In the small town of Cotacachi, Ecuador, Dan Prescher is living out his retirement dream. Prescher, a native of Omaha, Neb., lives with his wife in a condo in a gated community overlooking the Andes Mountains. They eat fresh fruits and vegetables year round. They spend their free time hiking to hot springs and frequenting local restaurants. They keep up with their families and friends back in the U.S. via Skype and Facebook. Their costs are modest: They bought their condo three years ago for $50,000. Food is inexpensive. They don't own a car, so for a night out they take a 25-cent bus ride into town. Although Prescher is not officially retired -- he and his wife are both writers -- he has no plans to return to the U.S.
"Every now and then, (my wife and I) think it would be nice to have a place in the states, so we run the numbers," says Prescher, who is in his late 50s. "But because of the high taxes, medical costs and insurance, we just can't figure out a way to live as affordably as we do here. The cost of living is half of what it would be in the U.S."
To read the full, original article click on this link: What's Driving Americans to Retire Abroad? Money -- or Lack of It - Knowledge@Wharton
