- Some older Americans said they moved abroad because they were unable to withstand a comfortable retirement in the United States.
- They cited high costs for medical insurance and housing as reasons for their movements.
- Four retirees who moved to Costa Rica, Ecuador and Spain shared how the movement helped their governor.
Amy Glen felt that she had no choice but to leave the United States.
Glenn, 72, said that she could not bear the costs of life in Texas after years of teaching political science and economics at a university and for a decade of attention to her parents full time. She was afraid that she would be $ 1,200 to live comfortably to live in the United States.
In January 2023, she paid $ 165,000 for a house in Costa Rica. Every month, $ 300 spends on groceries, $ 70 on electricity, and $ 80 on medicines and doctors ’visits.
“I couldn’t buy this few properties in the United States, and this takes a great weight from my mind because I know that I will not be homeless,” said Glenn. “Financial pressure has gone.”
During the past few years, dozens of American expatriates have told BI their reasons for moving abroad. Many, including retirees, mentioned the high cost of living in the United States as a major incentive to move to relatively cheaper countries such as Mexico, Ecuador and Spain.
The backyard of my mother Glenn in Costa Rica.
Amy Glenn
Work Statistics Office data indicates that consumers’ prices have risen more than 23 % since 2020. Inflation usually strikes the elderly of Americans more difficult because they often depend on fixed income from retirement savings or social security.
more 760,000 The Americans abroad get the advantages of social security annually. Data from Social Security Administration He explains that the average monthly social security feature was 1976 dollars from December 2024.
“We have a large number of people who do not have sufficient retirement savings to complete their social guarantee,” David John, AARP Supreme Policy Adviser to Aarp. “Social security is for a large number of people. This means, mainly, that they may not have a kind of retirement they dreamed of.”
The dilemma has left many older Americans who are thinking about moving abroad as a medical retirement key.
They want retired people to live where the costs are low and the quality of life is high
Some older Americans have the financial means of living in the United States, but they realize that it may not be the best investment or in line with the lifestyle they imagine in the long run.
Shona Lom, a transport coach in Spain, has helped retirees to move abroad, that BI had been especially attractive to retirees on a fixed income.
“The ability to withstand costs is a great reason for my customers to move abroad, especially retirees on fixed income,” Lom said. “Many of them find that in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama, they can live comfortably in social security examination – which is not possible for them in the United States.”
Sandy Bernhaus, a clinical hearing specialist who retired from her advisory practice in 2024 at the age of 73. She had large savings and investments scattered across multiple assets.
Although Berenhaus could have continued to live in her luxury apartment of 4000 dollars in New Jersey-a bedroom unit and two bathrooms with her inner garage and a community group-she knew that relying on social security and can also be its main income made retirement in the states United United financially.
Birnhaus told BI: “My savings and investments may be seen as” large “by some, but it is clear that she risks greatly exposure over time without making major changes in my life style, not to mention the occurrence of unexpected emergencies.” “I am not a millionaire. If I lose my social guarantee, this is a big problem.”
Sandy Perrinhaus dances in a club in Sala Bouvia, Barcelona.
With the permission of Sandy Brenheus
Besides financial affairs, Bernhaus said that the division policy in the United States began to stop it. She wanted to live in a place where she could really enjoy life.
After consulting with LUM this year, Berenhaus mobilized and moved to Barceloneta, a Seaside neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain. You live in healthy bedroom health with beach views and pay $ 2000 per month.
“Personite is the perfect starting point for the next separation of my life,” she said. “Live here allows me to follow many personal feelings in a small part of the prices of New York City. I have music, dance places, and beautiful beaches on Dary’s threshold. In addition, there are friendly residents and a huge group of similar expatriates from all over the world.”
Health care costs have paid some older Americans
Stephen Fraga, who is now 66 years old, left his job at a TV station in North Carolina in 2020. He was expected to work for another few years before enjoying his retirement in the mountains, where he bought a house in West Jefferson.
However, he struggled empty to find work. Although he was open to wage reduction, he said he received “there is no single phone call” when applying for jobs, which he said was worrying. While doing mathematics for his retirement, he and his wife discovered the monthly health insurance premium of $ 1930 – not including discounts – about $ 150,000 over the next seven to eight years.
Stephen Fraga and his wife from North Carolina moved to Kuenca, Ecuador.
Stephen Fragrance
Fragrance and his wife decided that the best action plan is to leave the United States and move abroad, as they could be able to bear daily expenses and health care. He got the monthly social security income of $ 2,400 and moved to Queena, Ecuador. A pension of $ 570 after taxes. He and his wife had about $ 850,000 of common assets before leaving it.
In Cuenca, a city in the Andes Mountains, they bought a 1,200 square feet residence for about $ 150,000. Earlier every month, they said they spend $ 177 on health insurance, $ 22 on property taxes compared to $ 285 in the United States, and $ 39 for home owners insurance compared to $ 145. The grocery is somewhat similar to the United States, about $ 600 per month, and is devoted to about $ 300 for restaurants and entertainment.
“We can do more than we can in the United States when we were working,” said Far. “We have eaten perhaps once a week because this was all we can tolerate. We are now eating from eight to 10 times a month.”
Brenda Price and her husband moved to Valencia, Spain.
Brenda price
Brenda Price, 59, said that healthcare costs also led her to move abroad from Minnesota.
PRICE worked in international financing for most of her career and retired early in 55 years. I have been tired of paying more than $ 1,000 of insurance premiums per month in addition to an annual discount of $ 10,000, in addition to $ 2200 per month in addition to studio facilities.
“We were able to make it work, but it was a completely different lifestyle because the costs are much lower than it was in the United States.” “We were limited, and we could not spend much.”
Price and her husband moved to Valencia, Spain, two years ago. They rent an apartment with an area of 1,200 square feet with a balcony and terrace for $ 1500 per month.
She said that grocery stores cost 30 % to 40 %, while health insurance is about 200 dollars per month. She said that public transport is about 40 cents, while the museum’s visit is running $ 2. It is estimated that it spends about $ 200 per month on activities and about $ 300 on Spanish chapters. I also enjoyed the cost of travel, as soon as you travel to Morocco for about 80 euros, or $ 83.
“I am a lot of budget, and I know what we should spend and what we should spend,” said Price. “We are very happy here, and we have no plans now to leave.”
