²ÝÁñÉçÇø

If 'safe' is on top of your list, look at Indonesia (NOT Bali).

The country is politically stable,  the people are pretty great,and the food is stunning.

You can rent a house for not much

Bills  are cheap -  unless you run air conditioniing all day

Food is cheap

Crime is low

The wide variety  of coffees will  keep you awake for years

The streets, except for  a few places in big cities and bits of Bali,  are safe to walk at night if you drank too much coffee

Foreigners are generally welcome, but no so much  if the expat is from Africa.

There are down sides

Traffic is terrible so driving is a pain 

A retirement visa requires  a bit of cash and you have to use an agent. I  gather you have to hire a maid, but she doesn't actually have to turn  up if you don't want her to.

Booze is expensive, so tht can  cost a lot if you can't live  without the stuff.

@1happykamper

Hi there. Kerry Loeb here. I have been in SMA for 8 1/2 years so was here during the cartel turf war you described. That lasted about a year and since then it has once again become the quiet and safe SMA. My experience with cartel violence is that they are targeted murders between each other and very seldom do you hear of gringos getting caught in the cross-fire. You might want to reconsider Mexico as a landing spot. The vibe is SMA is quite different these days.

I wrote a blog recently about my experience here. 

Suerte!!!

Thanks Kerry. I read your blog.. Nice article... I disagree that the weather can be "chilly". I remember a few mornings of zero Celsius and then mostly 8C December and January.. Maybe even a month or two more.. Correct?

If I do return... Which I might in 2026... I must first understand the newer insurance system there. I had seguro popular.. Basic social Healthcare.. I never needed it... And now that programme had been replaced.... But I font know with what.

I'm a permanent resident there.. Lucky me. No way I would qualify today.. 5k plus usd pet month to get temporary? Crazy. But that said... Surely rents in San Miguel de Allende are lower now.. Because your average gringo, moving to Mexico, can not qualify for residency? Yes?

@1happykamper

We live outside of SMA, 15 minutes from town. We feel very safe. We have never heard gunfire, although we have heard fireworks. We don't know anyone, ex pat or local, who has ever mentioned hearing gunfire. We also considered Thailand and Vietnam, but decided against them due to sex trafficking of children in Thailand [yes, we have been there],  and Vietnam being communist. We love it here and don't know of a better place to live. Nowhere is perfect. Maybe consider Mexico again.

I am in Ensenada Baja California North and I am going nowhere else..lol...especially not in Asia with the humity. Horrible. Been there,done that. Mexico is now my home and for 16 years, with my rescue dogs. .

@1happykamper

Thailand and Vietnam have earthquake and Tsunamies. If you want safety from natural disasters. If you are going to put  México back on the list I suggest San Miguel it is a world recognize city for its arts, museums and science. It is one of the safest place in México and there are no hurricanes, nor earthquakes.

If you still want beach then Zihuatanejo one of my Mexican friends moved from Monterrey to Zihuatanejo and says that is it safe ( from Cartels), crime is low. And it is much cheaper than San Miguel Allende

I also suggest considering a country in South America, Uruguay. Montevideo is consider one of the most expensive cities in Latin America but your retirement will go far there because it is much cheaper than the US. It is easy to get permannent residency in Uruguay. They have many American and Europeans who retired there because it is cheaper than EU or USA, next to the ocean, and they have low crime.  Consider that one since you are considering Thailand which is also so far away. The weather is mild. Try visiting in our (USA) summer because that is their winter. So you can experience if it is mild for you

Good luck

@1happykamper

Hola. Yeah, these connected masonry homes tend to stay cool in the winter. I would say inside temp is 60F but having a couple of heaters helps a lot.

The health care system went through some changes but they still offer free health care if you use the general hospital. Maybe not the best care IMO.

Rents fluctuate a lot. I would say the average might be around $1k USD/month for a decent rental in a convenient neighborhood. I have a list of possibilities I can share with you if you can send me an email privately

kerry at expatmx dot com