• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Retirement/Living

9 Areas With Thriving Expat Communities

Critical Getting-Started Question To Understand When Planning To Retire Overseas

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
May 10, 2021
in Retirement/Living
0 0
0
amazing sunset in george town malaysia
496
SHARES
7.1k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Where Have All The Expats Gone? 9 Top Expat Havens

One of the fundamental issues you should consider early on in your retire-overseas planning is this:

Do you want to live among the locals or in a more private, perhaps gated setting with fellow expats for your neighbors?

If you choose to relocate to an established expatriate community, you’ll have no trouble slipping into the local social scene and finding English-speakers who share your interests.

On the other hand, going that route, you might end up with little real experience of the new culture you’re adopting.

This important early decision may not have occurred to you. But I encourage you to consider the question directly, for the answer sets you on one track or another, and they lead to very different places.

It can be easier, frankly, to seek out a place where your neighbors would be fellow North Americans, where you might hear more English in restaurants and bars than local lingo, and where you’d have like-minded compatriots to commiserate with over the trials and tribulations of daily life in a foreign country.

This can make it a terrific first step for some, a chance to dip your toe in the retire-overseas waters rather than diving in headfirst. You’re living overseas and enjoying many of the benefits (great weather, affordable cost of living), but the surroundings and the neighbors are familiar in many ways. You can shop at Walmart or PriceSmart (in some cases), meet up with fellow Americanos for bridge on Thursday evenings, and never have to travel far to find English-language conversation.

On the other hand, life overseas would be a very different experience residing in a little fishing village or a small colonial city in the mountains where you’re the only foreigner in town. Settling among the locals means you must learn to live like a local.

Is the thought of that appealing, exciting, and invigorating? Or terrifying? Be honest with yourself as you consider your response.

There is no right or wrong reply, and there are pluses and minuses either way.

If you decide you like the idea of retiring overseas among like-minded company, here would be nine good places to focus your search…

In The Americas

Ambergris Caye, Belize—Estimated Expat Population: 2,000+

Ambergris Caye, Belize.
iStock/zimmytws

In many ways, Ambergris is more gringo than Belizean. Few locals live and work on the island; those who do are in the hotel and resort industries. Many businesses on the island are owned and run by the foreigners who have moved there, meaning it’s possible on this little island to find imported wines, cheeses, and homemade artisan breads. No shortage of flip flops or floral shirts either, and Jimmy Buffett, Janis Joplin, and the Rolling Stones jam from most speakers.

City Beaches, Panama—Estimated Expat Population: 2,000+

Playa Blanca, Panama.
iStock/sduford

The most developed, established, and fully appointed beach community in Panama is this “City Beaches” area, less than two hours from Panama City. This fast-growing coastal region offers a high-quality beach lifestyle with all amenities and services you could want. Coronado town has developed into a busy commercial center that makes for a turn-key retirement choice, and, indeed, this is the direction this former weekend retreat is evolving… into a full-fledged retirement community with an established population of full-time foreign residents supported by a developed infrastructure, including good medical facilities.

Cuenca, Ecuador—Estimated Expat Population: 5,000+

Cuenca, Ecuador.Cuenca‘s large and growing expat community is one of Latin America’s most established and integrated with the local community. Thanks to the big and growing expat community based here now, downtown Cuenca today boasts a large number of cafés, restaurants, bars, and bookshops alongside the traditional butchers, tailors, repair shops, clothing stores, and bakeries.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico—Estimated Expat Population: 40,000+

Aerial view of downtown Puerto Vallarta at sunset
Alamy/Diego Grandi

Until the 1950s, Puerto Vallarta was a small fishing village, modestly popular among Mexicans as a beach resort. In 1963, “The Night of the Iguana” was filmed just south of Puerto Vallarta. The film’s star, Richard Burton, was involved with Elizabeth Taylor at the time. She followed him on location… and the paparazzi followed her. Suddenly Puerto Vallarta was all over the news—and on the map, as far as Americans were concerned—and it’s remained there since.

At about this time, the Mexican government began to invest heavily in infrastructure making Puerto Vallarta more accessible and attractive as a destination. Luxury hotels began to spring up, and Americans began to flock here. It is also one of Mexico’s most cosmopolitan beach resorts. Fully half the population works in the tourism business, so English is widely understood, a boon for those of us who speak little or no Spanish. A whole range of services has sprung up to cater to English-speakers, including everything from gourmet shops and restaurants to clothes design and medical care.

In Europe

Algarve, Portugal—Estimated Expat Population: 100,000+

Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal
iStock/EunikaSopotnicka

Because it has Europe’s best beaches, Europe’s best golf courses, one of Europe’s friendliest folk, Portugal’s Algarve is the chosen retirement destination for more than 100,000 resident expatriates from around the world. You could join the many expats who gather for tennis at the Carvoeiro tennis club. Carvoeiro also has a well-stocked book exchange that allows expatriate residents and visitors alike to trade in books they have read for new titles. Many retired expatriates become involved in local community or charity work, there is no shortage of opportunities to contribute to society and make a real impact that will also help you integrate faster into local culture. Making friends is easy, both with the locals and the expatriates.

Barcelona, Spain—Estimated Expat Population: 35,000+

Barcelona view across the city
Image Source: iStock/Gatsi

The expat community in Barcelona is huge and thriving, and almost every nationality in the world is represented. Some are here employed by multinationals like HP or self-employed with their own small businesses. Others are running local businesses like bars, playgroups, and real estate companies. Meeting expats and making friends is easy. A good way to connect with the English-speaking community is through the Metropolitan Magazine (print and online), which lists places and events where expats are likely to meet.

In Asia

Chiang Mai, Thailand—Estimated Expat Population: 20,000+

Doi Inthanon National Park when sunset, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Alamy/Noppasin Wongchum

Chiang Mai has been luring expats from the West for years. The attraction is twofold—the low cost of living (and of housing) and the weather. The high-quality health care and health-related services are other big pluses for foreign retirees in this part of the world. The city boasts modern infrastructure and an abundance of Western amenities.

Dumaguete, Philippines—Estimated Expat Population: 5,000+

Retire To Dumaguete PhilippinesThere are many good reasons to consider retiring in Dumaguete. The city is protected against most of the typhoons that periodically batter many of the Philippines. The weather is tropical and balmy—rarely too hot. Dumaguete offers excellent medical care, too, care that has been getting even better since the city was named one of the five top retirement destinations in the Philippines.

George Town, Malaysia—Estimated Expat Population: 40,000+

Shops in George Town MalaysiaGeorge Town is home to a wide range of expat groups, so it’s easy to make new friends. For example, the International Women’s Association has a very active social life. Hill-trekking, yoga, and tennis… a photography club… golf, bridge, and canasta… a choir, a book club, and bowling. And a Hash Club isn’t what you might think. If you’re male, enjoy running, and want to follow a paper chase that ends with cold beers, could be your thing. Many expats work here, which adds to the cosmopolitan buzz.

Kathleen Peddicord
Founding Publisher,Overseas Opportunity Letter

Tags: 'Retire To Ambergris Caye''Retire To Chiang Mai''Retire To Puerto Vallarta''retirement'Overseas Expat CommunitiesRetire To AlgarveRetire To BarcelonaRetire To CuencaRetire To DumagueteRetire To George Townretire to Panama
Share199Tweet124
Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

Related Posts

Small fisherman boats at the bay and the houses in El Rompio village near town of Chitre in Panama
Retirement/Living

Where To Retire Abroad In 2023

by Sophia Titley
January 30, 2023
0

Where's the best place in the world to reposition yourself overseas in 2023? The answers are found in our just-released...

Read more
Cyprus: Better Than Your Neighbor’s Retirement To Florida

A Retire Overseas Challenge No One Talks About

January 24, 2023
Picturesque lane with flowers in an Italian hill town

5 More Things To Check Before You Move Overseas

January 11, 2023
View of Valletta, Malta old town skyline from Sliema city on the other side of Marsans harbor 

The 10 Best Places To Live Or Retire In Europe In 2023

January 3, 2023
Beautiful Coimbra town in Portugal

Portugal: The Best Place To Live Is Also One Of The Safest

December 27, 2022
Street in Cuenca, Ecuador

Adventure Travel In Ecuador

December 7, 2022
Cuenca, Ecuador

Retire To Cuenca, Ecuador

December 6, 2022

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.







LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2023

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

The World’s Best Places To Be In 2023?

Discover Them Here…

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY