IL Magazine: Discover the World's Best Retirement Haven for 2021 + 24 more
SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE 65% about subscribing to International Living Magazine
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.
Having grown up in Chicago, I never thought it would be possible to live in a big, First World city for $1,000 a month. That much wouldn't even cover my mortgage for a month back home… But when I arrived in Cebu City, which is on the eastern shore of the island of Cebu in the Philippines, I was immediately surprised by what I saw. High rises, malls, fancy cars—a major First World city. Yet, it really is possible to live there for $1,000 a month.
Placencia is a 16-mile peninsula in southern Belize, surrounded on one side by the Caribbean Sea, and on the other, by a lagoon with views of the Maya mountains. It’s often called the “caye you can drive to” as it has an island vibe, but can still be reached with a car from the mainland...
Panama has always been a top choice for retirees due to its tropical climate and many English-speaking locals. If you are considering retiring overseas, Panama should be high on your radar.Panama has a low cost of living and great retiree benefits. Here are our top five places to live in Panama.
The 2014 Fast Track Costa Rica Conference is over and done with - and as expected, it was a roaring success. I'd wager the people who attended this conference were people who had read and heard about Costa Rica's breath-taking natural beauty, very affordable cost of living, and the Pura Vida lifestyle—and were interested in seeing if it's somewhere where they could enjoy a happier retirement for less than what they are paying at home.
If you're a regular IL reader—or you've been following the World Cup hoopla—then you've likely heard of the cities of Fortaleza, Natal, and Recife. If you're not familiar with them, they're all state capitals in the tropical northeast of Brazil. All are popular tourist destinations for Europeans, although North Americans have been slow to catch on to their delights. All are hosting World Cup games.
The best thing about your diet in Nicaragua is that you are eating healthier by default. GMO is not allowed and many farmers use homemade herbal pesticides because it’s much cheaper. It’s strange, because my friends and family in the U.S. and Australia go to great lengths to find “grass-fed and finished,” “free-range and uncaged,” and fruits and vegetables that haven’t been injected, painted, and waxed. No problem in Nicaragua. We don’t have that stuff. Everything here is how it used to be in the U.S.—fresh, unadulterated food.
With 763 miles of coastline on the Pacific and Caribbean, Costa Rica is blessed with its share of beautiful beaches…not to mention pristine waters. And inland lakes and rivers provide more outstanding scenery. But these waterways are more than just pretty to look at. They’re the playgrounds of watersports enthusiasts of many different disciplines. Below Read more...: Fun for All Ages: The Top Five Watersports in Costa Rica
My husband Gary and I spent a long time researching all of our options for living overseas. We considered a range of countries during our search, including Belize, Argentina, and Uruguay... But as we researched, one country emerged more and more as a clear winner: Panama.
Alajuela, just 13 miles or so from Costa Rica’s capital, San José, is in many ways the country’s second city. It is second in size, with a population of 50,000. And it is also the home to La Liga, one half a bitter soccer (here known as futbol) rivalry with San José’s team, Saprissa. The country’s main international airport is in Alajuela. And it’s the birthplace of national hero Juan Santamaria.
San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, is full of small towns and villages that have merged over the years into the greater metro area as the city grew. One of those is Santa Ana, population of about 11,000. At one time known mainly for its ceramics and pottery, this once sleepy hamlet is fast becoming one of San Jose’s top suburbs...