So many people ask questions on comparing countries for retirement or relocation. Even a person that has lived in both countries is not qualified to judge simply because different areas of a country are significantly different in climate, affordability, friendliness, etc. Would a person living in Los Angeles be qualified to comment on life in Arkansas?

You must make a list of basic minimum qualifications for considering another country. This narrows it down to countries meeting your requirements. Then you must visit the country for an extended period. My wife and I like Nicaragua but we would never recommend someone live in Northeast Nicaragua where there are no roads or sufficient means to live a style of life we need.

My website www.nicaragua-guide.com covers requirements for residency. Availability of automobiles and beef is very good. Health care and good schools are only available near a few major metropolitan areas.

For personal observations, google for blogs in both countries but blogs are very haphazard. As you know, negative people tend to rant more than positive people and many of the blogs are by people that are just passing through.

You can also buy the latest Moon or Lonely Planet travel book to get views on the different countries from the same viewpoint. Moon even has one on Living in Nicaragua.

Good luck in your search. I personally think Nicaragua is a better choice, closer to the USA and signs are positive for the future. As you probably know from your travels, the cost of living is cheaper in poor countries but there are reasons the country is poor. And being cheaper means your expectations must be realistic.

Darrell

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Darrell is right on . . . a matter of personal preferences I guess. We were looking to retire in Latin America and just got back from a month in Granada, NI. We fell in love with Granada, the people especially. I think one's general perspective of life should apply to wherever you go? If you like to take long walks at night in a tough neighborhood in the States, then you can do that in Granada too. I know that sounds silly, but many people have asked us about how we felt about our safety. We use the same awareness precautions in Granada that we use in Riverside, CA! A little common sense sure goes a long way. I read about the topic of "corruption" too and quite frankly, I tried to think back to the last contact I had with a policeman in the States? We live right and consider others, so we haven't had any contact with the police. Even the check point going to Masaya were polite! I'm always aware of my surroundings and believe me, if there are any bad guys hanging around they will notice that you're doing that and for the most part, move on. We didn't want to stay in or really associate with the ex-pat community, although we were pleased to meet several ex-pat's in Granada. It's the local Nica people that sold us on Granada!

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