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.
Warm, clear blue-green sea lapping long, sandy beaches… Families eating and laughing together over slow, relaxed dinners with lashings of good food and even better wine… Markets packed full of fresh-caught fish, locally made cheeses, and a rainbow of delicious produce… When you live by the beach in Europe, life is simpler, happier, and healthier.
Costa Rica has long been a popular retirement destination, and a favorite among International Living readers. Its affordability, laidback lifestyle, and wonderful scenery continue to draw in huge numbers of expats from the U.S. and beyond.
What makes for a good retirement destination? For those on a budget (and those who aren’t) a place with a lower cost of living is key. But it’s not only about the money. You want to be comfortable and feel safe. Modern services like high-speed internet, top-notch medical care, and good value real estate are also important. And if you’re from a northern climate, the benefit of warm weather year-round (no more coats, no more snow tires) might be the biggest motivator.
With a low cost of living, picture-perfect white-sand beaches, friendly locals and fascinating culture, Southeast Asia are so much more than exotic vacation spots. Enticing expats and retirees from around the globe, they still beckon with the promise and rewards of an exciting life overseas. Imagine never having to buy a new coat or pay for home heating ever again. Untouched by our idea of “winter”, each of the countries in Southeast Asia delivers warm, tropical weather and the chance for beach-side relaxation all year round. For many expats, it’s paradise found.
Here at International Living we’re very much a global family. One that’s spread out around the world…across four continents, actually. Our correspondents and editors—who are always on the move, scouting out new locations and revisiting old favorites—are our eyes and ears in the world’s best retirement havens. And like any good family, we’re in constant contact with each other.
What countries offer the best tax benefits for potential retirees/expats that reside there? Are there any countries that I should look at or any that I should avoid in relation to incentives/packages for retirees? Bonnie Hayman – Nicaragua Correspondent Hello Anne Nicaragua offers great tax and retiree benefits. If you purchase a house, the real Read more...: “What countries offer the best tax benefits for potential retirees/expats that reside there?”
Where is the best country that I could teach English that would enable me to live overseas? I am hoping to leave the U.S. in the coming year but I am still undecided on where yet. Both the Americas and Asia appeal to me. I am 45 and want to move somewhere to teach English Read more...: “Where is the best country that I could teach English that would enable me to live overseas?”
Which country would best suit a single person retiring on $2000 a month? I am a single woman aged 60 and I want to retire overseas in the next two years. I will require modest living requirements just somewhere where the crime rate is not high as general safety would be a concern. I haven’t Read more...: “Which country would best suit a single person retiring on $2000 a month?”
After 10 years of covering this country for International Living, you’d think writing about the best places to vacation in Panama would be a cinch. The more you know, the easier it should be…but the opposite is often the case. I know so many great Panama vacation destinations that it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few.
Hi, I am looking for some information regarding what are the best and most beautiful beaches that you have visited in Latin America? David Hammond – IL Uruguay Correspondent There are lots of great beaches in Latin America, but I will tell you about the ones I know about as IL’s Uruguay correspondent. Uruguay has Read more...: “What are the best beaches in Latin America?”