Panama Named Best Place to Retire in 2016 by Mossack Fonseca
International
Living has once again published their survey and Panama was at the top
of the list for places to retire in the world.
In Panama, a retired American
couple can live on the beach and eat farmer’s market fruits and vegetables all
year-round, without sacrificing the conveniences and amenities of home for
$1,500 a month — all in.
The
cost of living is low compared to the quality of life in Panama, which is why
the Central American country was named the best place to retire in
International Living’s Annual Global Retirement Index for 2016.
Already home to 50,000 US expats,
Panama topped the index after raking in top scores across 10 categories
including: buying
and renting property, visas and residence, cost of
living, environment and amenities, health care, infrastructure, and climate.
The list was compiled after
consulting a team of correspondents, editors and retirees around the world.
New this year, voters were also
asked to weigh in on two added categories which have emerged as important
issues for expat retirees: healthy
lifestyle and visas and residence.
Couples interviewed for the index
raved about their new life in Panama, where the sweet life is described as not
only cheaper, but simpler and stress-free.
“We’re healthier and living a
better lifestyle here than we ever did in the U.S.,” says expat Mitzi Martain,
who has lived on her farm near Santa Fe, Panama for nearly the last nine years.
Added Connie and Mikkel Moller who
have been in Panama since 2012: “Our stress level is 10 percent of what it used
to be.”
Utilities are a fraction of what
retirees are used to paying back in the US, clocking in at around $100 a month
for electricity, water, internet, cellphone cards, and trash pickup and
allowing renters to live happily on $1,500 a month.
That can be slashed by up to half
for couples who own their own property.
“In Panama’s capital I have the
best of both worlds,” said IL Panama Editor Jessica Ramesch.
“There’s a growing cultural and
arts scene…opera showcases, art exhibit openings and handicraft festivals…
[And] there are so many new restaurants every week, I stopped trying to keep
track.”
Here are the top 10 places to
retire according to International Living’s Global Retirement Index 2016:
2.
Ecuador
3.
Mexico
4.
Costa Rica
5.
Malaysia
6.
Colombia
7.
Thailand
8.
Nicaragua
9.
Spain
10.
Portugal
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