Retiring Early? Try Panama
If you have $500 a month from a government agency or a defined-benefit pension plan, you’re eligible for Panama’s pensionada program. You don’t even have to be retirement age to qualify. The plan offers generous discounts on all sorts of things from hotel rooms and restaurant meals to closing costs on home loans.
If you’re going to Panama to start a business, the government there makes that easy, too. There’s high-speed internet access. Oh, and the currency here is U.S. dollars.
Panama has something, or somewhere, for every lifestyle. In Panama City, you could live in a high-rise condo with a ocean view or a restored villa with baroque touches in an old-town atmosphere. You could choose a community, perhaps a gated one, with other expats from around the world. Or you could live in a rural area surrounded by lush tropical plants. There’s something for every budget, too. Whatever your preference, your living costs will be between half and 65% of what they’d be in the U.S.
For more information on Panama, see the article and resource listing at http://www.liveabroad.com/articles/panama.html.