Retire in the U.S.A. as Cheaply as Abroad

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what are your souces of income?
Thanks for the feedback.

J of MO 11:49AM July 04, 2010

i've been living in nicaragua for almost 2 years on about U$300 a month TOTAL and i think i live very well. I can 100% confirm that on that budget, Jane is living like a rock star down here.
As for myself, i have 2 roomates, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and milk and meat and eggs from an amazing farmer's market across the street all the time, travel to stunning beaches and jungles and canyons regularly, and overall have a very high unstressed quality of life. We have a cleaning lady who comes once a week and does all our laundry, cleans the whole house and makes fresh tropical fruit juices. I'm not sure but if you had your own house in Kansas City, I think U$360 rent anywhere in the US will get you a nasty hole in the wall, here I live in a beautiful colonial house with a mango tree in the patio.
Medicine and doctor's appointments are incredibly cheap (my birth control pill which costs U$35 a pack back in the US costs U$1 a pack down here), and for anything more serious I've got a pretty comprehensive U$650 a year medical plan for back in the US. And while it is farther from home, its actually about the same ticket price and travel time as getting from the West coast back to the east coast. I can be in NYC with U$400 and about 7 hours.
in summary, nicaragua rocks and with a very small amount of money you can live extremely well.

emma of VT 8:14AM July 04, 2010

First of all food is higher quality in Nicaragua and cheaper. Secondly, the live in maid makes the living experience completely different than living in the US. Wait until you get and see the difference between being shipped to a nursing home instead of being able to live in your own home.

Chris of CA 2:01PM July 03, 2010

I am quite happy with my quality of life. Having a maid to clean my studio apartment probably would have detracted from my quality of life rather than increased it. Having lived a few months in Central America I don't think a $500 apartment there would be any nicer than an apartment I could get for $500 in KC. Maybe I just didn't find the best deals in Guatemala though.
I am in my 40s and pay about $60 per month. I don't foresee that figure going up to $500-$1000 when I reach my 50s. Although with everything going on with health care, who knows? I've had this type of insurance for several years and haven't regretted it yet.
Sitting on a beach in Nicaragua sounds better to me too but eventually you might get tired of that and want to see your family and friends back home. Also there are some people who would actually prefer to live in the US than Nicaragua. Different strokes for different folks. I am not trying to discourage people from retiring abroad. I have considered it myself. I am just letting people know that there are other options.

Andy Hough of MO 12:27PM July 03, 2010

The article failed to include free 911 assistance while contemplating a Kansis City section 8 lifestyle.

oteyokwa of FL 12:22PM July 03, 2010

i gotta say i'd rather be in nicaragua drinking tropical juices near the warm beach than kansas city

silverio of CA 5:37PM July 02, 2010

Health care may be the biggest (huge) issue facing many unemployed people in the US. A more realistic number is at least $500 - $1000 per month for someone 50+ regardless of whether they have issues or not. Over the course of several years, either insurance, co-pays, deductibles or some treatment or prescription is going to hit them. You too easily overlooked that. Health care is out of control in the US and breaking the back of those without it provided by work or the government.

Marty of FL 4:17PM July 02, 2010

But your Kansas City budget does not include a full time maid? :)
That is a bit of sarcasm, but you do not really mention the quality of life in your article. I could be homeless and live on a budget of $100 per month while eating left over food out of garbage cans on the beach in San Diego, showering in public showers and sleeping below a bridge, but I would rather not do that, just like I suspect I would rather not live the lifestyle you are describing in your budget.
I suspect that Jane's lifestyle in Nicaragua is far nicer than your lifestyle in Kansas City. I suspect that a budget of $500 for rent has her in a very nice place walking distance to, or on the beach. $350 for food is providing her a semi gourmet menu and frequent meals out. Entertainment of $250 also goes much farther. Not to mention that she has a full time maid who probably also prepares her meals, does her laundry and much more while she is relaxing.
You are comparing apples and oranges.

Chris of CA 1:55PM July 02, 2010

As I stated in the article these are my actual expenses for rent and health insurance. My rent is lower than usual but it isn't that hard to find an apartment for that price. If you are splitting rent with someone than it is even easier to rent at this price or less.
My actual electric bill was $18 and change, I rounded it up to $20. I did use almost no a/c that month which kept the bill low and the only other big energy user I had was the refrigerator. I know not everyone can keep their bill that low but it is possible because I did it.
The $60 a month is how much I pay for high-deductible health insurance. This plan is adequate for me because I don't have health problems. It is true that a retiree wouldn't be able to get health insurance for this price but if they are eligible for Medicare they wouldn't be paying much more. Since Medicare doesn't usually cover services provided outside the U.S. it might be cheaper to use Medicaid in the U.S. than pay for medical expenses out of pocket in a foreign country.
I don't expect people to be able to exactly replicate the budget, I am just trying to give an idea of what is possible.

Andy Hough of MO 11:25AM July 02, 2010

I agree, totally unrealistic to find quality health insurance anywhere in the us for that amount. Now I am talking about quality. Most people who pay $60 for health insurance has a very high co payment and get very few services and when they do get or need more services, they pay the full amount the doctor charges.

sl of CO 10:30AM July 02, 2010