Panama still has all the extra privileges in place for people who want to retire there. Costa Rica has, I'm told, repealed all the laws that allowed you to bring in a car every few years duty free, bring in household goods duty free, etc. I've also had a couple of people tell me that there is a growing resentment there against the Americans who have retired there.

Panama is much closer to being a developed country, and is cheaper. I thought it was cheaper four years ago, and I'm meeting people on this trip who agree with me.

Have you been to Costa Rica or Panama? If you've narrowed it down to those two, your next step should be to visit.