BAJA CALIFORNIA – International Living Magazine has released its World's Best Places to Retire in 2016 list.

A list they say is their "most comprehensive yet", with 10 different categories factoring everything that makes a great retirement destination, such as how much is rent, average humidity, direct flights from the U.S., how much is a doctor visit, if the locals speak English, high-speed internet availability, and even healthy lifestyles.

23 countries were included in the Index, with Peru being the latest addition to the list. Among all these countries Panama earned the number one spot, after being rated across 10 categories.

Here's the breakdown of each country's score:

Via International Living Magazine

Mexico, a very popular destination for North Americans, ranked third place on the Index. It offers easy residence for expats, with visitor permits that let foreigners stay for six months in the country. For the ones who plan on staying longer there's the resident visas which are extremely popular and straight-forward.

According to International Living Mexico Editor, Glynna Prentice, "You can get a temporary resident visa that's valid for up to four years, and you only need to show a monthly income of about $1,300."

Of course there's an even better deal, the permanent visa, where you only need to show a slightly higher income of about $2,100 dollars a month. This visa can be issued without the need of a temporary visa first. This of course is a great deal for many local expats, retirees and pensioners with fixed incomes, especially with the current state of the Mexican peso against the dollar. The cost of living in Mexico ends up being not as expensive.

The permanent visa is a one-time application process and it's valid for an indefinite time and once having a resident visa, those above 60 years of age can get a pensioner's card which qualifies them for 5 to 50% discounts on a bunch of consumer goods and services.

Making it a prime destination for Californian expats who wish to enjoy the Cali life without all the mumbo jumbo that entails living in the U.S. Of course having a bunch of like-minded expat communities is a big plus, creating an even livelier lifestyle.

Via International Living Magazine

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