Best Places

For over 30 years, International Living has searched around the world for retirement destinations that are right for you. We have explored all manner of dream locales, assessing how well they can provide for all your retirement needs—including cost of living, retiree benefits, climate, healthcare, and much more. The result is a comprehensive resource of essential information to help you find your dream retirement overseas.

The Best Places to Retire in 2020

Where can you find the best quality of life in the world…the best places to live…the best climate…the healthiest places to live…the cheapest? Which countries make it into the lists as the perfect destinations for your retirement…and why? We have all the answers.

From bustling beach towns to small fishing communities, stunning stretches of sand to lush rainforests teeming with life, there’s a huge variety of choice on offer for expats. In all of the destinations we speak about, you can enjoy a relaxed lifestyle, with established expat communities, friendly, welcoming natives, good healthcare, and an ideal climate.

Each destination is desirable in its own way, but they all offer something increasingly hard to come by at home: A good quality of life for a reasonable price.

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and dive into our selection of articles to learn more about the best places in the world to retire.

Best Places Archives

Best Places for Families to Retire Overseas

Best Places for Families to Retire Overseas

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January 5, 2018

We all dream of giving up the rat race, packing our belongings, and moving some where warm and sunny, but why wait until you retire? Moving overseas can be a big decision, even bigger when you have children—but the benefits that make living abroad a good thing for adults are similar to those that make it a good thing for kids. A lower cost of living, healthier lifestyle, varied life and cultural experiences…they all benefit your child’s life in some way. Here are some of the best places to retire for families.

What country would be best for an english speaking 50 something year old African American woman to live better in?

What country would be best for an english speaking 50 something year old African American woman to live better in?

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November 24, 2017

I am interested in relocating to a different country. i have lived in United States my entire life, yet my heart has never really been here. Being an African american i love my African culture yet i’m also native american. What country would be best for an English speaking 50 something year old African American Read more...: What country would be best for an english speaking 50 something year old African American woman to live better in?

3 Unique Towns for Beachside Living on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast

3 Unique Towns for Beachside Living on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast

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June 17, 2017

Among the 2.6 million visitors who come to Costa Rica each year, a big percentage (maybe even the majority) head to the Pacific coast. For good reason: the country’s beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. And there is a large variety of types of beaches and beach communities too.

Choose Your Paradise in Sunny, Affordable Costa Rica

Choose Your Paradise in Sunny, Affordable Costa Rica

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June 2, 2017

Costa Rica may be a small country—it’s about the size of West Virginia—but it’s incredibly diverse as far as the landscape, climate, lifestyle, and “feel” you’ll experience in its different regions. You’ll find plenty of lush rainforests filled with capuchin monkeys and sloths, and jungle-covered mountains cascading down to the glittering Pacific.

Beach Towns in Ecuador: Which is Best for You?

Beach Towns in Ecuador: Which is Best for You?

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June 1, 2017

Where is the best beach town in Ecuador to hang your hat? Well, that depends entirely on the lifestyle, climate, and environment you’re after, of course. Because not every beach town is created equally. That’s especially true in Ecuador, where every journey along the country’s 530–mile long Ruta del Sol coast, from the border with Peru northward to Colombia, takes you through several diverse eco-systems.