I've been in Mexico with my family for six months, currently in Guadalajara, Jalisco. My business in the US is real estate, so wherever we travel in the world I enjoy looking up home prices. To my surprise, you can buy a newly constructed & well designed 3BR/2BA home in suburban housing developments here for about $35,000 US. There are condo/apartments in these same developments for $16,000 US! If you move more into the center of the city the prices go up, but comparatively are still incredibly cheap. Guadalajara is a cosmopolitan city with tons of stuff to do. Even better, the climate is very moderate year-round, therefore many homes don't even have heating or cooling systems. Houses often have solar water heaters & PV panels for electricity, meaning the total cost of living can be very affordable. This is obviously great for those looking to retire early if you have the ability to be mobile.
This got me thinking: if Guadalajara is a fun, affordable city, there must be thousands of other towns & cities in the world that fit that description as well. Share what you know! What places do you know of personally where your money goes very far and there's a good quality of life? Maybe a beach town in the Philippines, maybe a mid-size city in South America somewhere, etc.?
Thanks!