I'm in Granada now, and prices here have risen dramatically. From what I have seen, you could buy a house on the outskirts of town for maybe $40,000, which wouldn't leave you much to live on for the rest of your life. I've seen a small one-bedroom house in the center for rent for $300-400 per month.

I don't know what you would do for work. Most expats I have met have started businesses, and many don't succeed. As for wages, I know that there is an English school that has just raised its pay to $3 per hour.

You would have to be able to adjust to things like frequent blackouts and water shortages. A while ago they had rolling blackouts that would leave you without electricity for eight hours a day.

To me, $70,000 just doesn't sound like enough. You are a long way from being able to collect any kind of pension. Inflation and the falling US dollar could really hurt you.

However, you are young, and could afford to try it for a while. I don't think buying is wise in a foreign country until you have lived there for a minimum of one year. You also need to check into property laws and al of that to make sure it is possible to get clear title.

If you can get away from whatever work you do, a good idea would be to come down for several months and scout around.