Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) January 03, 2012
American seniors could retire 10 years earlyand with a higher standard of livingif they did so beyond Americas borders, InternationalLiving.coms new Retirement Index 2012 has revealed.
In putting together the Index, Internationalliving.coms editors collated data from its own team of experts on the ground in the most popular countries among U.S. expat retirees.
Factors ranging from the price of bread and average humidity to utility costs and the friendliness of locals were assessed.
The information was then used to score each of the top countries out of 100 in categories such as Real Estate, Climate and Healthcare.
Ecuador scored well over a number of categories, most notably under Cost of Living.
Many Americans are wondering when, if ever, they will be able to afford to retire, said International Living magazine editor, Eoin Bassett.
He continued, What they often dont realize is the low cost of living in countries like Ecuador can open up the door to an early retirementand a standard of living way beyond what they could afford back home.
Internationalliving.com spoke to Ron and Patricia Farmer who retired to Bahia, on Ecuadors Pacific coast in February 2011. The couple reports that their expenses are around one fifth of what they were in the U.S.
Patricia said, We enjoy a very comfortable lifestyleeven more luxurious than we had in California. You can live on less, no doubt, but our current budget is $1,500 a month.
Internationalliving.coms researchers found American retirees living comfortably on extremely low budgets in places like the picturesque mountain town of Vilcabamba. One couple were living on a combined budget of just $1,075 per month.
This covered their clean, comfortable rental property, all their bills, the cost of running a car and a maid who visits twice a week.
Panama, with its excellent pensionado incentive program for retirees, came in second place in the 2012 Retirement Index while Mexico rounded out the top three.
Full details of the InternationalLiving.com Retirement Index 2012 can be viewed here: The Worlds Top Retirement Havens in 2012.
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For more than 30 years, InternationalLiving.com has been the leading authority for anyone looking for global retirement or relocation opportunities. Through its monthly magazine and related e-letters, extensive website, podcasts, online bookstore, and events held around the world, InternationalLiving.com provides information and services to help its readers live better, travel farther, have more fun, save more money, and find better business opportunities when they expand their world beyond their own shores. InternationalLiving.com has more than 200 correspondents traveling the globe, investigating the best opportunities for travel, retirement, real estate, and investment.