# Where Would You Retire To? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764 "2012-08-17T11:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/41 "2012-08-19T02:07:58Z")
South Island of New Zealand ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/42 "2012-08-19T02:53:31Z")
> [@kenner116](#): > > Taiwan or Thailand. Ideally somewhere near the coast. Taiwan is a modern, expensive country. I don’t think $300,000 would last long there. > [@DMark](#): > > Yeah, just watched an episode of House Hunters International and a guy moved to an inland city in northern Thailand - rents were ridiculously cheap (he picked an apartment for $230/month that was quite nice, but declined a $620/mo four story modern house that was spectacular!). Plus, they mentioned most people never cook at home as food is so cheap and such and abundance of places to eat. > > Not quite sure about things like health care, political climate and language barrier (I would imagine learning Thai is a bit of a challenge), but otherwise, seems like a great choice for someone with limited budget and wanting adventure and great weather. $300,000 for life _may_ last you in Thailand, but I would not want to live like that. Basic health care may be cheap, but it’s not nearly as cheap as it used to be, and even then it’s only for government hospitals, which vary wildly in terms of quality. Private health care is skyrocketing. People never cooking at home is outright bollocks. People cook at home all the time. They do eat out a lot though. (I admit we never cook at home ourselves, but most Thais I’ve known do cook at home a lot.) Buying outside meals can be cheap. But after a couple of years of living on a steady diet of cheap market and street food, you’re going to go crazy, assuming you’ve not died of food poisoning. It all depends on how long you’re going to live. Let’s say 10 years, which is a reasonably long time, I guess, for many retirees. That would come to $2500 a month, which would give you an okay existence in Bangkok, somewhat better upcountry. (Bangkok is much more expensive than the rest of the country.) I just hope you have insurance for something really serious. If you live longer than that, you may start to encounter problems. I personally plan to live into my 100s, and $300,000 would not cut it for me. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/43 "2012-08-19T07:16:10Z")
Gotta be a place with a Trader Joe’s within a half hour’s drive. And a model railroad shop. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/44 "2012-08-19T20:27:12Z")
I’m already retired. In Florida. Right were I want to be. Send me the $300 K and you’ll never hear from me again. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/45 "2012-08-19T21:18:55Z")
Plan to retire in Florida as well since I am already here, but 300K is not enough, I have more than that now and need a bit more to be happy. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/46 "2012-08-19T21:24:39Z")
How about retiring to a dying prairie town in N. Dakota, Kansas, etc.? You could buy a nice house for next to nothing, and local taxes would be next to nothing. If you can stand the isolation, might be cheap! ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/47 "2012-08-19T21:31:10Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > How about retiring to a dying prairie town in N. Dakota, Kansas, etc.? You could buy a nice house for next to nothing, and local taxes would be next to nothing. If you can stand the isolation, might be cheap! don’t forget Nebraska…if it’s windy and pretty flat and far far far from mountain or any ocean you can probably live pretty cheap. and I do! ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/48 "2012-08-19T21:44:45Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > South Island of New Zealand Christchurch or Dunedin? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/49 "2012-08-19T22:18:21Z")
Sri Lanka. Tropical island, ancient ruins, yummy Indian food/other Asian food, plenty of fish and fruit, tea plantations/culture, gemstones, and warm Buddhist culture. Sounds about right for me! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/50 "2012-08-20T00:02:57Z")
To those of you planning on retiring in Central America-be careful! In most countries, the police are corrupt. People live in gated communities for a reason. Medical care is iffy-might be good, might be not so good. Don’t count on finding an english-speaking doctor on call. Panama is one of the most crime ridden countries on earth, Be warned. ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/51 "2012-08-20T00:12:38Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > How about retiring to a dying prairie town in N. Dakota, Kansas, etc.? You could buy a nice house for next to nothing, and local taxes would be next to nothing. If you can stand the isolation, might be cheap! I take it you’re unfamiliar with the North Dakota oil boom? ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/52 "2012-08-20T00:25:01Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > A nice log home around Charlevoix, MI. close to lake Michigan, a couple acres of land, tall pine trees and amazing sunsets. > > I’d never leave. You just described where one of my brother’s lived for the last 15 years, until he moved to Las Vegas. Idiot. (Not you, my brother.) ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/53 "2012-08-20T00:36:05Z")
> [@phxjcc](#): > > Christchurch or Dunedin? Wanaka. I’m an aviation buff & my wife loves the puzzle place. Went through there on our honeymoon. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/54 "2012-08-20T00:54:08Z")
I’m lucky. I like it here — for the most part — and 300 grand’s chicken feed for any other choice I’d make if I could, which, come to think of it, doesn’t say much for those overpriced locations. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/55 "2012-08-20T02:49:57Z")
I’d stay here in my home city. It’s where I’m closest to family. But if, for some reason, I couldn’t stay here I’d go up to the Northwest US. I was stationed up at Ft. Lewis for a while, and even in a short amount of time came to love the Seattle/Tacoma area. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/56 "2012-08-20T16:08:51Z")
> [@Enuma\_Elish](#): > > I take it you’re unfamiliar with the North Dakota oil boom? Yes..but there are plenty of ND towns that are dying. You can probably buy a whole town for a few hundred thou. ---
**Author:** ![bartleby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bartleby/32/10491_2.png) [@bartleby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bartleby)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/57 "2012-08-20T16:32:22Z")
Delaware. low low low tax, affordable property, beaches, scrapple. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/58 "2012-08-20T21:18:26Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > South Island of New Zealand And luckily enough, that is where I live. 😃 I have no plans to live anywhere else but started this thread because I wondered what other people thought. New Zealand is a very pleasant and safe country to live in. From google searches, Penang, Malaysia comes up often as a good cheap retirement place. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/59 "2012-08-20T21:44:58Z")
I’d stay in Minnesota, buy a small house on a swimming lake (versus fishing lake). It would have to be relatively close to the Cities, though. I need my creature comforts. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/60 "2012-08-20T21:59:37Z")
If we really had only $300K, probably in my daughter’s base, depending on where she gets a teaching job. Happily we have a lot more than that, We are torn between staying in the Bay Area (maybe in a smaller house) or moving to the little town in NJ where we lived before, where we still know lots of people. Before we do we are going to spend six months in the middle of New York, and then maybe in the middle of London - though our other daughter is pushing for Ireland. The goal is to be in reasonably easy walking distance of culture. After that we’ll see. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764.md?page=4)