actually, you would be better off living in Oklahoma or Texas.
Moving overseas is fine if you are rich, or if you have family in the country. My Husband is from the Philippines, so no problem...and it is cheap to live in his native small town. But Manila is as expensive as the USA....
Here in the Philippines, lots of guys who married local gals retire here and are happy...there are also apartments etc that have lots of Americans, often retired military, in them, so you wouldn’t be too lonely.
But picking up your family and moving somewhere overseas is a big burden: where will you work? Where will the kids go to school? What will you do if you get sick?
Costa rica is touted by a lot of Americans, but it seems to attract liberals, so would you be happy there?
Manila is very expensive. Most ExPats live in Cebu and other places like it that are nice, but not expensive and a single guy can live well for less than 1k a month on a SS check or a 401k or combination of both.
I’ve looked into Costa Rica, but crossed it off my list for a variety of reasons, liberal ExPats not being one of them.
I’m from SF and live in the Bay Area, so anywhere else would be an upgrade for me politically.
There are other options than the Phils, but it seems to be the best as far as your dollar goes, and the weather is nice but humid, the people are friendly and most speak English.
Many natives remember who bailed them out in WWII and are grateful as are their children, who are now adults and have passed along the history of their country to their children, but like most countries, many young people are ingrates that only care about themselves, something you will find no matter where you go.
Still, the people are friendly and the country is for the most part beautiful if you know where to go.
As mentioned, Manila/QC Metro is not one of them as it is crowded, dirty, smoggy, crime-ridden, expensive, etc...
Most ExPats prefer the Visayan Island region, such as Cebu.
There are plenty of American ExPats and American military living there, thus there are many people to befriend that you can share stories with about America if you get homesick.
I plan on living out my retirement in the Phils unless I find something better for my buck, but I’ve done my research and thanks to Freeper AlexW for the tip about the Phils as he has happily lived there and made a great life for himself and has done so on a modest income.
I’ve also talked with another forum friend of mine on another forum that has done the same, except he is younger and has a modest injury settlement from a work disability and also moved there and is quite happy as well.
You don’t need to be rich to make the move, but it helps to have an exit plan in case things go bad, and to have some “seed” money to get set up in your new home as the little things will add up quickly.
99% of the people are honest and well-meaning, but you need to be street smart, just like you do anywhere else and avoid being taken advantage of.
People may be nice, but not all people are going to do something for you out without expecting something in return, so always trust, but verify. That goes without saying pretty much anywhere.