As cost of living soars, Central America, other areas beckon

The Chicago Tribune reports:

ISLAMORADA, Fla. -- For most of the past 20 years, Benny Spaulding Jr., a third-generation fishing guide, has plied his trade in the waters off this Florida Keys town, which bills itself as the "Sportfishing Capital of the World."

But this summer Spaulding, 37, plans on moving his family south, to a town just outside Managua, Nicaragua, where he says he can live the type of relaxed lifestyle that is becoming increasingly rare in the Florida Keys.

"It is a beautiful place. The fishing is off the chart, the hunting. Everything that we used to have over here is over there and even better," Spaulding said of Nicaragua. "It is much more laid back and a much better atmosphere in my opinion."

Until recently, Spaulding's decision to move to Central America might have seemed unusual. After all, the Florida Keys, a narrow, 120-mile strip of islands, have long attracted Americans looking for a slice of laid-back Caribbean paradise, no passport necessary. Even now, jeans and a decent shirt count as acceptable business attire around here. And a night out usually means sipping drinks at a waterfront tiki bar.

But things have been changing fast.

To those who think high prices have no affect on where people live: read this article.