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.

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

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?

Top 5 Amazing & Beautiful Beaches in Cancun

Top 5 Amazing & Beautiful Beaches in Cancun

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November 23, 2017

Powder-soft, white sand beaches. Crystal-clear Caribbean water. Year-round balmy weather and tropical breezes. World-class shopping, recreational pursuits, and modern, reliable infrastructure. These are the features which make Cancún in Mexico a great place to live or visit. Not surprisingly, as the Caribbean’s number...

Seven Things to do in Montevideo, Uruguay

Seven Things to do in Montevideo, Uruguay

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August 19, 2017

Montevideo, Uruguay's capital city, has a culture that many North American expats find comfortable. It's a place where the traditional and the modern weave together. For example, Montevideo has a prosperous economy, but people still take time for one another. It has new gleaming malls, but it is also teeming with small family-owned shops. Each child in the country receives a free laptop computer, but time with family is still cherished above all else.

The Cheapest Places to Retire: Five Towns Where You Can Live Better For Less

The Cheapest Places to Retire: Five Towns Where You Can Live Better For Less

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August 17, 2017

At home, prices are rising. It costs more to put gas in the car, buy groceries, and pay for health insurance. At the same time, retirement savings eroded in the market downturn. If you’re looking overseas for a low-cost alternative to an uncertain retirement at home, there’s good news. You can find it in places that offer not just “cheap” living, but a whole basketful of benefits, too—places where a mild spring-like climate is yours all year round…beaches are of powder-white sand…snow-capped mountains soar above colonial towns…and your costs could be as low as $1,000 a month.

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.

The World’s 10 Best Travel Adventures

The World’s 10 Best Travel Adventures

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June 1, 2017

We’ve all spent enough vacations lying on the beach…day after day…only to return to the office feeling like we’ve somehow wasted our precious time away. How many people do you know who stand at the water cooler recounting the time they led a team of dogs across the Norwegian snow plains…or were guided up beginner-level Read more...: The World’s 10 Best Travel Adventures

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