The Best Towns and Cities to Retire in Southeast Asia
Known for its perfect beaches, low prices, and excellent scuba diving, Southeast Asia usually conjures up images of young globe-trotting backpackers and sultry nights spent at a beach bar.
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
Things To Do In Belfast, Northern Ireland
From stunning scenery, to fascinating history, and rich culture it is no wonder Northern Ireland has risen to prominence as a top travel destination. And Belfast, its largest city, is the perfect place to launch your discovery of this captivating region. Here are my favorite things to see and do in Belfast...
6 Things to do Along Croatia’s Makarska Riviera
The Makarska Riviera has been a magnet for sun and fun-seekers for generations. This rocky coastline in southeastern Europe has a fantastic mix of beaches, hiking trails, and historical sites. If you’re thinking about visiting or living along this stretch of coast in Croatia...
Where are the Best Gay Friendly Countries to Retire/Move to?
We’re often asked about racial/religious tolerance and about how accepting the locals are in various countries toward LGBT lifestyles. While you’ll typically find a warm welcome in any of the countries we suggest for expat living, here’s what our experts on the ground had to say about the countries they live in.
In Photos: The Top 5 Beaches in Costa Rica
When you dream of a vacation (or living) in the tropics, often the first thing you imagine is the coastline. Long sandy stretches of palms swaying in the sea breezes. The waves gently lapping the shore. Playing in the surf or donning a mask and exploring the colorful submerged world. Yes, it is easy to talk about beaches, but it is...
Things to Do in Vietnam
One of the reasons why Vietnam has become such a popular destination for tourism is that there is so much to do. Whether you’re exploring unspoiled, hidden beaches, trekking in remote mountains, taking photos of ancient Cham ruins, or simply relaxing at a bia hoi with the locals over a glass of fresh-brewed beer, Vietnam has...
Three Friendly, Vibrant Beach Retreats on Ecuador’s Pacific
Extremely affordable, warm all year, less than five hours’ flight time from the U.S.... we’ve been flying the Ecuador flag at International Living for decades. If you’ve been a subscriber for anything more than a few months, you’ll know that we rate the country high on our shortlist of locations worldwide...
Finding Connection and Community in Assisi
“My ex-husband told me that my heart was in Italy, and he was right,” says Cecilia Snyder, a former resident of Washington, D.C. and now a five-year resident of Assisi, the gem of Umbria and Italy. Cecilia went to Italy for business for the first time in 2000. “I was blown away...
A Photographer’s Happy Return to Old Saigon, to Stay
When he retired from a successful career as a professional photographer, he decided to make Vietnam his home, returning to Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)—the city that had captured his heart and imagination all those years ago...
Exploring Chania: Peaceful, Sun-Soaked Bliss on Greece’s Largest Island
The island of Crete is one of Greece’s major highlights. It’s the biggest of all the Greek islands and one of the most fascinating, whether you’re inspired by nature, history, Greek food, or the beach-focused Mediterranean lifestyle. While exploring the charms of Crete, most visitors base themselves in one of three small cities along Crete’s northern coast: Chania, Rethymno, or Heraklion...