Places Where You Can Retire on $200,000 and Feel Rich

[Capt. Ray]

I heartily endorse the Philippines. No visa needed (indefinitely extendable), all official communication is English, most people speak some English. I went to see a movie last night - English, no subtitles. That's normal.

Originally Posted by SV Windrush II

Come to the Philippines, food is cheap, beautiful anchorages, hook up to a mooring for about $200 per month or less, or just hang out for free on the hook. Puerto Princesa Palawan is a great place with great food and good moorage for about $100 per month and rarely Typhoons, but some hiding holes if necessary. Don't listen to negative from people who don't live here. There are good and bad places in every country, but Filipinos are very friendly to foreigners and hospitable.

There is also a marina that will be built soon in Lobo Batangas. It will be the largest full service marina in SE Asia. American designed.

[john61ct]

I've lived most of my adult life in later-developing nations and usually in rural subsistence areas at not much higher expenditures than what a local teacher or doctor makes - yes the two professions should usually pay roughly the same.

If you have the ability, I highly recommend learning the local language as quickly and thoroughly as possible, and avoid English speakers, certainly in the early stages.

Going local not only lets you get a much higher quality of life for a small fraction of the money spent on living expenses, your experiences there will be much richer, even life-altering.

Cynics say you never truly become part of the community, and certainly you will always be Other, but by minimizing the barriers big money differences create, you can create very deep and long-lasting relationships over time.

[AndyEss]

Originally Posted by john61ct

I've lived most of my adult life in later-developing nations and usually in rural subsistence areas at not much higher expenditures than what a local teacher or doctor makes - yes the two professions should usually pay roughly the same.

If you have the ability, I highly recommend learning the local language as quickly and thoroughly as possible, and avoid English speakers, certainly in the early stages.

Going local not only lets you get a much higher quality of life for a small fraction of the money spent on living expenses, your experiences there will be much richer, even life-altering.

Cynics say you never truly become part of the community, and certainly you will always be Other, but by minimizing the barriers big money differences create, you can create very deep and long-lasting relationships over time.

I'd agree with most of that.

To me, being rich or feeling rich is enjoying my life without continually being worried about money, or when the next job would come in (I worked for myself for most of my life in a business field notorious for companies going under).
I've always lived frugally, and now feel pretty good about many of my life's choices that got me here.

When I go out here in Mexico, I usually eat at local taco stands. The beers are cold, the food pretty darn good, and plenty of good looking senoritas to enjoy.
A good meal with plenty of beer is well less than $10. A good lunch can be gotten for $3-4 but I'll be damned if I give up beer.

If I'm on a date ($30-50 is a really expensive date and plenty of good wine) and having a good time, I'll splurge and have a wandering mariachi band seranade us - $10 for hiring a three to six person band for 4-5 minutes. I date local ladies while my boater friends ask me if language barriers are a problem. I tell them that with my poor Spanish and often my date's poor to non-existent English, how can we possibly get into an argument? (My last date in the US right after the 2016 election ended up in a fistfight. Luckily for me, she was pretty small, so by putting my hand on her head, I could keep her swinging fists from reaching me. I think I made the matter worse for her by laughing as hard as I did).

If you are going to try to live better by moving out of the US, you have to go as local as possible.

If you don't, all that expense will pretty soon follow you.

Learning at least some of the local language is key. Besides, all that neural network growth in learning a new language will pay off far, far better than soduku in staving off senile dementia.

[SV Windrush II]

Originally Posted by Capt. Ray

I heartily endorse the Philippines. No visa needed (indefinitely extendable), all official communication is English, most people speak some English. I went to see a movie last night - English, no subtitles. That's normal.

Yes, it is one of the few countries that they teach English in school, all the way from grade 1-12. So most everyone can speak or understand English, there is a few places out in the province that is a little challenging but at least they will understand you.

Many sailors here survive on about $1500 per month although that does not include boat repairs. Philippine is beginning to wake up to the sailing industry and I am getting a lot of interest from business people and mayors that want to facilitate.

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Vietnam in a heartbeat for us if only we could get the boat in.

If we decide to go land based again I reckon it'll be top of our short list.

You like Vietnam better than Australia?

I like Vietnam, spent over 7 years flying there 3 times a month.

I don't think I would want to live there full time however....but to each their own.

Now Australia?.......I easily could live there full time and am actually looking into it.

As to the thread....Unfortunately, $200k won't go too far in Oz from what little i've experienced.

[SV Windrush II]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

You like Vietnam better than Australia?

I like Vietnam, spent over 7 years flying there 3 times a month.

I don't think I would want to live there full time however....but to each their own.

Now Australia?.......I easily could live there full time and am actually looking into it.

As to the thread....Unfortunately, $200k won't go too far in Oz from what little i've experienced.

From everything I am hearing, Vietnam has no facilities for a yacht? They are beginning to have interest but im not sure if there is anything started yet.

My friend sailed there and it was "Fun" to check in and only on the hook.

Anyone have more info?

[roland stockham]

'Feel rich' is totally subjective. Be richer than the people around you may be objective but able to live the lifestyle you want is the real question and involves far more important things than money

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by SV Windrush II

From everything I am hearing, Vietnam has no facilities for a yacht? They are beginning to have interest but im not sure if there is anything started yet.

My friend sailed there and it was "Fun" to check in and only on the hook.

Anyone have more info?

Pretty much what Noonsite says, nothings changed yet.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by SV Windrush II

From everything I am hearing, Vietnam has no facilities for a yacht? They are beginning to have interest but im not sure if there is anything started yet.

My friend sailed there and it was "Fun" to check in and only on the hook.

Anyone have more info?

Ana Marina in Nha Trang is in the construction phase...

https://anamarina.com/

https://www.sail-world.com/news/2186...busy-this-week

https://www.triaccomposites.com/late...-boat-industry

[UFO]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Goa..

Never realised you were a party animal

[UFO]

Originally Posted by stewie

DR is one of the most dangerous places to drive in the world. Apart from that I would agree as No2. After retiring from yaching I have lived in Spain for many years and it has just about the right balance for the cost of food, drink, cost of living and eating out. The summer is guaranteed and a mild winter and it is not a third world country, in fact, today it is one of Europes top places to live.

You should try driving in India

[Sojourner]

Originally Posted by UFO

You should try driving in India

I rode a motorcycle from Delhi to Kanyakumari (cape comorin) and back to Madras over 6 weeks... best fun I ever did have

Somewhere in Amedabad I think (or maybe Pondicherry, it was a few years back), sharing the road with everything from chickens, pigs, walkers, cows, scooters, trikes, trucks, weaving in and out like one of a school of fish, I pull up beside a big gray bus at an intersection to wait for a break in traffic. Suddenly the big gray bus lunges sideways at me. It was a damn elephant

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by UFO

You should try driving in India

You want to try driving in Bali, Hahahaha

[Sojourner]

Such an open ended question....depends on what you like, what you can put up with, what negative things for many people you view as positive. Pretty much most third and second world countries you can live richly off a simple social security retirement from the US, esp starting with a little nest egg to set up a cottage somewhere. This is exactly what we are looking for as well down the line, fwiw, sailing around the world now to pick up a little plot of land on a coast somewhere cheap and building on it in a few decades

Anything in SE asia will be cheap as long as you go outside the tourist places at this point. Long ago when I first started spending time in Cambodia, there was no-one around much of the coastline, a squid shack and group of awesome street kids and that's about it...I could have bought half of the beach for a quarter, but I didn't have ten cents to spare. Now I couldn't afford a meter of sand in the same spot (snookyville). But a little more remote, sure. But you gotta love what that means. Highcountry thailand, same deal..... aw hell this is turning into a rant against overtourism and overdevelopment, isn't it. Ok, you can still buy a vineyard for 15,000 USD in a beautiful part of hungary with enough vines for 500 bottles a year, dozens of fruit trees, vegetable garden, a small pretty 3-room house with cellar and well water... I know cause I had one. I bet you can do it in Romania, Bulgaria too. Moldova for sure...I have a friend from the states who sold up and lives like a king in chisinau. Another friend is selling a big piece of land on St John in the USVI for about 200k, perfect for a cottage...I'd do it half underground to be hurricane proof myself.

Here in Sicily, in the beautiful and highly sailed aeolian islands, you can buy a cottage for 200k up in the hills. If you live cheap on a SS income or the like, you could live here year round...but it gets cold and windy in the winter, and the population of the island is 200 and gets around on donkeys. But it sounds kinda great, no? Grow some basil and tomatoes, harvest sea urchins and squid all summer long, read books and watch old movies all winter.

Too many gorgeous places to live with just one life... Near the sea, southeast turkey! South morocco! Rural Portugal or greece. Actually I'd love an apartment in tangier.... ok i'm going off the rails here, time for a swim. Cheers!

[SV Windrush II]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

Ana Marina in Nha Trang is in the construction phase...

https://anamarina.com/

https://www.sail-world.com/news/2186...busy-this-week

https://www.triaccomposites.com/late...-boat-industry

WOW great news! cant wait to see it in operation