Is Panama the best country to retire in?

Just got back from a trip to Panama (27 Nov- 13 Dec 2010)...It's getting expensive in Panama and priorities are seriously out of whack. The type grocery goods (A.K.A "canasta basica") prices are increasing and minimum wage is still the same so crime & corruption are on a SERIOUS rise. Keeping in touch with my fellow soldier-buddies ewhom i served with at FT. Clayton 92-98 (Ridiculosly known as the "City of -LOL- knowledge") many of them have opted out from retiring in Panama to goin to Costa Rica. Regarding "priorities" I went to Santa Catalina in Veraguas (first trip in 1994) and found in about 10 years, now EVERYONE has a cell phone and no matter if your house has a dirt floor, you sure as hell had a nice red colored satellite dish antenna on your zinc-tile roof (thanks CLARO for exploiting this!)...Panama is growing too fast and the people cannot catch up...for those who wish to retire to Panama, i offer you Costa Rica first and let Panama slow down on their priorities. no matter how misplaced they are.....

It depends on who you are and what you want out of life. I like Mexico because of the diversity and have considered retiring there. Many people like Thailand. Others like France or Greece. I would prefer to have a home base in one country and travel from there to other places. There is a couple named Billy and Akaisha Kaderli who travel to SE Asia and Latin America while having a home base in the US Southwest. They manage that lifestyle on just a few thousand dollars a month and have been doing it for 20 years.

HOnduras is a nice place to retire. If i were to retire i would retire in COPAN, HOnduras..Copan is were the mayan ruins are located. Its a tourist attraction but the surroundings are fairly cheap.. The people are soooo nice! You would fall in love with this place. Theres a lot of bars owned mostly by americans but locals and tourist attend the events or just go to relax. It is a safe place to be :) ... Also you could retire in the bay islands of honduras.. very lovely and affordable.. Roatan is the most known island.

Of the Central American countries Panama and Costa Rica have two of the better infrastructures and are pretty pro US, but they are both far from the cheapest places to retire. Take a look at Guatemala or Honduras. There are a fewer of the niceties but the cost of living is a pittance compared to Panama or Costa Rica.