“Hello, Kathleen. Have all your books! Thank you.
“I’m Italian and thought my husband and I would retire in Italy…but not so fast! I’ve gotten very excited about living in Paris, if we can afford it, or in another region of France.
“My question is, I’m a city woman (San Francisco, Los Angeles). Would it make sense for us to look just outside Paris if our budget is not quite enough to buy in Paris?
“Thank you. Always reading your comments!”
–Patricia A., United States
Speaking as a fellow city woman…but one who also appreciates country life…I can say that what you describe would work for me. Given the infrastructure in France, it’d be easy, I think, to live outside Paris but enjoy all that it has to offer on a regular basis. You could drive…or, better maybe, take the train into the city every week if you wanted.
I’d say that a life divided between a small place in the French countryside and time in the French capital could be idyllic and ideal.
“Kathleen, can you refresh my memory about Medellin, Colombia, as far as what approximate cost of living for a single lady one can expect? I am definitely at the lower end of a budget.
“I know you and Lief are both recommending Medellin. I just don’t remember what cost of living to expect.”
–Erika B., United States
In El Poblado (the most developed and highest-end zone in Medellin), you could live very well on US$1,500 to US$2,000 per month. In more local districts (Laureles, for example), you could live well (though with fewer of the accoutrements and appointments you might be used to) on US$1,200 per month or even less.
Continue reading: How And Where To Invest In Rental Property Overseas
