Mexico top retirement haven

Published: Sept. 22, 2007 at 12:43 AM

BALTIMORE, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Mexico jumped four places to become the world's top retirement haven combining old-world charm with top-notch healthcare, says International Living magazine.

International Living magazine's Fifth Annual Global Retirement Index said that following Mexico as a great place to retire are: Ecuador, Italy, Panama, Australia, Malta, Spain, South Africa and Malaysia.

"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," Laura Sheridan, International Living's managing editor, said in a statement.

Clinics and hospitals are staffed by expert physicians, and medical care and prescription drugs cost a fraction of what is charged in the United States, the magazine said.

Panama fell from the top spot, in part because the price of real estate has risen dramatically -- particularly in Panama City.

The United States ranks 19th in the report and gets particularly bad marks in the area of special benefits for retirees -- tax breaks, discounts and freebies that various governments offer to residents, sometimes specifically to foreign residents in an effort to attract retirement dollars. However, the United States scores well in safety and infrastructure.

© 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
NASA to telecast Soyuz launch, ISS docking (4 min)
FDA: Link between norovirus and oysters? (24 min)
Treasury more optimistic on bailout costs (28 min)
Temporary improvement in job sector (36 min)
Alabama takes over top of coaches' poll
NASA to attend Copenhagen climate meeting
SEC win makes Alabama clear No. 1
fark
If you don't want to walk home in the cold, you could take a bus, or a cab, or even hitchhike. But...
Photoshop this crewwoman caging cones
The War on Christmas™? At my climate change conference? It's more likely than you think
If you don't remember why December 7 is an important day, this guy remembers
Train buffs arrested after building their own locomotive out of spare parts, garden furniture and...
The six scariest processed foods the world has ever seen, or as they are known in America, 'lunch'...