Best Ex-Pat area for full time residency
We are considering moving out of the US to experience another part of the world. We have thought of Mexico, Costa Rico, Belize, Panama each one has plusses and minuses. When reading the blogs it seems...
Forum Discussion
I have visited a couple of CA countries in the last 15 years, only for a week or two each year. never "lived" there so my opinion may be a little shortsighted.
Nicaragua - pretty, coastal areas are nice and cater to tourist. Populated areas usually crowded and expensive. Locals seemed a little stand-offish to me but just my personal experience. Only spent a week there and from what I understand, most ex-pats can not buy land, they must rent on long term from the Government, not real sure on that.
Honduras - went there about eight years straight and love the country and the people are some of the best in the world, made many friends while there. I always went into the interior of the country, never visited the coastal areas at all. They welcome outsiders gladly and if I had really concentrated on learning Spanish, this would be my first choice.
Belize - I have been travelling there for the last nine years. One of the best things about Belize, they mostly speak English, the official language of the country. Very diverse mix of people and cultures. Belize depends mostly on the tourist trade for its economy. Being so small, you can be on the coast in the morning and the mountains on the Guatemala border that night. Cost of living depends on your taste. I have never been out to the Islands or "Cays", hope to visit this year in July, but they welcome ex-pats with open arms. As with all CA countries, fuel or gasoline prices are high and so is electric service.
Not much help really I know, but just a general overview of my personal experiences, if you are comfortable with the Spanish language, you would get along better than I do, too old to learn a new way to talk......
Nicaragua - pretty, coastal areas are nice and cater to tourist. Populated areas usually crowded and expensive. Locals seemed a little stand-offish to me but just my personal experience. Only spent a week there and from what I understand, most ex-pats can not buy land, they must rent on long term from the Government, not real sure on that.
Honduras - went there about eight years straight and love the country and the people are some of the best in the world, made many friends while there. I always went into the interior of the country, never visited the coastal areas at all. They welcome outsiders gladly and if I had really concentrated on learning Spanish, this would be my first choice.
Belize - I have been travelling there for the last nine years. One of the best things about Belize, they mostly speak English, the official language of the country. Very diverse mix of people and cultures. Belize depends mostly on the tourist trade for its economy. Being so small, you can be on the coast in the morning and the mountains on the Guatemala border that night. Cost of living depends on your taste. I have never been out to the Islands or "Cays", hope to visit this year in July, but they welcome ex-pats with open arms. As with all CA countries, fuel or gasoline prices are high and so is electric service.
Not much help really I know, but just a general overview of my personal experiences, if you are comfortable with the Spanish language, you would get along better than I do, too old to learn a new way to talk......
