Quote: (03-04-2019 11:46 AM)Shimmy Wrote:  

Quote: (03-03-2019 12:48 AM)NoMoreTO Wrote:  

no appliances, fridge, stove, etc. So you have to set all that up, which in Colombia Ive heard can take a month.

You can actually get that stuff the next day pretty easily. If you were hard up and willing to toss a guy $20-30 extra I bet you could get it delivered and installed on the spot at the right place. I have paid some random guy who hangs around places and has a truck $10 to get furniture or large items from the building material store delivered because I didn't want to wait a day. I believe homecenter also has a 4 hour option where you can pay extra to get it delivered in 4 hours. However dealing with larger companies like getting internet installed you can wait months.

The main difficulty for renting an apartment in Colombia as a foreigner is not having property to put down as collateral. Some people will accept a certificate of deposit for several months as collateral but you would have a hard time finding someone to rent it outright with nothing. Colombians are not trusting people.

The rental guarantee mess isn't unique to Colombia. Argentina and Uruguay have it. I imagine much of Latin America has their own variations.

Down here they have "societies" you can join and the principal reason to join is to acquire a rental guarantee. You pay some small number of pesos monthly for membership and in return you put down a substantially smaller rental deposit than if you arranged a rental guarantee through a certified single purpose bank deposit.

Everywhere has their own weird local rituals that they will want you to satisfy.

2nd -3rd tier mexico u can get by for $800, taking uber and eating out every day

Not that I don't believe you, but can you give some specific examples of second and tier cities where you accomplish this?

leon, guanajuato
full appartment is like $250-300

Eje cafetero in Colombia:

Manizales
Armenia
Pereira

You can live a very good life for U$D1.000 per month

Quote: (02-25-2019 08:10 PM)scotian Wrote:  

^Go to a world class hospital and get fixed for cheap, at least that how it is in Thailand, Philippines, Mexico and Colombia. You shouldn’t be abroad if you can’t afford basic travel health insurance and ideally you should have a credit card with a couple of grand on it “just in case.”

Honestly getting sick in the USA is a lot scarier financially, I spent a lot of time in a retirement community in Florida and all of the Canadians were very scared of that happening. If a Canadian has a heart attack down there, the insurance company will literally charter aprivate jet to get the hell out of there and back to the land of free health care.

Let's be realistic, third world countries do NOT have world class hospitals.

Ok so the multimillion (billion?) dollar medical tourism industry where people from the west fly to third world countries for cheap surgeries doesn’t exist then and it’s a figment of my imagination?

Guys, just stay home ok, it’s too dangerous and if you twist your ankle or get the clap abroad, YOU’LL DIE!!!!!

Quote: (03-06-2019 08:54 PM)scotian Wrote:  

Ok so the multimillion (billion?) dollar medical tourism industry where people from the west fly to third world countries for cheap surgeries doesn’t exist then and it’s a figment of my imagination?

Guys, just stay home ok, it’s too dangerous and if you twist your ankle or get the clap abroad, YOU’LL DIE!!!!!

They have adequate health care at best compared to the US. US has by far the best medicine in the world and it's not even close. I'm not saying stay home, but be aware that if you really hurt yourself, you're fucked. I.e. falling off a moped and breaking your leg in Thailand. Be careful and aware that you are not in a first world country and life is cheaper.

Quote: (03-06-2019 08:44 PM)Swordfish1010 Wrote:  

Quote: (02-25-2019 08:10 PM)scotian Wrote:  

^Go to a world class hospital and get fixed for cheap, at least that how it is in Thailand, Philippines, Mexico and Colombia. You shouldn’t be abroad if you can’t afford basic travel health insurance and ideally you should have a credit card with a couple of grand on it “just in case.”

Honestly getting sick in the USA is a lot scarier financially, I spent a lot of time in a retirement community in Florida and all of the Canadians were very scared of that happening. If a Canadian has a heart attack down there, the insurance company will literally charter aprivate jet to get the hell out of there and back to the land of free health care.

Let's be realistic, third world countries do NOT have world class hospitals.

It depends on what you mean by "world class" really. No, you aren't going to find anything like Barnes Jewish in St Louis where all the shot homeboys get saved through heroic means after their perforated ass is dumped on the sidewalk in a roll and go. This is "World class" in the sense of going out of their way to save local pests and billing everyone else to make up for it.

As long as you aren't in a true shithole, meaning there are some people there with some wealth doing things.... You are going to find at least one hospital that does most things well. Are they going to offer bleeding edge cancer treatment? Are they going to have the number one neurosurgeon? Probably not, but they can probably have a neurosurgeon onsite in short order when they need one. Will they be able to treat 95-99% of things that come through the door according to a reasonable standard of care? Usually.

Quote: (03-06-2019 08:54 PM)scotian Wrote:  

Guys, just stay home ok, it’s too dangerous and if you twist your ankle or get the clap abroad, YOU’LL DIE!!!!!

I twisted my ankle quite bad down in Colombia. An old injury that came back pretty hard.

My physiotherapist was smoking hot, a legit 9. Didn't get the bang. I still say she's aight though.

I don’t know why Yanks get so triggered when it comes to health care, it’s a touchy subject.

NoMoreTO you gotta read more tips from InternetPrince.

This won't answer the question of overall livability, but the Vivian Pellas Metropolitan Hospital in Managua, Nicaragua is an excellent hospital. Friends living in Nica tell me it's got excellent emergency and state of the art orthopedic surgery departments. They built a new $16 million wing to address gringo and medical tourism needs. The Pellas are one of the richest families, I think they own all the Toyota dealerships​, Vivian was their mother. No doubt Nica has a cheap cost of living in terms of food, services, and houses. Consumer goods are expensive, crime is high, but I would say it's livable, not a shithole.

Seeing some love for Spain here and it has always seemed like a good deal to me for what you get. 1st world living on a discount with solid weather and easy language to pick up.

That said, does anyone have any intel on the migrant situation there?

Quote: (03-06-2019 08:58 PM)Swordfish1010 Wrote:  

Quote: (03-06-2019 08:54 PM)scotian Wrote:  

Ok so the multimillion (billion?) dollar medical tourism industry where people from the west fly to third world countries for cheap surgeries doesn’t exist then and it’s a figment of my imagination?

Guys, just stay home ok, it’s too dangerous and if you twist your ankle or get the clap abroad, YOU’LL DIE!!!!!

They have adequate health care at best compared to the US. US has by far the best medicine in the world and it's not even close. I'm not saying stay home, but be aware that if you really hurt yourself, you're fucked. I.e. falling off a moped and breaking your leg in Thailand. Be careful and aware that you are not in a first world country and life is cheaper.

Have you ever really hurt yourself abroad? Using a blanket term like abroad is retarded when you're giving advice like "healthcare abroad bad guys USA number 1". Have you ever had to see a doctor or had even a minor surgery or procedure "abroad"? You sound like you have no idea what you're talking about.

I've received medical care in both the Philippines (Cebu) and Thailand (Bangkok) and in both cases I used common sense to find where to go and delt with professionals trained at top schools in the USA. In both cases everything went MUCH faster then it would in the USA with overpriced health insurance, much less bullshit hoops to jump through, and a fraction of the cost. Essentially you pay out of pocket and receive service then and there because medical services are reasonably priced and uncorrupted.

This year I've decided I'll never pay for US medical insurance ever again, if something comes up I'll get on a plane. I'd rather have that money in an account then give it to the corrupt insurance companies.

Wanted to touch briefly on the third world healthcare subject.

I had a medical emergency in Medellin, not life threatening but serious enough that if not treated correctly I would have been left physically impaired.
Medical care I received at the hospital and following physiotherapy was on pair with what I would expect in Europe (and big shout to NoMoreTO that brought some sponge to my place when I was too much in pain to go to the supermarket - sadly enough he did not accept to clean my ass for me).

Last month I had to go to a private specialist to get something else checked and also had a small procedure and everything was smooth.

Also open my head in Mexico a few years ago while drunk. Went to the hospital and had stitches and a tetanus vaccine in less than 20 minutes. Best hospital I have ever seen.

I would say that yes in both countries you have healthcare professionals at a level comparable to Europe but there is a big part that I left out.
In all these cases I specifically requested to be brought in the best hospitals in town. Hospitals where all the staff is bilingual and you see more foreigners than local patients.
Also I have always been asked to give them my credit card in advance and hospital bill was not cheap (nothing crazy like the US but always $200+). If I didn't have my card with me I would have been sent to the shittiest hospital in town as my travel insurance was not accepted upfront. If you are on a really tight budget the $500 medical bill + following cure/medicine cost is gona sink you. And you don't want to be cheap with your health while in a poor country (nowhere really).
In Europe the bill would always have been 0.

I guess this goes back to my point some post ago of Southern Europe being better to live in if you don't have a good budget than Latino America.

Quote: (03-06-2019 11:45 PM)The Black Knight Wrote:  

Seeing some love for Spain here and it has always seemed like a good deal to me for what you get. 1st world living on a discount with solid weather and easy language to pick up.

That said, does anyone have any intel on the migrant situation there?

I am in a bivious where I am undecided if settle down in Spain for a while or keep hanging around in SA.
Everything for me weights toward Spain except the quality of the girls I get in Colombia is so much better not even comparison.

Migrants wise is fine if you don't live in shitty areas of Barcelona or Madrid like Raval or Lavapies. It worries me more the social circle attitude of Spanish people and the girls smoking cigarettes no stop lol

Deleted.

Bulgaria is very cheap and it is still within the EU. But I don't think it will stay forever like that. Poland might have been a good choice, but with all the new infrastructure they build, money pouring in and prices on the rise... I'd say be careful to not burn your fingers. Find a 2nd or 3rd tier town, that is still a bit isolated.
As for Peru 2nd or 3rd tier towns are doable yes, but again...do you want to give up decent infrastructure? Electricity is very often switched off even in tourist areas so be careful!

Quote: (03-06-2019 08:44 PM)Swordfish1010 Wrote:  

Quote: (02-25-2019 08:10 PM)scotian Wrote:  

^Go to a world class hospital and get fixed for cheap, at least that how it is in Thailand, Philippines, Mexico and Colombia. You shouldn’t be abroad if you can’t afford basic travel health insurance and ideally you should have a credit card with a couple of grand on it “just in case.”

Honestly getting sick in the USA is a lot scarier financially, I spent a lot of time in a retirement community in Florida and all of the Canadians were very scared of that happening. If a Canadian has a heart attack down there, the insurance company will literally charter aprivate jet to get the hell out of there and back to the land of free health care.

Let's be realistic, third world countries do NOT have world class hospitals.

Best doctors in the world are Cuban. Nurses in hospitals in Latin America are usually very attractive.
What is world class anyway?

My experience in the best clinics in the US was quite good. Until I saw the bill, I almost got a 2nd stroke.

Quote: (02-27-2019 04:04 PM)SlickyBoy Wrote:  

Quote: (02-27-2019 03:15 PM)scotian Wrote:  

...a broken arm can set you back $10,000 or more from what I understand.

^that's what the bill will read, but that isn't what the insurance company actually pays. It's a complicated negotiation game, but it's also why if you want to just pay out of pocket for treatment you're not going to get any advantage - they'll just charge you the full rate since you have no bargaining power like the insurance companies do. Cost competition has been completely removed and the patients have no idea and care not a whit about saving money. They just expect insurance - provided by their work - to deal with it.

This isn't always true. I know people who have gotten great cash deals, including family members. You have to actually try though you can't just expect them to hand you the best deal.

But to your point, who wants to negotiate or visit multiple clinics when injured/sick.

I found this site helpful. It might not be perfect but it's pretty close and easy to browse.

https://nomadlist.com


Personally, I love 3rd tier Mexico and you can score extremely high calibler girls there. Especially if you want a LTR. I used to Live in Ciudad Chihuahua and it was a goldmine back then... Dangerous too.

I also like Peru for lifestyle. Not the hottest girls but plenty of DMT.

If you aren't looking to buy an apartment/car and settle down then you should be mobile. It all changes so be flexible.

This 3rd tier Spain idea seems interesting.

What we got in spain:

Spanish women (if you like them) but they can be a bit divas.
Free healthcare
You can legally download (pirated) movies, music, games... as long as you dont make profit.
If you are into partying, Spain is THE party country of Europe.
Good and varied gastronomy.
Healthy mediterranean diet.
Beautiful coastline places to live.
Nightclubs close at 06:00 (i think in some countries it can be way earlier?)
We are not so good with english in general because we STILL dont have bilingual school education, but i would say that at least people try to speak it.
In some areas like Balearic Islands, people are a bit close-minded, you have to earn their "trust". But in the mainland they will be more friendly.
We like (i actually dont) to speak loud, specially in restaurants or bars, be ready.
Generally very very safe (3 different police forces) as long as you avoid tourist hotspots (too many pickpocketers in Barcelona) or shady neighborhoods.
If you are one of those british that only socialize with british, theres some "colonies" in some places. But please dont do this, bother to learn spanish.
Houses are expensive (for our salaries) in popular cities such as Madrid in Barcelona...
It is also expensive to run your own business.
Our main industry is tourism so we are used to foreigners.
I recommend you my island, Mallorca

Quote: (03-08-2019 03:43 AM)luigi Wrote:  

If you are into partying, Spain is THE party country of Europe.

Can you elaborate on that?

Quote: (03-08-2019 03:56 AM)the-dream Wrote:  

Quote: (03-08-2019 03:43 AM)luigi Wrote:  

If you are into partying, Spain is THE party country of Europe.

Can you elaborate on that?

We celebrate too many things.

Theres bars everywhere. We joke that the first business idea a spanish has is owning one.

I think Spain is the country with most cocaine consumption in Europe.

We get more sun, we are generally more happy, so we party more.

Check this article
https://www.spain.info/en_US/reportajes/...tinua.html