In Photos: The Many, and Often Surprising, Faces of Panama City
Those gleaming towers by the Panama Bay…how they sparkle at night. They are the reason visitors are often astonished to see such a modern looking city in Central America.
International Living’s expat network is your key to a new life in a new country. Get real, honest advice from people just like you. Discover the tips, tricks, shortcuts, and strategies you can use to cut through red tape and improve your life overseas right away.
Read about and learn from real-life experiences our expats have had in their new home countries, from health care to taxes, earning an income overseas to buying real estate…and much more.
[retirement_index_signup]Those gleaming towers by the Panama Bay…how they sparkle at night. They are the reason visitors are often astonished to see such a modern looking city in Central America.
“My job required me to travel the globe and it was then that I discovered the world is a big, interesting place,” says Toronto native Jim Pierson of his past life as an engineer. In the mid-90s, a chance encounter on a commuter flight from Chicago to Toronto brought Jim and his wife Helen together.
Before moving to Ireland, my husband Joe and I knew we wanted to live an international lifestyle. But where? We researched all sorts of places: big cities, small towns, beaches, mountains, and deserts. The connection with my Irish ancestry finally became our turning point.
Costa Rica is a small country, about the size of West Virginia. But it does have an extensive coastline, with 780 miles on the Pacific Ocean, and 132 miles on the Caribbean Sea.
Los Chorros Waterfalls, just outside the town of Grecia, is a wonderful park that is mostly overlooked by tourists. The park has two waterfalls for you to enjoy, which are set in a gorge surrounded by greenery.
On my international real estate beat I look for two things: Capital appreciation and strong rental income. Some locations will offer appreciation potential, others the income. Only in a rare place at a unique moment does an opportunity tick both boxes.
My family and I hail from one of the sunniest cities in Canada; Calgary, Alberta. Set at the foot of the mighty Canadian Rockies, Calgary offers plenty of the outdoor enjoyment we love. But the season we enjoy the most, summer, lasts a short six weeks at best. The rest of the year is windy, soggy, and at times frigidly cold. Sunny just isn’t as much fun at 4 F.
Nicaragua is an economical paradise. Imagine your dream location, with your favorite views, the best weather you can imagine, plenty of things to do, lots of new friends, and all for only $1,500 a month. That works out at just $18,000 a year to live in this beautiful country including everything: a furnished place to live, food, WiFi, electricity, water, trash, entertainment—everything! And you can enjoy a higher quality of life to boot.
By now it’s no secret that Ecuador is a very affordable place to live. In fact, my life in the little mountain town of Cotacachi is so inexpensive that I can support my family of four as a part-time freelancer.
Living in the tropics is a dream for many, and Chiang Mai, Thailand, is still a popular destination for those seeking a year-round hot climate, along with a low cost of living. Although far from any white sandy beaches, Chiang Mai still has plenty of activities to keep you busy, both in the city and the surrounding countryside.