirement Thread (or expat thread)

Quote: AZDuffman

US VIRGIN ISLANDS

Not a true expat place, a sort of blend. You get to pay far less in income taxes but can't vote for POTUS. This place is not cheap. And the islands are fairly small, that might drive me nuts. OTOH, if you were a digital nomad it might be the place assuming the internet was fast enough.

Who wants to go there and we can open a small casino?

Just guessing, that closest boat looks to be about a 42ft. Bertram or Hatteras? That would be home for me. One thing about boat prices, you notice house prices differ from location to location. Boats pretty much have international pricing. A hundred K boat is a hundred K boat here there and everywhere.

Have you looked at some of the outer Greek isle's? I'd keep my US citizenship, live where you want. I never did like staying in one place very long, I guess I am migratory that way? Just about the time you get a place the way you want it, it's time to move. So, " I'm going mobile".

I have been to most of the U.S. Virgin islands and can't say that anyone really appeals to me. I love islands and beaches and I may look to retire on the french side of St. Martin near Orient beach. My wife and I go there almost every year for vacation. Real estate is a little expensive but most everything else is affordable.

https://internationalliving.com/3-best-highland-towns-expats-panama/
Many of the ex-pats to Panama move to the highlands where the humidity is more tolerable. A plus side to Panama compared to Cancun or other Caribbean islands is there are no hurricanes. A friend who lived in the Virgin islands pushed through two direct hit hurricanes in one year.


Guanajuato is considered one of the most beautiful cities in MX. Not a popular destination for American retirees like San Miguel de Allende, it is much more affordable. Just don't expect everyone to speak English. The airport, BJX is well connected to the US.

American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth
American Eagle Dallas/Fort Worth
United Airlines Houston–Intercontinental

Aeroméxico Connect Detroit (resumes September 1, 2020),Los Angeles
VivaAerobus Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare
Volaris Cancún, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth (suspended), Fresno (suspended),Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Puerto Vallarta, Sacramento, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, Tijuana

I love this guy's franchise videos. This is out of his ordinary. Stay tuned until 3:50 or so as he brings up a good point about if you work online you will be able to live expat in many places.

The only place I would live as
an expat is Mexico. 1.5 mil
Americans are there. Cheap
rent, really cheap food,
friendly people. They say
you absolutely must learn
Spanish first. There is more
written on living in Mexico
as an expat than for any
other country.

VIETNAM




This one looks not good for retirement but good for digital nomads and drifters on the make. He is nicer than me in the video, it still says "expats are just passing thru."

Saigon/Ho Chi Min City appears to be the place to be, sort of their Vancouver. Better like humidity.

VERDICT: The poor expats Thailand.

Quote: AZDuffman

VIETNAM

Tony Bourdain said Nam was the
only country he would live in
besides the US. Great food,
friendly people, low cost of
living. Thailand is a great
place to live too. Beautiful
scenery, low cost, the most
visited country in the world
for it's food. The women
there are beautiful and
friendly, they make great
wives for Americans. Very
loyal and obedient.

Quote: Evenbob

Quote: AZDuffman

VIETNAM

Tony Bourdain said Nam was the
only country he would live in
besides the US. Great food,
friendly people, low cost of
living. Thailand is a great
place to live too. Beautiful
scenery, low cost, the most
visited country in the world
for it's food. The women
there are beautiful and
friendly, they make great
wives for Americans. Very
loyal and obedient.

Thailand would be more westernized, but it has a real bad reputation for its sex tours. I have heard the women make great wives.

Asia would be harder to handle the language barrier. It all appears so orderly though. If I get to digital nomad I would try to do a few months over there.

Quote: AZDuffman

If I get to digital nomad I would try to do a few months over there.

Mark Wiens is married to a Thai
woman and has over 1000 food
and travel videos, 300 are about
Thailand. I watch them every day.
This guy is incredible, he makes
$2.4 million a year off Youtube,
$6000 a day give or take. His
videos are as professional as
anything a network does.

Quote: AZDuffman

Asia would be harder to handle the language barrier. It all appears so orderly though. If I get to digital nomad I would try to do a few months over there.

Belize, Panama, Philippines, Chile, US Virgin Islands, Vietnam, Thailand. Sounds like AOC’s District. Move there, and you get all seven without ever leaving your apartment building.