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Moving from the US

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Kaylove31
  1/19/2022 16:58 EST

Hello, I am very interested in moving out of the United States to South America in 2023 or at the latest 2025. I am looking at several countries but have never been to South America. The countries I am thinking about are Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, Columbia and Ecuador and Belize. I am 52 years old an empty nester and I retired from the military and also receive Social Security Disability due to the fact I am a disabled Veteran but to look at me you couldn't tell I was disabled so I don't need a place with handicap accommodations. What are the best countries to live? Better Healthcare? any advice is appreciated. I want to rent a 2-bedroom apartment where I can walk to stores, bars, restaurants. Thank you

Lanonnade5
  1/19/2022 19:11 EST

Hello Kaylove 31,

Never been to Latin America but want to retire there? Better visit first!

I am US born of South American heritage. I cannot speak about living in Panama, Costa Rica or Honduras (Central America) but I have lived in Venezuela and Colombia and have friends in Chile and Argentina who I've visited often and at length. I was a young girl in Colombia and a young adult in Venezuela where I lived for 15 years and where I would never go back to for obvious reasons.

I don't know about expatriate living because I lived as a local, but I can assure you the culture shock is... well, shocking. It took me several years to adjust even though I was/am fully bilingual and was very familiar with the idiocyncrasies of the Latin/hispanic culture.

You ask about healthcare. No country that I know of in South America has a national healthcare system that comes anywhere close to what Europe has. The should be number one on your list of things to research.

I wish you luck!

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