Mexico vs Philippines

You may wish to go to International Living's site, as they have some excellent articles and research pieces on Panama, Ecuador and Uruguay as possible expat havens. The research pieces are for sale, but many of the articles are freebies. Their pick has consistently been Ecuador, with Panama being a close second due to their pensionado program

 

I have lived in Phoenix Arizona for 50years and used to travel to Nogales Sonora once or twice a year , but i have not been back in 10 years. TOOO dangerous. I have a friend who used to take his boat from SanDiego to Puerto Vallarta every year, and he has even given that up. It is not just the border towns that are dangerous now, its all over Mexico. Its too bad because Mexico is such a pretty country but even the small towns now can be controlled by the narcotrafficates. What is really ironic is that so many Filippinos ancestors came from Mexico, but of course that was in the 16th century. There is corruption in every country but at least it is cheaper corruption than in the US!!

 

I have spent time in mexico going every weekend for 2 years and going for few weeks several times before and driving there way down almost to mexico city just south of puerto vallarta....I visited guatemala and it is great if you stick to Panahachel and Antigua which have lots of expats and global tourist....i was in honduras last week and i loved the little town i was in...I am in Nicaragua now for the next 5 months and already 1 month here so far..I flew into panama and bused into costa rica and into nicaragua..i then bused into honduras for few days......I was in Negros island for 2 years ending this past december,so i can compare...mexico is the most expensive of the central americas and then panama is running up close...mexico border region and most wealthy tourist cities are the danger..many americans expating still in mexico and they are in tune with the isolated danger zones same as philippines..also guatemala is nice and one of the cheapest along side honduras and nicaragua where i have setteled...Panam is the best for space and modern amenities..Walmart in costarica and only in San jose the capital...Maybe soon walmart will be in costarica....I went from $900 a month in dumaguete to $350 a month in nicaragua and its standard for even my small town to have trash pick up weekly at no real charge..its cleaner,i dont get so sick everyday but not as much english..Foriegners can get resident status with $200 and some other hoops and paperwork with rights to own what property you buy without the need to marry a citizen..you can open and own business legally and other incentives to bring in expats..They all require $600 minimum monthly income on permanent basis from a retirement type plan or an account with lifetime supply of cash.......Honduras is nice ,i stay out of teguchigalpa the capital,All the major cities are going up in crime and panam is rocketing up in price due to foriegn sky jacking of property values

 

My american neighbour here in Nicaragua is on his way next week to mexico by bus and is all in with no concern for danger and has knowhow of the danger spots nearer the american border...Keep eye open for further south like guatemala nicaragua,panama....Tourism is run amuck in costsrica and panama and so not the cheap deals anymore,even thier murder rates are up including foriegn vistims..Nicaragua was left behind with very low rates of murder and such other than in Managua the capital city..lots of americans here in Nicaragua....Bus throughout the central americas from mexico to panama would take 3 to 4 days if direct and cost more than or about $300 including meals....All are american and british visa friendly allowing 3 months stay for less than $15 immigrant fees..panama offers 6 months and so do a few other nations like peru.....Mexico is not cheap as philippines but it is big and diverse..I encourage start south of mexico and work your way up..The major international bus companies are very good safety record and i like to use TICA BUS..Goes from panama to honduras with transfers to mexicos very south region....if you need info on prices from guatemala ,honduras down through to panama,i can easily get real time info up to date for you and the number one mistake is to rely on internet info..the average persons deals are not on the internet and there are tons of em....Hotels ,houses to buy ,places to eat are often posted online mid range to high end ratings where most people live much cheaper and have no money to buy internet time to tell you how cheap it is ,or the locals on the internet sometimes are wealthy or trying to steer visitor into the locals profit.....If the world is gonna end,nows the time to get out and see more of it...

 

$600 is the retirement residency amount and it further insist that it be from a fixed and very longterm if not lifetime plan/account or government program..If its a government program,they may not look too closely at the details other than it be minimum $600........To rent house with swimming pool or the Valencia style standard of better living in dumguete would be about the same or more in the capital city area.....It is so much less populated here and ease of getting about is OK and ease of living in less than a Valencia style standard is better here....Houses here are different...You can look up my youtube page under my same name used on DI here and i have videos....If you message my face book under tunjio@care2.com,i can confirm you and flood your facebook page with my central american photos and take photos for you of specific questions and post them...Please message me on facebook,say you are from dumaguete forum so i know whos calling... They have a compund style structure of houses where all you see is an entire block of walls and big doors big enough to ride a horse through and it may look old and rustic and small on the outside,but inside can sprawl with a courtyard and trees and many roms..they do have subdivision style houseing in areas but i like the old BARRIO style ares of town..I will have to get pictures to explain house styling here if you havent been to latin america

 

I am here on 3 month visa..i went to honduas border immigration to ask about extending another 3 months for a total 6 months here...They said i can go to immigration in Managua the capital city of Nicaragua and apply for additional 3 months...Alot of people cross over the border when they have run out of extensions from managua city and stay 3 days in costa rica or honduras and come back in for another 3 months...Its possible to run as far up through honduras to guatemal and stay 6 months and then back down splitting the year between countries....I lowered my housing standard here to 65 dollars amonth to include cable and electric or all utilities and some furnishings for a room in a house with own bathroom and all rooms line a courtyard like a motel would..Its a shabby old house but living in the heart of an old town in poorer conditions is easier here because its cleaner with active sanitation days for trash and much lower population without pigs and chickens in every poor neighbours yard...Most homes are courtyard enclaves walled in total obscurity from the street...Phillppines has a lot of malls with SM and robinson far outpaceing malls here in Nicaragua and even costarica and panama and honduras...One Walmart in costarica does make a big difference