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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.
Avellanas (which means hazelnut in Spanish) is a virtual paradise tucked away 30-minutes south of the bustle of Tamarindo, on the Nicoya Peninsula. Ask any surfer in the province of Guanacaste if they know of Playa Avellanas and you will get a resounding, “Por supuesto” (of course). But ask the multitude of tourists in the region and you might see mostly head scratches...
As a center of Spain’s colonial power and wealth in the Americas for centuries, Mexico has many stunning historical cities. With well-preserved architecture, and narrow cobblestoned streets, you feel as if you’re stepping back in time here...
It was a beautiful afternoon in Perast, Montenegro, a village tucked away in the heart of Southeastern Europe. Snow-capped mountains pierced the sky over the periwinkle blue bay, oranges and lemons swayed from tree branches, and bees zipped from one wisteria flower to the next. Finding a wooden bench next to the Bay of Kotor...
I first came to the laidback fishing town of Zihuatanejo (pronounced “zee-watt-an-a-hoe”) eight years ago, to visit an old friend. At the time, I didn’t even know its exact location, until I looked it up. I guess you may not know it either: it’s on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, about 150 miles northwest of Acapulco...
Rolling hills, romantic waterways, and passionate people… Italy is a place that draws many dreamers to its shores. But to really experience authentic Italy, you need to get off the beaten track. Part of the fun is watching Italians going about their lives as they always have.
I’ll see your town in Provence and raise you one splendid city built of travertine limestone in Italy. I’m sure the ingrained rumors of French indifference toward foreigners aren’t really true, especially in Provence, where warm smiles and genuine hospitality are the norm. But Italy—ah, la bella Italia...
Some expats come to Panama in search of adventure, or a quality retirement destination, others seek to take advantage of Panama as a business destination. Whatever you are looking for, you will find it here in Panama, and most likely in one of its cities. In Panama, cities are mainly positioned along the Pan-American Highway...
Have you ever wondered what you are going to do in retirement? Where you might want to live? What your days will be like? We began our “Retirement Journey” in 2015 at the IL Conference in Cancun, Mexico. My wife, Shonna, and I had been reading International Living for over four years by then, and the IL conference not only spurred our desire to move overseas...
Panama stands out among the world’s top expat destinations, due to its solid infrastructure, First World amenities, beautiful beaches, and proximity to the U.S. But, there is so much more to this country than meets the eye. Panama City for example offers every option, for the foodie, culture vulture, or tree hugger in all of us...
A smooth crossing. Perfect weather. Glorious blue skies throughout the day, orange-red sunsets at night, and when we woke early, pink sunrises…We were crossing the Atlantic in style. My husband Duncan and I are advocates of slow travel on land. Back home, the daily grind had us existing, not living...