Ok...for those people getting up there.....wanted to start a topic on where you are thinking about retirement (or already have retired).

I love the ocean (still surf) and when I look at the US, I'm starting to lean towards becoming an ex-pat and retiring in either Nicaragua or El Salvador. People are like...is that actually safe?!?!?

So here is my thoughts....would love Costa Rica but.....20 years too late buying in there. El Salvador and Nicaragua both are known for their surfing and are trying to become what Costa Rica is today. Leaning more towards El Salvador as the people there are known to be incredibly friendly and is slightly more developed. But both want to be what Costa Rica has become which is a gentrified country with MASSIVE tourism yet are not there yet. So you can buy an ocean front home (3 bedroom) for 400k'ish instead of Costa Rica which would be millions.

Plus, I should be able to generate approx. 200k in retirement income per year between Social Security and Investment income. Now I'm never going to have billions and retire to the south of France....but.....to have a home on the ocean, paid for in cash with 200k in El Salvador, figure you could pretty much live like a king. Where as if I were to try this in the US, I'd need to retire to Arkansas, get taxed out of my mind, and 200k would last me to like June lol.

Would love anyone's thoughts on this.....or other great ideas for retirement.

how's el tamarindo's contract with the city waste union ?

1 minute ago, wholesale_Melvin said:

how's el tamarindo's contract with the city waste union ?

No clue..please expound on this for me......but like I said...where Costa Rica is basically gentrified, missed that window to buy 20 years ago. I have no misconceptions that El Salvador nor Nicaragua are Costa Rica from a development/infrastructure point of view. But....it's also 25% of the cost. I mean if I had unlimited resources, I'd retire in Cabo!

Not sure how the surfing is, but have you looked in to Florida's "Forgotten Coast"? Im no expert. Watched a Peter Santinello video on that area which seems to be a line of coastal towns, not densely populated, with cheap, locally owned businesses for eating.

What kind of lifestyle do you have where $200k in America (and you listed broke Arkansas as your comp) only lasts until June?!?

My retirement has a ways to go still

Creating more storage space in my google account, I just came across this that I screenshotted at some point.

13 hours ago, NYEagle said:

No clue..please expound on this for me......but like I said...where Costa Rica is basically gentrified, missed that window to buy 20 years ago. I have no misconceptions that El Salvador nor Nicaragua are Costa Rica from a development/infrastructure point of view. But....it's also 25% of the cost. I mean if I had unlimited resources, I'd retire in Cabo!

As you age you need healthcare infrastructure, sadly

I don't see how 200K wouldn't go far in a middle of now where place like Arkansas. The only issue I see with your plan is if you live long enough you're eventually going to be dependent on someone for basic care. Did you think about healthcare? Do you have family that can stay with you wherever you choose to live if you need living assistance? Maybe have a rental property close to your family so that if you have to move back it won't be a huge deal financially.

7 hours ago, pisceschica said:

I don't see how 200K wouldn't go far in a middle of now where place like Arkansas. The only issue I see with your plan is if you live long enough you're eventually going to be dependent on someone for basic care. Did you think about healthcare? Do you have family that can stay with you wherever you choose to live if you need living assistance? Maybe have a rental property close to your family so that if you have to move back it won't be a huge deal financially.

This is a very serious thought....so first off my wife is 20 years younger than me and she works in senior care so...I do have her as a support system. Second, and this is going to sound very morbid, I have told her...that if I start to decline, especially mentally with something like dementia or alzheimers, give me a happy pill with a bottle of f'ing vodka and let me go. Having seen the state of senior care in the facilities she works at, I'd rather her kill me off than spend 12,000 a month for me to be in a place that allows people to sit in their own feces and slowly die off. Also, the capital of San Salvador is like 30 minutes from the beaches where I was targeting living and their is actually pretty good healthcare there.

And I was joking about the 200k in Arkansas....I DON'T WANT TO DIE IN F'ING ARKANSAS. But if you're asking me, where would I love to retire in the US where I can have warm weather, surf and enjoy life.....I guess I'd say San Diego but.........the cost of living will not allow that. Florida? Ugh....no thank you.

Good luck in your decision. Have you visited either of these places? Would definitely recommend spending some time there before you choose.

One thought I had with getting up there in age and having cared for my mother who we placed in assisted living (worse than burying them when you take them from their home)-if that ish starts happening to me, I might buy a plane ticket and just go off someplace to die. Out west maybe. I think WY lets you walk out to prairie. Should my children take me to a home I told them to just drop me off and don't come back. I don't think it's morbid. When you get to be my age you think about such things.

I have a blue collar buddy of mine, worked here in the mill for 25 years and retired at 55. Moved to Costa Rica before prices went up and is living like a king.

On 7/7/2025 at 6:40 PM, HazletonEagle said:

Creating more storage space in my google account, I just came across this that I screenshotted at some point.

He would've had more money if he didn't spend it all on those fancy chompers.

On 7/8/2025 at 7:26 PM, Redden said:

I have a blue collar buddy of mine, worked here in the mill for 25 years and retired at 55. Moved to Costa Rica before prices went up and is living like a king.

This is my point.....Costa Rica is beautiful but....you had to buy there 20 years ago and now prices are way expensive. Nicaragua and El Salvador want to become Costa Rica and gentrify. Are they both where Costa Rica is today? No! But neither is the cost of housing.....these countries are where Costa Rica was 20 years ago. Is there risk, are there pockets of bad areas? I'm sure but having grown up in Center City Philadelphia.....I mean, would I go into West Philly past University of Pennsylvania after dark....F NO! Having to take the Broad Street line up to North Philly to Ogontz and Olney to go to Central High and having gone to Temple......do you stroll through North Philly...um no! A friend of mine knows ex pats down there that live beach front and love it. Now just as a break in case of emergency, they also got two Rotweilers and they say that no one dares f with them!

14 hours ago, NYEagle said:

This is my point.....Costa Rica is beautiful but....you had to buy there 20 years ago and now prices are way expensive. Nicaragua and El Salvador want to become Costa Rica and gentrify. Are they both where Costa Rica is today? No! But neither is the cost of housing.....these countries are where Costa Rica was 20 years ago. Is there risk, are there pockets of bad areas? I'm sure but having grown up in Center City Philadelphia.....I mean, would I go into West Philly past University of Pennsylvania after dark....F NO! Having to take the Broad Street line up to North Philly to Ogontz and Olney to go to Central High and having gone to Temple......do you stroll through North Philly...um no! A friend of mine knows ex pats down there that live beach front and love it. Now just as a break in case of emergency, they also got two Rotweilers and they say that no one dares f with them!

Seems too risky. Ima just park my butt in Kiawah Island when the time comes

8 hours ago, ToastJenkins said:

Seems too risky. Ima just park my butt in Kiawah Island when the time comes

I think you may be in a tad bit better financial situation lmao...I just looked at some of the costs of property there! And.....I saw a property tax rate of 4% so if you have a million dollar home (which looks like that might be for a shack on the island)....40k a year in property taxes alone. I mean hey...if ya got it, spend it my man! I'll have approx. 3 to 3.5 million in assets along with Social Security of approx. 4,000 a month. I figured 500k on a beautiful house leaving 3 million. That in a conservative 5% yield gives me approx. 200k income a year. 200k in Kiawah vs. 200k in La Libertad me thinks the 200k would go A LOT further in El Salvador lol

I decided I'm going to live in a van down by the river.

19 hours ago, Redden said:

I decided I'm going to live in a van down by the river.

getting kicked out of a chick's house doesn't count as retirement brah!