International Living Study Says Mexico Best Country to Retire
BALTIMORE, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- International Living magazine - a leading resource for helping people live, travel, and prosper overseas - has released its 15th Annual Global Retirement Index. Mexico jumped four places to take the top spot as the world's top retirement haven. It is praised as an affordable combination of modern features and old-world charm. "Mexico offers the perfect mix of centuries-old traditions and contemporary lifestyles. Moving to Mexico means you can still have all of the amenities you grew accustomed to north of the border: cable TV, high-speed Internet, and modern home appliances," says Laura Sheridan, International Living's managing editor. (more)
Editor's Comment: Grain Of Salt Alert. I know this is "old news" and that IL made the change to their list a few weeks ago. I blew it off at the time because International Living (IL) is a real estate company disguised as an information resource. They are a magazine that wants to sell you real estate. IL listed France as the top retirement destination for years, until of course the editor fell out of grace there and shortly thereafter France fell from the top of the IL list. Panama was #1 on the IL hit parade for awhile because they were (are) making a hell of a lot of money by promoting Panama. Anyway, it looks like they are going to make more promoting Mexico. Whatever. Just see IL for what they are - real estate promoters, first and foremost. The magazine, information, promotions, speakers, tours, forums, and all the rest are designed to first create a market, and then sell property to them. And of course it makes sense that the "#1 Retirement Destination According to International Living" is where ever they happen to be peddling real estate. Again, whatever. At least you can drink the water here.
Mexico also benefits from top-notch health care, a diverse climate, and affordable real estate, according to the report.
The top 10 is a diverse group with countries from 6 continents represented. Trailing Mexico were Ecuador, Italy, Panama, Australia, Malta, Spain, South Africa, and Malaysia, in that order.
Panama fell from the top spot in part because the price of real estate there has risen dramatically - particularly in Panama City - and because the government has recently restricted tourist visas to just 30 days, making it more difficult for seasonal part-timers to live there. International Living still considers Panama a top destination, however, ranking it fourth in the Index.
The report analyzes 29 countries, and ranks them in categories including real estate costs, special benefits offered to retirees, culture, safety and stability, healthcare, climate, infrastructure, and cost of living. To see the complete list, visit http://www.internationalliving.com/retirement .The United States ranks #19 in the report. The U.S. receives particularly bad marks in the area of special benefits for retirees. It scores well in both safety and infrastructure.
The United Kingdom ranks at the bottom of the list at #29 - primarily because of its high real estate prices and overall high cost of living.
International Living
(http://www.internationalliving.com/), founded in 1979, helps people live out their dreams by relocating, traveling, and investing overseas. International Living publishes a monthly magazine; a free daily e-letter http://www.internationalliving.com/e-letter_signup3.html , read by more than 500,000 subscribers; and several country-specific e-letters. To subscribe to International Living magazine, visit http://www.web-purchases.com/ILV/WILVH908/landing.html . For more information on retiring in Mexico, subscribe to the Mexico Insider at a special introductory rate of $1 ... http://www.web-purchases.com/MPI/WMPIH9MA/landing.html . The company is headquartered in Waterford, Ireland, with offices in Baltimore, Md.; Panama City, Panama; and Paris, France.
Contact: Daniel Lott, Web Marketing Director, dlott@internationalliving.com, 410-895-7917 Top 10 1. Mexico 2. Ecuador 3. Italy 4. Panama 5. Australia 5. Malta 7. Spain 7. South Africa 7. Malaysia 10. France 10. Thailand Other Notables 12. New Zealand 19. United States 27. Ireland 29. United Kingdom
International Living
