“Overchoice” is when we have a hard time making a decision because we’re faced with too many options. Let’s be frank, when it comes to overseas retirement destinations, this can be a real problem. All over the globe you have walkable cities…glorious beaches…highland retreats…historic colonial enclaves…lakeside getaways…places where you can live better for less, have fun, and feel secure.
Throughout the year, we make things even tougher by bringing you ever-more places as our scouts ceaselessly explore promising new havens and uncover new opportunities. Sometimes it’s just too much. It can be hard to know where to focus.
So every January, we tackle this dilemma head on. Our Annual Global Retirement Index is designed to help you compare and contrast the best retirement havens in the world today.
This Index is in its 26th year. It’s grown more sophisticated as we draw on input and judgment from our growing network of editors and correspondents all over the planet.
But I’ll be honest with you: You can crunch all the numbers you want—real estate statistics, cost-of-living budgets. You can examine weather patterns and evaluate healthcare facilities. You can talk to expats—just as we did. We interview lots of folks who are already doing what you’re thinking of doing.
I’m not saying the 24 countries ranked and rated here are not the best retirement havens in the world. They are all outstanding options if you’re looking for a place where you could live better for less overseas.
But ultimately it’s about making an informed decision about what’s right for you. Does long-term happiness for you mean living in a city or town where there is plenty to keep you busy and where the climate is mild and forgiving? Or do you want an expansive view of the ocean, warm weather, and days on the beach?
Use the index as a guide to proven options, then apply your own priorities. Give into your gut. Go try a place on for size, just as hundreds of thousands of IL readers before you have done…
—Eoin Bassett, Editorial Director
Lying in western Panama, Chiriquí province is home to towering mountains covered in cloud forest stretching down to the Pacific Ocean’s pristine sands. Exploring Chiriquí and finding new hidden places is a passion for me—I’ve been doing it since making my home in the provincial capital, David, four years ago.
Madrid, Spain’s capital, is a must-visit for all things art, food, wine, and architecture. I’ve lived here for over eight years now, and I’m still smitten. Tree-lined boulevards open up to busy squares, anchored by elaborate fountains shaped like neo-classical sculptures spraying arcs of water high into the air.
For decades now, International Living has been sharing information about all that Panama has to offer. As quality of life deteriorates elsewhere in the world, Panama looks better and better. Nowhere else can you enjoy such a comfortable life.
You can live better for less abroad, even on Social Security. Whether you want the sophisticated big city life…to escape to a deserted stretch of coast…to dance the night away in a beach resort…live in history in a colonial town…or follow rural rhythms in a small farming village…you can find it overseas at a fraction of your current budget.
I sat with a friend on the beach in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, marveling at the most spectacular sunset I had ever seen…gold, purple, orange, pink, and blue. I made the decision right then and there to live in this unbelievably beautiful country. And I wasn’t going to wait for retirement.
Did you know you can download and read your entire January issue as a PDF? Simply click on the link below and discover the secrets to retiring and investing overseas.