Penang is known internationally for its good medical care, which is downright cheap. Six world-class

With rising gas costs, collapsing investments and prices on everyday items going up it s probably easy to imagine there are less expensive places to retire than in the U.S. For those willing to try something new, there are five places overseas that are drawing more attention from retirement-aged travelers. One expat reports living in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, and spends $1,300 a month to live in one of the most affordable and healthiest locations on the planet. The other four locations (in no particular order) where there are several town offering exceptional benefits to expat retirees include Panama, Mexico, Malaysia and Nicaragua. For more on this continue reading the following article from International Living.
At home, prices are rising. It costs more to put gas in the car, buy groceries, and pay for health insurance. At the same time, retirement savings eroded in the market downturn. And with interest car rental paris thrifty rates at near-zero today, it s difficult to rebuild.
car rental paris thrifty More than ever, retirees need to stretch their dollars. Here are five communities overseas where it s remarkably easy to do. In these best-value havens, you can pair financial security with a superb lifestyle.
Anne Watson-Russell, age 62, has done it. She says her pension wouldn t cut it back home. She needed to go where she could live comfortably on $1,500 a month. Now, having moved to Panama, she says her biggest challenge is deciding which of the seven nearby beaches car rental paris thrifty she should pick for her daily swim.
Eighty-three-year-old Patrick Robinson wanted car rental paris thrifty his savings to last, so he moved to one of the healthiest and most affordable places on earth, Vilcabamba, Ecuador. His monthly car rental paris thrifty budget is around $1,300 and he couldn t be happier.
Jonathan Look and his wife Vonda chose Chiapas, Mexico, where they say you can live well on $1,400 a month. In Nicaragua, Rebecca Teeters and her husband Shylow live in a colonial town house on the shores of Lake Granada for just $700 a month they say it s their dream come true
If you re looking overseas for a low-cost alternative to an uncertain retirement at home, there s good news. You can find it in places that offer not just cheap living, but a whole basketful of benefits, too places where a mild spring-like climate is yours all year round beaches are of powder-white sand snow-capped mountains soar above colonial towns and your costs could be as low as $600 a month.
In our annual Global Retirement Index (published in January), we ranked and rated the 19 best retirement havens in the world. You can stretch your dollars in any of them and live better than you can back home for less. But the five here offer an outstanding bang for your buck: Ecuador, Panama, Malaysia, Nicaragua, and Mexico.
We asked our editors and in-country correspondents to pinpoint within each nation a specific community to recommend places that have lots to offer retirees and can be enjoyed on a budget of $600 to $2,000 a month.
Johnny Lovewisdom, a quirky spiritual seeker, first put Vilcabamba, Ecuador on the gringo map in the 1960s. He advocated (among other beliefs) breatharianism that one can live on air and sunshine alone. (He died in 2000 some say of malnutrition.)
Many residents live to be 100 years old or more. That may be thanks to clean water, clean, stress-free car rental paris thrifty living, car rental paris thrifty or the near-perfect climate. Just shy of the equator and at an elevation of 5,000 feet, temperatures average between 65 and 81 F, day in and day out. Estimates put the number of permanent foreign residents at about 150 and part-timers at perhaps another 100.
Although it takes some doing to get to Vilcabamba, it s a small price to pay. Literally. Vilcabamba is among the lowest-priced retirement havens in the world. John Curran and his partner, Sue, own their home (so no rent paid) and say they live comfortably on a budget of less than $600 a month, although they admit that costs have risen in the last five years as Vilcabamba has gained popularity.
John pays less than $1.25 a month for gas for cooking and hot water. His monthly water bill is just $1.70 and electricity adds another $30 to the monthly utility bill. Thanks car rental paris thrifty to the temperate climate, there s no need for heat or air conditioning. Gasoline in Ecuador costs less than $1.50 a gallon.
We don t have household help, says John (although the going rate for a common laborer is just $10 a day). School teachers by profession, John and Sue are in their 50s, and they re careful with how they spend. But as John puts it, It s not that we have extra money because of the low cost of living; car rental paris thrifty it s that we are able to retire here at an early age because our costs are low. Suzan Haskins
In the distance I can see the national park, where hiking trails crisscross hills lush with rainforest. In the treetops above me, I ve seen monkeys and toucans and several species of birds I can t name. This is Santa Fe de Veraguas, Panama a tiny mountain hideaway about 200 miles west of Panama City.
It s the kind of place where $5 will get you a sack of fruit and vegetables and two chicken breasts for dinner. Where the town s one Internet caf charges 60 cents an hour and your monthly water bill is rarely over $3. Where most home rentals are less than $400 a month and crime is spoken of as an abstract idea seen on TV.
A couple on a budget could get by on $800 a month in Santa Fe, easy. Expat residents Erica and Kevin Moore agree. They retired car rental paris thrifty here to live the good life for less. (Though they got so excited car rental paris thrifty about the beautiful landscapes, they ended up opening a boutique inn called Casa Mariposa.)
Even the cost of health care here is impressive and the care is excellent, they say. Kevin had gone to various dentists in the U.S. for a problem he was told would cost up to $1,000 to fix. When he moved to Santa Fe, he approached a Panamanian dentist who worked in the neighboring town. There s a new technology we can use to fix this problem quickly, he said. But you ll have to think about it, as it s expensive as much as $180. Done. Kevin reports that the care was top notch.
Kevin and Erica are very clear about one thing: While the cost of living here is great, it s not the only reason they ve chosen Santa Fe for their quasi-retirement. They love it because it s a great place to live overall. From its rural, car rental paris thrifty rugged mountain-scape to the mild sunny days and cool evenings to the welcoming locals and the small expat community, Santa Fe has it all. Jessica Ramesch
My wife and I first came to Penang, Malaysia for a holiday in 2008 and after two weeks, which we extended to three, decided that it was the perfect place for us to live. From the region s best street food to smart restaurants, car rental paris thrifty bars, shopping malls, and movie theaters, it had everything that we needed and more.
George Town, Penang s capital, is a UNESCO-listed city and dates from 1786. Most of the buildings in town were built between 1810 and 1890, and it s these historic streets that are the main attraction for visitors car rental paris thrifty to the island. We loved its history, but also its deserted white-sand car rental paris thrifty beaches, pristine jungle trails, constant sunshine, and affordability.
There is a lively street culture anchored in religious festivals, a recently opened performing arts center, and events like the Penang World Music Festival and the annual George Town Festival (a month of performances).
Our apartment is a short distance from the local market, where we can buy vegetables, fruits, bread, meat, seafood, and all manner of goods. An entire bagful of fresh fruit, including mangoes, bananas, apples, oranges, and pineapples, costs just $4.
We live in a spacious 2,100-square-foot apartment with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. We also have a carport, swimming pool, and well-equipped car rental paris thrifty gym. The apartment is fully air-conditioned and fitted with ceiling fans, and costs $900 a month. We have a maid who comes for $12 a month.
Penang is known internationally for its good medical care, which is downright cheap. Six world-class hospitals are situated within George Town. All the medical staff speak perfect English. And an annual check-up costs $12.
Originally car rental paris thrifty from Oregon, Denise Fornberg and her husband Pelle have been living in Penang for just over a year. Denise noticed a small mole on her arm had changed color, and she decided to have it removed. The initial car rental paris thrifty consultation and operation, followed by postoperative care, cost $194. She estimates that, if she d had it done in the U.S., it would have cost $1,000.
Penang is an exciting place to live and we have no regrets about moving here. Well, just one that we didn t do it years ago. Where else could you eat out five nights a week, sampling any cuisine you want, and still live for under $2,000 a month? Keith Hockton
Nicaragua offers the lowest cost of living in Central America, and there may be no better place to retire here than Granada. car rental paris thrifty Ancient pastel-painted, colonial-era car rental paris thrifty buildings with terracotta tile roofs spill along the north shore of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. Views of the nearby Mombacho Volcano add to the postcard-ready image.
Granada is known, too, for its colorful horse-drawn carriages that clip-clop their way atop cobblestone streets, car rental paris thrifty toting neck-craning tourists and locals alike. The latter go about their daily business with the languid, car rental paris thrifty carefree aura that comes from living in the tropics.
In the enclosed courtyards of the city s colonial homes some of which have been converted to boutique hotels and cherished homes, Nicaragua car rental paris thrifty s famous rocking chairs made of rich tropical hardwoods and wicker beckon.
Many are occupied car rental paris thrifty these days by North American retirees but only for brief moments. They ve not come to rock away their golden years, but for the active and adventuresome retirement that Nicaragua offers.
By some estimates, Granada is home to as many as 1,000 expats a socially active group that enjoys cultural events, outdoor activities, and volunteer car rental paris thrifty endeavors. car rental paris thrifty All in a place where a couple can live quite comfortably on $18,000 a year. My friends car rental paris thrifty are always aski