Are There Any Other Cheap Countries To Live In?

[Travis]

I am weighing my options so I was wondering if there are any other countries an American like myself might feel comfortable in & live less expensively than the US or the Philippines?

[Patsada]

I am weighing my options so I was wondering if there are any other countries an American like myself might feel comfortable in & live less expensively than the US or the Philippines?

right for an American (but not only!), Panama - for example - offers a lot of advantages: a very liberal immigration policy, nice weather, almost hurricane and earthquake free, former American territory (canal zone), American infrastructure, widely English speaking, close to "home".....brgds,Patsada

[Travis]

I am weighing my options so I was wondering if there are any other countries an American like myself might feel comfortable in & live less expensively than the US or the Philippines?

right for an American (but not only!), Panama - for example - offers a lot of advantages: a very liberal immigration policy, nice weather, almost hurricane and earthquake free, former American territory (canal zone), American infrastructure, widely English speaking, close to "home".....brgds,Patsada

thank you but does anyone know if it is less expensive to live there or the same as here or more expensive?

[ekimswish]

When you say a place that's cheap and tailored to an American as yourself, do you mean shopping malls and western food necessarily? If not, then there are a million great places around the world. Personally, I can do without both. But including those two, I have no idea.

[Inspector]

I am weighing my options so I was wondering if there are any other countries an American like myself might feel comfortable in & live less expensively than the US or the Philippines?

right for an American (but not only!), Panama - for example - offers a lot of advantages: a very liberal immigration policy, nice weather, almost hurricane and earthquake free, former American territory (canal zone), American infrastructure, widely English speaking, close to "home".....brgds,Patsada

thank you but does anyone know if it is less expensive to live there or the same as here or more expensive?

All things added up, I would say a "little" bit more.Take electricity, you can cool off an entire large condo for the cost of a tiny room in the PI. Food, western...cheaper. House help, a little more...transportation a little more (cabs)...rents a little bit more, depending upon where. Of course it depends also on where you live. My best buddy back in New York is married to a girl from Panama, and is from the "province" area...deep. She was a house keeper, maid in a rich guys house where he was teaching home school...met her, and they fell in love. He's afraid of flying, so his wife goes back "home" each year, and I always tell him he is missing out....it's a beautiful country, great roads, great city and cheap. Oh, and a retirement plan like no other...they MAKE you want to retire there. BUT, like costa rica, thw word is now out (costa rica the word was out well before panama), and it does draw a lot of married expat retirees these days....unlike the PI, which is a single man retiree place, unless you are married to a pinay ect. These third world countries can really be labeled as second..haha, or the PI should be then 4th world, when you compare a Thailand, Costa Rica or IMHO, the best retiree place in the world, Panama. That's where yours truly would be if I was not here...or maybe Thailand, looking to finish off some unfinished business and relaxing then on a beach with a ladyboy. Hey don't judge me...ok?

[Travis]

When you say a place that's cheap and tailored to an American as yourself, do you mean shopping malls and western food necessarily? If not, then there are a million great places around the world. Personally, I can do without both. But including those two, I have no idea.

I meant overall costs of living & some first world items such as malls, restaurants & definitely hospitals. do staff in hospitals in Panama speak or at least understand English? if not then that could be a very dangerous place to live. I am still weighing my options about a move back to Arkansas coz all things considered it seems cheaper there than here & the power is more reliable there. thanks inspector I did not thing it would be less expensive in most places so how is Thailand for life there & costs?

[Inspector]

When you say a place that's cheap and tailored to an American as yourself, do you mean shopping malls and western food necessarily? If not, then there are a million great places around the world. Personally, I can do without both. But including those two, I have no idea.

I meant overall costs of living & some first world items such as malls, restaurants & definitely hospitals. do staff in hospitals in Panama speak or at least understand English? if not then that could be a very dangerous place to live. I am still weighing my options about a move back to Arkansas coz all things considered it seems cheaper there than here & the power is more reliable there. thanks inspector I did not thing it would be less expensive in most places so how is Thailand for life there & costs?

Surprisingly, unless you live way out in province area, many in the mall areas of Central Americas Manhattan city can speak English quite well. You could say, after going to the deep province in the Philippines, it is much the same. Now, is is better to know some Spanish?...yes, unlike Cebuano, many people in the world speak it, and thus, IMHO...a better investment trying to learn. Hell, even many dialects here contain much Spanish. So, to answer your question, yes, you can find English speakers there. All the hospitals, private, know both languages. Public? Well, just moan a lot and point to the area of where you are bleeding. :lol:Well, I am not an expert in Thailand...just some 3 week trips...and just started to research it on some forums like these. The beaches are better IMHO, although I have yet so see all the beaches here in the PI, the roads better, food better, cost of living lower IMO, again, with electric costs. There is also a huge number of sexpats there, but also married foreigners...depends upon where you want to settle. And when I say married, I mean you will actually see married westerners retired there. Oh...Bangkok is also first rate IMO....unlike Manila, it's a big city, like Panama City, that you can love. Yeah, I am back in the USA...Arizona, and the cost of living here is not as bad as some might think...and as you said, the way of living is light years ahead of PI....laughable to even compare. That's an option for any expat...western workd living, even in the low ends, better then PI living IMHO.Remember too...Spanish influenced cultures are similar to many Asian in regards to family...large, and you will be hit up for money from these families as much as in Panama, if you find a woman or ladyboy (don't judge me) there, as you could here...or other Asian countries of third world nature, be prepared for the begging and lies. If I were you traveler, I would live out in central america for a trial....only thing I noticed while in Costa Rica ect...the petty crime is HUGE. Stealing anything you leave out, car or home, will be taken within a hour of you leaving that property in view. Adjustment needs to be made, as if you were living in Brooklyn (Howard Beach aside)...and keep an eye out for your "stuff". Try Thailand too...Phuket is nice, will be traveling there with some friends and GF as soon as I get back to PI for some vacation and business. We are discussing moving to Thailand, but I am looking up at Chiang Mai....rents cheap, north area and lots of expats...not really many "sexpats"...something I am trying to avoid as that simply has never been my scene. Try these places...they are FAR better living then here in the PI, IMHO. FAR better. But remember, if politics is a big issue with you, you will find a lot more expat liberal eco types in central america retired, vs here...where I find the retired military types more to my style, and why I really want to move to Subic Bay if I stay and marry...freeport zone. :yes:If you could care less about politics, or don't plan of befriending many expats, then these places could be exactly what you are looking for. :AddEmoticons04230:

[joeatmanila]

European and African continents have excellent retirees places, search for Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Syria and so on. Cuba is an option too. as for me, i do love the South East Asia ways. So my alternative from Manila would be...Cebu!!!! LOL!!! I love Philippines :)I am not a retiree but i have and still do travel a lot all over the world. The list of cheaper countries than Philippines is huge. A co-worker of mine, British, he bought a 75m2 appartment at Budrum (Turkey) for 60.000$ = 2.76m pesos but is luxurius infront a secluded beach in a complex with swiming pool and other amenities, he has a lady cleaning daily (not live in helper) he lives there for 500-600$/month. Ok the guy is not interested for sexpats "delicacies" and he is happy there since all his neighbors are also british retirees. He enjoys the food, company and weather etc.

[ekimswish]

Well, I am not an expert in Thailand...just some 3 week trips...and just started to research it on some forums like these. The beaches are better IMHO, although I have yet so see all the beaches here in the PI, the roads better, food better, cost of living lower IMO, again, with electric costs. There is also a huge number of sexpats there, but also married foreigners...depends upon where you want to settle. And when I say married, I mean you will actually see married westerners retired there. Oh...Bangkok is also first rate IMO....unlike Manila, it's a big city, like Panama City, that you can love. .....Try Thailand too...Phuket is nice, will be traveling there with some friends and GF as soon as I get back to PI for some vacation and business. We are discussing moving to Thailand, but I am looking up at Chiang Mai....rents cheap, north area and lots of expats...not really many "sexpats"...something I am trying to avoid as that simply has never been my scene. Try these places...they are FAR better living then here in the PI, IMHO. FAR better.

I concur that Thailand appears to have its shiznit together MUCH better than the Philippines. I prefer Philippines simply because (other than family) I could play lots of basketball, which I love. But traveling through Thailand is a million times easier and more comfortable for the foreigner. They really cater to your every need, since, unlike the Philippines, they've realized that it's more profitable to actually do something about tourism, rather than just talk about it. Based on the sheer quantity of the islands in the Philippines, there's probably better ones there, but the islands in Thailand are fully developed for the Westerner's every need, unlike the Philippines where you might have to rent a boat to make it out to a deserted island, which is fun for the camper, but not so much for someone preferring a hotel bed to sleep in and a bar to drink at. And, aside from the odd government take over/challenge, Bangkok is a great city, unlike Manila. Edited September 3, 2010 by ekimswish

[oldutot]

Hey Traveler, I have spent some time in Panama. Colon,Balboa, and Panama city, I consider Panama is american friendly. But that was thirty years ago. I had a great time there. Latinas and Filipinas are very similar in nature.My problem with a Latina they are too tempermental. Does this mean I need to remove you from my friends list, If I do that, all I have on my list is that guy they call Jake.