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Have also posted this on Mexico branch of citydata. I'm curious as to how retirement in Spain vs. Mexico works out for North Americans. Was recently in Costa del Sol and it very much looks like Santa Barbara, CA - Northern Baja also looks like California coast. Both areas have many retirees - this is about 5- 10 years away for me (retirement) but both areas look attractive. I'm fluent in Spanish - although not necessary to live in either area with so many expats.
Costa del Sol, particularly Marbella, seems to me a bit like Santa Barbara as well, at a much lower cost. The below site provides information on visas. So provided you meet the means test, you can live in Spain on a non lucrative Visa.
Mexico also has some nice areas and I believe the requirements to retire are less stringent. Of course, crime is a much bigger issue in Mexico than Spain.
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
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Since *you* like to live in either Mexico or Spain, first question why a foreign country ...
Maybe you are the traveling kind ?
OK then in Mexico, where else would you go from there ?
In Spain, you could go to so many other European countries !
Kind of a moot question, no ?
You *live* in China today ?
You do seem to to know the California coast pretty well, but did not mention any place in Spain ...
With *fluent* Spanish, I would not (in either country) live/retire anywhere, close to *expats* !!
I have visited both countries, and rather *retire* in Spain, and in the *country*, as a rhetorical question.
Have also posted this on Mexico branch of citydata. I'm curious as to how retirement in Spain vs. Mexico works out for North Americans. Was recently in Costa del Sol and it very much looks like Santa Barbara, CA - Northern Baja also looks like California coast. Both areas have many retirees - this is about 5- 10 years away for me (retirement) but both areas look attractive. I'm fluent in Spanish - although not necessary to live in either area with so many expats.
Just get into an Italian forum, they know every country were to retire even thogh they favour Latin America. Also English forums, they know were to travel away from Costa del Sol or Benidorm, also Dutch. They do favour Goa, Thailand, etc. Spain now is as boring as the US, unfortunately.
If you prefer it tropical/subtropical, go to Mexico.
If you settle for warm temperate (but with a winter), choose Spain.
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