Retiring in Brazil

Very true, I don't have Expat insurance. I have a Brazilian company called UniMed which is top notch. Plus I have a healthcare coordinator that arranges same day appointments (usually within a few hours) with specialists if necessary and any hospital paperwork that is required.

CraigF wrote:

Very true, I don't have Expat insurance. I have a Brazilian company called UniMed which is top notch. Plus I have a healthcare coordinator that arranges same day appointments (usually within a few hours) with specialists if necessary and any hospital paperwork that is required.

UniMed has a very good reputation in many parts of the country, but unfortunately,  not here in Amazonas; these things seem to be pretty regional.  We've about decided on Amil as the "least bad" for us; the expat insurance and SUS should see us through the exclusion period. 🤞

Yeah, they are great! No problems at all and we have had a few ER visits since we've been here.

Wish I could use my VA benefits, but it is the pay as you go and pray they pay you back. Which, I had to pay 3 medical bills when I was active duty because they refused to pay. Definitely can't trust it!


If I was bouncing to multiple countries regularly I would use an Expat insurance.

Good luck with AMIL!  I had them for 1 year.  At 6 months the raised our rates and at the end of the 1st year they raised our rates again.  I went from $2,000 USD for my wife and I and ended at at $5,200 USD and we never even got to use it!  We now have insurance out USA that is underwritten by Lloyds of London.  Cost for the 2 of us is about 10,000 USD per year and covers us both in the USA and Brazil.

Gotcha 184

Thanks.  As I said, we see Amil as the least bad of a list of bad choices.  Fortunately, my husband's a lot younger than I am:  I'm the cost driver, and once we pay for my coverage, his seems like practically a gimme.
Do providers in RN accept payment from your current plan?  If so, it could be interesting.
I love Manaus, and I love our life here, but a lot of the things you can take for granted in Coastal Brazil, and especially in the Center-South, just don't apply here.  It reminds me of offers in the US that say in the fine print at the bottom "not available in Alaska and Hawaii".  We're the Alaska and Hawaii of Brazil -- with the size of one, and the climate of the other.

Abthree,

I just now completed renewing my Azimuth medical insurance sent by my agent in Alabama who specializes in expat and international insurance.  I just turned 65 and have had this plan for a year.  The plan is a $2,500 annual deductible and is one of their higher plans.  The new cost for my new age bracket is $2,246 per quarter and it includes full dental and coverage for Brazil and the USA.  Yes it is expensive and some medical facilities in Brazil may or may not accept it and require some or all payment up front.  When I was in the State of Wisconsin in April I caught the real flu virus and that cascaded to other infections.  My bill ended up at just over $7,500.00 USD and Azimuth has paid all but $750.00.  The hospital never bothered us and just sent me the $750 bill 2 weeks ago.  Azimuth was a little slow but they got it done and never gave me a hassle.  I am now sending the renewal paperwork in for another year.

Well sorry I even went to this forum.

What was it exactly you didn't like?

Started to be personal between members and nothing to do with topic.

Interesint insight about RN in Brazil.
I am originally from Curitiba, Brazil, but funny enough, my wife and I are looking for a retirement place, but never thought about Brazil as we had some many problems with robbery in the past upon visiting family that it bacame out of site.

My wife is from Salvador, Bahia, we tried moving back in 1997 and again in 2013, once to Salvador and latest to Curitiba, but unfortunatelly it did not work out as CORRUPTION gets on my nerves!

I became interested in looking into RN, as from you review, it does not look so bad in terms of security, which is the main concern we have.
It would be interesting in knowing more about living in Brazil, maybe I can re-consider that option, as we just started looking into Panama for now.

Thank you and good luck.
Luiz and Erica

Luiz,

International Living magazine is really pushing Panama these days.  You'll find a lot of information there, if you haven't run into it yet.

To all, isn't Brazil very expensive these days?
In comparison with other South and Central American countries? How about crime, isn't it the worst in the World?
Thanks
Luiz.

To all, isn't Brazil very expensive these days?
In comparison with other South and Central American countries? How about crime, isn't it the worst in the World?
Thanks
Luiz.

To all, isn't Brazil very expensive these days?
In comparison with other South and Central American countries? How about crime, isn't it the worst in the World?
Thanks
Luiz.

It is not expensive in my opinion. Many Central and South American countries have very little eat and the their value of money is nothing.
I am comfortable in Brazil, whereas many countries are run by cartels and not friendly to expats.
Do not know where you are getting this information.

Thanks for your reply.
I was born in Brazil, spent my childhood and went to the Air Force, then, moved out to Canada and USA, where I live today.
I go to Brazil once a year to see family, and I prefer not to go to Brazil, however, "family first" principle applies.
I find extremely expensive to dine out, car rentals, hotels, B&B, etc, I may be going to the wrong places, becuase all I find is crime and high prices.

I am from Curitiba (South) and I also travel to Salvador (Bahia) where my wife was born, needless to say, BEAUTIFUL PLACES, amazing culture, great people, good weather, fantastic Country, but completely unsafe, dangeorus and violent.

I am really researching it, as I need to think of my coming retirement and I want to buy a property somewhere affordable, but I am unsure if going back to Brazil is a good option, even though, our next President will definitelly rule the Country in a positive way, but for that, it will take another 50 years and I will no longer be on this plane to see that.
Thanks Texanbrazil, appreciated your inputs.
Luiz Carlos

Luiz Carlos
I think you're probably going to the wrong places.
I would expect car rentals to be expensive, since people here drive like maniacs.  Consumer electronics are ridiculously expensive, as I'm sure you know.  Other cost of living elements are much better, though.  I moved here from Chicago, and I find restaurants very reasonable, even good ones.  We live in Manaus, and the only restaurant I know in town that charges "Chicago prices" is also the best one in town, and worth it.  Many others are very good, and much more reasonable.  Before moving here, we often rented entire apartments for a month through AirBnB, and found that quite reasonable, as well.  Overall, I would expect Curitiba to be a little higher than Manaus, and Salvador to be about comparable -- and with ocean beaches!  Here is a useful site for getting a rough idea of cost of living in Brazilian cities vs. US cities, and other countries as well:

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/c … ry2=Brazil

As for crime, yes, there's plenty -- but there's plenty in the US, too.  The Brazilian media likes to sensationalize it.  Choosing a good neighborhood, staying street-smart , and making sure you don't look like a soft target go a long way toward keeping you safe here, as they do anywhere else.

I think that this is a good time to buy residential property in Brazil.  The market still hasn't recovered from the long, long recession, and bargains are to be had for people who can pay cash.  We hadn't really planned to buy until next year or the year after, but an excellent deal came our way, and we went for it; I'm glad we did every day.  As a gay couple, my husband and I are naturally less enthusiastic about the new President than you seem to be, but at this point, just about ANY administration that has an election behind it and a stable mandate in front of it is going to be good for the economy, and this one does.  So, I expect an upturn, including in real estate, in 2019-20.

All that said, I get that you're not thrilled with the idea of coming back to Brazil to live.  There are plenty of nice places in the Caribbean, or on the either coast of Panama or of Costa Rica, that might be more to your liking, and make visits to either Brazil or the US easy.  Lots of good options:  you and your wife are lucky!

Fantastic answer, I really appreciate your views.
Firstly, I would absolutely not worry about being gay in Brazil, as we never really care about religion, sexual orientation and political views, and this new President will not be differnet to every other Brazilian citizen.
I am sure you hit the spot with all your comments, as I totally agree about your statements. I had a couple  of properties in Brazil, but was OBLIGIDED to sell because of some much extortion and corruption if you are not there to manage the property...twice my housekeepers took me to court for "uso capiao" which means, "I took care of your property, I worked for you" and when you want to sell it, "I have at lest 50% of it"...yes, that sucks!

My plan is buying something for rental FOR NOW, and I want to do that before mid 2019, so a good reserach is needed after been screwed so many times in Brazil by being honest.

I will look into it, but rightly said, Panama is the first place I am actually looking into right now, sadly I wish I could go back to Brazil, but lets wait and see if things change.
Thanks a lot and I wish you and your partner lots of success, hapinnes and health.
Cheers
Luiz

You will need to see Brazil  as a Retirement Getaway just as you would see Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia.  Pluses and  minuses. 

Firshand you will need to clarify your retirement benefits status as a citizen of your own native country. If you can collect your entitlements without hassle, then well consider moving overseas.    Do this homework on your own, go through all agencies, sit through with folks who can provide you with sound advice. 

If then you chosen Brazil, it comes to a choice of places.   You emphasized being able to access quality Health Care.  On that account alone, I would cross off all those exotic places like Rio, the Northeast, and redirect my choices to anything São Paulo and South of it.   

I do not know much about the South, but in many occasions I heard how funding and health care there is second to none good ( that means the states of Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul ).  São Paulo, the City and State have destinations for quality health care namely in places like São Caetano, the Campinas Metro and outlier cities , São Paulo, Santo André, Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, São José dos Campos, Taubaté, Piracicaba.

And then there is the environment on itself.  Larger cities, Intermediate Cities, Resort Cities.
In São Paulo  would look into places such as
Holambra
Campinas
Sorocaba
Santo Andre
Santos  ( check São Sebastião, Vale do Ribeira, Itanhaem  )
São Caetano do Sul ( place is a haven for retirees )
Aguas de Lindoia
Poços de Caldas ( Minas Gerais )
Indaiatuba ( a growth hub )
Americana and Santa Barbara do Oeste
The Cities along Vale do Paraíba ( Lorena, Taubaté )
Ribeirão Preto
Bragança Paulista

In São Paulo you can actually find places that are affordable , once you get out of the City's Core. 
The ABC Region, the North Side, the East Side actually have places most retirees can afford. 


Coastal cities, with exception to Santos, are an ordeal in terms of getting quality health care. Even Santos itself is no reference when it comes to quality health care.

In Paraná, the referential hubs would be
Curitiba
Maringá
Londrina
Ponta Grossa
São José dos Pinhais

Santa Catarina
Florianopolis
Camboriu
Joinville
Crisciuma
Brusque

Rio Grande do Sul
Porto Alegre
Novo Hamburgo
Pelotas
Caxias do Sul
Santa Maria

I own property in Curitiba and go there a few times a year. I find Curitiba pleasant and I have not seen more crime than other places. Probably less.
Curitiba has great health care and financial center for Parana.
Yes some dining in Batel area may be pricy but only a few real difference than here is Foz do Iguacu for comparable dining. 
Since it is a little higher altitude it does get chilly in Curitiba.

It is true what you said, all my family still live in Curitiba, I left in 1987 to the USA, so it has been a long time, despite I go visit every 2 years.

I really could not live there due to the abundant rain and grey skies, but it is a beautiful town, European style and lots of great restaurants with huge Italian influence.

Thanks for sharing, but been outside for many years, unfortunately the only place I would consider (that I have been before) is Florianopolis, in the State of Santa Catarina.

All the best and stay safe.
Luiz

Luiz Florianopolis is great, Spent Christmas and NYE there and enjoyed.  We stay on the beach instead of centro for a break.

Have a great holiday season. I have to get back to the US soon for my food fix.