I am happy for the forum members who have moved to very low-cost-of-living countries and seem to be having a wonderful time, but how come they are always men?
Do we have any single, female, ER "expats" who have moved to the southern hemisphere, or some very low-cost country, to live?
I think it has to do with size (only 7,000)and general theme (retirement planning) of the forum. In Peru we have an expat forum with a high percentage of female posters.
With respect to "low cost" Major cities in SA are lower cost than comparable cities stateside, but are generally more expensive than "retirement locations" stateside.
However, once you go to rural areas that lack basic infrastructure, living cheaply can be achieved.
These areas are not attractive to the AW, but can have a major appeal to the single male retiree on a small budget. Besides the low cost, you also have the ability to find a beautiful young wife and even start a first or second family.
Living in city (although more costly) gives me access to everything NYC offered me with the advantages of low cost (high quality) medical,dental care, a more attractive climate, better cuisine (top 3 in the world),a younger population(avg age 23) and 3-4 women to every man!
If you need an income down here,want to open a business, enjoy golf then this is obviously not the place for you. On the other hand if you enjoy Surfing, Parasailing , Eating well and chasing women Peru has few peers!
I have seen the term "third world" appear several times in the forums and wonder why a outdated "political term" is so often misused.
For those who do not know:
First World= Any country that is an ally of the United States.
Second World= Any country that is an ally of the former Soviet Union.
Third World= all the rest.
More appropriate would be to use economic terms such as: Developed,Developing,Underdeveloped
Under this scheme most countries in LAM would be considered "developing".
Peru and Panama are both countries that managed to escape the "Financial Crisis" to date.
In 2009 Peru's growth managed to eclipse Panama but nonetheless has dropped from 9.2 to 3%.
Prior to the Financial crisis Peru was scheduled to reach developed nation status in 2017.