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Know you want to retire abroad but don’t where? Looking for help finding your personal paradise? International Living has over 30 years of on-the-ground experience in the countries that we think are the best places around the world for retiring, investing, and reinventing yourself right now. We've done the research...you've done the dreaming. With IL correspondents around the globe, we'll help you make those dreams a reality.
So, what makes for the perfect retirement location? That is of course entirely subjective. But, what we do know is, climate, affordability, good healthcare, and a healthy lifestyle are the cornerstones of a happy and fulfilling retirement. In fact, all of the countries we cover in our Annual Retirement Index score highly in these categories.
With IL correspondents living in Central America, South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe, we have you covered when it comes to finding your perfect retirement overseas. If you have ever dreamed of an idyllic life in Tuscany, a cosmopolitan lifestyle in Panama, a slice of paradise in Thailand, or a sun kissed beach adventure in Mexico, we have the experts who have been there…and are still doing that.
Having moved overseas and immersed themselves in the destinations where they live and learned their lessons the hard way, our experts are ideally placed to compare, contrast, and bring nuanced insight to the most appealing retirement destinations in the world.
This on the ground experience means we know the do’s and don’ts of moving abroad and can highlight the best way to make sure this transition is easy for you.
You can get all the tips, tricks, advice, and recommendations you need to make an informed decision. Our extensive library of articles below will give you new ideas about places to visit, invest, or live where you can find your perfect retirement.
With a skyline that wouldn’t look out of place in Miami or Dubai, Panama City is the epitome of a modern metropolis. Impressive towers overlooking the Panama Bay are home to many well-heeled locals, as well as an ever-growing community of expats.
Nestled in the Panamanian mountains along a rocky road, off the paved highway, is the home of Dr. Dave Ahrend. To get there, you drive up a newly constructed freeway for about 45 minutes before turning off onto a paved road that takes you up into the mountains.
One of the bonuses of living in Panama is that you’re never very far from the coast. Surprisingly, most of the Caribbean and Pacific coastlines are undeveloped or even inaccessible.
"I'm glad we didn't have enough money to retire in the U.S." says Kris Cunningham, who moved to Panama with her husband Joel in 2012. "If we had, we would have missed out on our wonderful life here."
For the last seven years, my husband Gary and I have been enjoying a snowbird lifestyle. For six months each year, we wave goodbye to family and friends in cold, snowy Canada and set out for our home in Panama’s Chiriquí province.
“My husband Eric cannot stop smiling,” says Lorrie Griffith. “For the past 12 years, we’ve been talking about buying a house and moving to Panama, and finally that dream has become a reality.”
Life in Texas was not going well for Allen Connally. A professional designer, his business was falling off as more and more clients turned to the internet instead of the print publications he specialized in.
Whenever you hear about the Pacific Ocean beaches of Ecuador, often the focus is mostly on the two more populated cities on the coast—the port city of Manta and the resort town of Salinas.
When you move to Vietnam, you’ll likely find that the people are delightful, the standard of living is high, the cost of living is low, and there aren’t enough hours in the day to explore Vietnam’s many wonders. Below are a few tips to help you get started on your Vietnamese adventure.
A capuchin monkey is in a tree just a few steps from where I sit. I stay still for as long as I can—I am enjoying looking at him and don’t want to scare him away. Surrounded by lush rainforest, I could almost forget that I am in Panama City.