Retiring to C.A. not too far from beach area

You could survive on $800 a month if you were a vegetarian and could live like a Nicaraguan. You could get a shack near the beach for about $200/month. Find someone with a beach house and work as a caretaker, maybe teach a little English for cash. Live on fresh fruit and vegetables, forget about meat and fish. Try the Pacific coast first.

No disrespect amigo but you have this all the wrong way around. You need to have decided on whether you could retire there by spending time there and being confidant that it works for you. Part of that on the ground research will reveal basic costs but cost will prove to be a small part of the process. You would probably reply "yeah but whats the point if I can't afford it"...well, the answer is that its one of the least costly places on the planet if you live like a local- but chances are you are not going to want to....

You know what they say about assumptions, huh....lol....Me, I don't make many assumptions. But I'll tell ya this. Over the past 30 years I've lived in Mexico, Guatemala, Thailand, The Philippines, etc...but I haven't been in C.A. for over 20 yrs. so I don't have any current facts about basic costs like housing and food. But I know that inflation has raised cost considerably in Mexico and that's why I'm not there right now. I also know that SEA is cheaper than much of C.A. as I'm there right now and do well on less than $800 a month. But I'm tired of Asia for now and want a change. All I really want is a safe clean room preferably within walking distance of a decent beach...I like to body surf and swim at a clean beach. Someone recommended I consider Nicaragua and so here I am trying to gather some current facts on the ground there. Yes, I could teach...I was once a teacher in the US. But not really crazy about the idea...lol...Nor do I want to cook...would rather eat local food already cooked by someone else...not me...lol...I don't want a house or kitchen really...only if a sexy lady came with it...lol...but I'd like to hear any positive feedback or info that might help in my investigation about today's possibilities in C.A....Thanks for all ideas....I'm hear to learn, not teach...lol

Interesting. You can probably live in Nicaragua for less than SEA but I very much doubt your life will compare. Nicaraguan beaches are likely to disappoint by comparison and the food can't come close. What is it about SEA that prompts change?

Have you looked at El Salvador?

phil, were you on a couple of years ago and asking for info on guatemala?

If you didnt need a beach, Guatemala is a great place...

What about Little Corn..though I have not been...

Agree with Boomster...

Its really going to depend on your lifestyle.
Is it possible to live off less than 800 a month? yeah definitely. But will you like your life? i dont know, thats your call.

My wife and i live here on a combined budget of just over half of that number. But we arent the average foreigners living here. We rent a room in a basic house not anywhere near a tourist area. We walk, or take local buses everywhere. In a year, we have only taken 2 taxis. We shop in the outdoor markets and not supermarkets or malls/boutiques. When we eat out, we eat street food/fritangas instead of restaurants, and we drink tap water and dont buy bottled water (we did when we first moved here, but slowly phased it out over monthsand months). When we do tourist/nature things, we never get a tour guide or private transport, and just go on our own, skipping things that have a high entrance fee and finding another activity or route. We try to make local friends everywhere we go, and then when we are in the area again, we many times end up with a place to stay for the night, and some basic dinner.

All of that cuts down the cost of living immensely. But for many people, it would cut into their enjoyment/quality of life. Fortunately, it works well for us. But thats your call.

I have seen houses rent for as low as 20 bucks a month or less in rural areas near the beach. But you get what you pay for. Youll probably get an outdoor toilet, and a hand washing area for your clothes. It wont be furnished, and wont have things like stove/fridge/etc.
On the other hand i have friends who pay 400 a month just for a room/1br apt. But they live in a nice area in a city. They have A/C, a fully furnished apartment with washer/dryer, fridge, stove, etc. They eat at restaurants where they pay 10-15 dollars for dinner, and take comfortable rides with tour guides for 50 bucks here and there. They have their own car and pay 50 bucks a week in gas, etc.

Its just as possible to spend 3000 dollars a month as it is to spend 300 bucks a month. Just depends on your lifestyle. Im not trying to say that one is better than the other for you personally. Just different strokes for different folks.
My advice, is take a vacation here. Look around a few places and see whats around. If nothing fits your budget and you choose elsewhere....ok. well you got a good vacation out of it!

PS. i am not vegetarian. i eat meat daily. generally multiple times in a day.

#4...I agree that nowhere will the food compare with Thailand...I really miss it even now
#5 I would really like to hear as much about El Salvador as you will share...beaches, cost, safety
#6 Yes, I lived in Guatemala well over 20 yrs. ago, but the black sandy beaches did not impress...though I am still interested in general living conditions and basic costs factors so I inquire from time to time
#7 Would love to hear it all about Little Corn..what I,ve heard was interesting...what's it like to live there for 6 months or so...
#8 Are you married to a local native or what? That would make a big difference, I'm sure...Personally, I've always been the happiest when involved with a decent sane woman...but that's not an easy commodity to find these days...I could write pages about that subject here in SEA, but I won't bore you...nor am I a veg. but I do eat lots of fruits and vegs. when they're good and cheap...anything else you might touch on as far as interesting places that might be considered for a 5-6 month stay...what about visa situation...how do you work that?
#4 Boomer, You would probably say that I've been spoiled to some degree...I would say that I'm somewhat a well-rounded individual that has many interest and likes stimulation of varied sorts...I'll probably never be satisfied with any culture or society for an extended period of time because of their limitations and they simply bore me after a while...nowhere has everything that I like to do...in SEA, the women play the sex for money game...I'm way past that stage...boring...I haven't found one woman that knows how to really dance...other than the bunny hop bs...lol...
As a writer I can entertain myself quite a bit, but there are days that I would like something more...so, I continue to travel and keep an open mind that something will impress me and be worth settling down for a while...this is the way I see it...some like to drink, some use religion, some drugs, some like to work and obsess....I like to travel to new places and search for fun, interesting places to hang out...