Retiring to Mussoorie?

Aishah

If you are talking about 50,000 rupees per month you could live very well on this. Depending on the rent of your place. A small cottage is around 6 - 8000 rupees a month, you may get one for less, on the long term.

__________________
"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Desipardeshi

Thanks, one item I check as can do. What about other expenses? any idea? OK just say, that you live in a cottage costing 6-8 thousand rupees per month, what would you other expenses be like to keep to that standard?

Desipardeshi

nayan

A very rough estimate : true for about any city/town in India.

1. utilities - Rs 1000(max) as I dont think you need AC in mussoorie.

2. groceries/vegetables etc for a family of three - Rs 6000-8000 pretty good unless you are in the habit of buying a lot of imported brands.

3. petrol for car - depends on usage. its about Rs 50 per litre and most small cars have a milage of about 15-20 km per litre avg.

4. Driver - Rs 5000-6000 per month (may be a little more as mussoorie is a tourist place and you may need to pay more to get someone to work for you in preference to travel agencies).

5. Maid - A part time maid(will come every day - wash utensils/ clean floors/wash clothes and any other small errands)Rs 500 avg.

6. Internet - Rs 500 to 1000 a month. connections are generally much slower than broadband in the west so you wont feel like doing major media upload/download.

Desipardeshi

Dear SS7

I recall reading your entry of 9th September. You mentioned living in USA for 35 years before retiring in Landour? What was your experience of it? Did you go through the same phase as I am going through? How hard was it to resettle back in India? Tell me more about Landouf. Perhaps I am looking at the wrong place to settle. Post some photos of Landour. How far away is it from the main(Center) or the town (Mussoorie)?



Dear Nayan Ji,

Thanks to you, Iashah and SS7. I am getting a pretty good idea of how much I would be needing for my budget. You are a mine of information. Thank you again.

Desipardeshi

SS7

Dear Desipardesi,
It's hard to explain, Mussoorie within 4-5 kms. range has 3-4 different towns, there is 'mall road',noisy, cars honking, but somewhat nicer than "landour bazaar', which is just small crowded shopping area with hotels/ guest house on 2nd flr. (still noisy), then comes 'melangar', dirty noisy etc., then comes "Landour cantt.", nice , clean, quiet town 9all within 4-5 kms. on the same road.
some people prefer Mussoorie to landour cantt., they like the hussle and bussle, some don't. You really have to come and see it yourself.
budget of rs.50,000 p.m for good living is a bit of stretch.. you can do it, not have a good quality of life, my guess will be closer to rs.100,000.00 per month for good, comfortable living.
All the best.
SS7

Dilliwala

Dp,

What your monthly costs are going to be really depends on how much rent you're paying. Fact is, there's very little accom available, period. You cud get something for 10k, or 20k. If you get anything for less, it'll be only becos the owner is not money-minded. Remember, you have "the NRI look", and you know what that means don't you? - $$$.
I wud say you cud comfortably live for 20-30k a month. nayan's figures are much closer to reality, I don't know where SS7 is getting 1 lakh from, unless you not only buy only imported brands or actually import everything yourself!
If you look for something close to WAS, your daughter cud easily walk to school, even if escorted by someone. You cud also try around Barlowganj, which is a few km away. Landour Cantt is full up, unless you get lucky purely by chance. I wudn't try for anything in the Mall Road area, it'll be a nightmare every day of the year, not least becos of the entry fees to be paid (residents get a yearly pass, but still it's a pain driving in and out, plus a total vehicle ban in the evenings during peak season).
There's also Happy Valley where the IAS Academy is - nice area, no water/power problems thanks to the academy, but similarly full up.
Having said that, you really need to go and spend two weeks there looking and asking around, it's not like anyone can tell you off-hand - there may well be places that are or become available. And if you intend to move there by 2010, you need to do that latest next summer.

Aishah

Another idea would be for you to contact Woodstock school - they sometimes have parents of children there temporarily, the parents doing voluntary activities in the community, and they rent small houses in the vicinity. If they know you are to move in 2010, you never know, there may be some people vacating their place and going back to USA in that year. It's a small off chance, but worth trying. I had a good friend who was in this position, but moved back to US last year.

Desipardeshi

Thank yu all again. I have another topic that really takes the cake. I guess you know what it is. Health/Medical. How are we situated in that respect? I am employed at the moment and my company pays full health benifits. As soon as I retire, its bye bye Health Insurance. Are there any good health insurance companies? How expensive is it to have a full medical coverage for a family of 3? If not, how expensive is it for simple doctor visit and Hospital stays? I am retiring, which tells you that I will be past my 60 year. Not good right. So that is my next big concern. Can I afford it?

Desi Pardeshi

Desipardeshi

Dilliwalla, I also think that 100,000 is a bit much. There are other hidden expenses that need attention so spending that much for basic is not do able. I am going to visit Mussoorie as you all have suggested next year. So if I am going left and right of the centre (mall) where do you think I should book my hotel? As SS7 says, there are small town every 4-5 miles. Please give me your best suggestion as to where I should make my base for these outings.

Desi Pardeshi

Dilliwala

You can get private health insurance from any number of companies, private and govt-owned. A govt-owned one shud not be charging more than 10-15000 per year for 3 of you. Altho it's not cool nowadays to recommend govt-owned cos., still I do so becos they are "safer" to deal with, specially outside big towns. More paper-work, longer processing times in case of a claim, but they are not as callous to deal with as the private players, where you will posssibly even run into idiots (I have) who don't even know the different conditions applicable in different cases, and wudn't know where to look either - and they all will have a label that says "manager" in it somewhere.
Most insurance cos. will have an office in Dehradun.

Other than that, you can always get treatment for most things at Landour Community Hospital, which has some very good doctors on its staff, both Indian and foreign (visiting/short-stay ones - 6 months to 2 years). LCH will be fine for most stuff, except complex surgery perhaps. A single visit/consultation wud cost a few hundred bucks at most - they don't charge much becos many poor folks come there, and it's a mission-owned hospital.
Trinity Grace Hospital and Dr. Shastry have also been spoken well of elsewhere on this site.
Some links:
http://www.eha-health.org/clinical/h...s/54-mussoorie
http://210.212.78.56/mussoorie/English/34hospitals.html
Read about Wynberg Allen's links to LCH here: http://www.wynbergallen.com/aboutus/about.htm



You can base yourself anywhere, becos you can call a taxi to anywhere to drive you around.However, based on everything I've heard and know, I wud recommend staying at Kilmarnock in the Cantt and heading out from there - furthest you'll have to drive one-way is 10 km. The owner is by all reports a good guy, and wud be able to help you with other info also.
If you haven't already, read the "Anyone going to Landour" thread (linked above) fully for more local info.

Desipardeshi

What mode of transportation would you suggest for Delhi-Mussoorie trip? Pros and Cons please(dangerous/risky comfortable or not etc.,). prices if possible.

Also, the Hotel Kilmarnock does not appear anywhere in the websearch. How can I read about it? The one in Landaur Cantt.

Dilliwala

Overnight train to Dehradun - very good, choice of two.
Early morning express - also very good. Except you lose half a night's sleep.
Two flights a day - with a good connecting shuttle service that takes you right into the centre of Dehradun.

Quote:

Also, the Hotel Kilmarnock does not appear anywhere in the websearch.

That's becos it's not a hotel.

By going thru this thread!
Better still, search it for 'Kilmarnock', it's a very long thread!

Barkha

Desipardeshi..Sorry if i go a bit off track..its regarding the school for ur lil daughter..I studied at Mussoorie for 6 years (in boarding) and it was a co-ed but now when I look back I want to go to Waverly convent (Convent of Jesus and Mary)..on Chaman estate..motilal Nehru Road and I think u can find some nice place near by..

Desipardeshi

Thank you Diliwalla,

That was a really the longest thread I have read so far, but very very stimulating. I feel as if I have lived in Landaur after reading the experiences, advices and descriptions in all those messages. Very very informative. Thanks again.

Viren Chaudhary

well i will say you go for mussorie or some other hillstations in himachal ..u shud look in north india.because as you are moving to india so you will not be wanting that you stay somewhere in south and you always have language problems....north suits you better.........i have nri friends as well as many other friends who have permanently moved to hillstations in north india..............if you want i can ask them about the details and alll.........