Life coach Tony Robbins said, “Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent, and committed decision.” As an International Living reader, you’ve already made a decision that will certainly change your life (for the better). You’ve decided to explore a move overseas, or—at the very least—how to spend more quality time abroad, without breaking the bank. But where to go?
Each month in these pages we bring you more and more options in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Europe…and so deciding on the location that’s right for you can be challenging. To help, this month we reveal the results of our Annual Global Retirement Index.
This is the 28th year in which we’ve ranked and rated, compared and contrasted the best retirement havens in the world. Using our extensive network of on-the-ground contacts, we’ve crunched the numbers, analyzed the data, and drilled down more than ever into the nitty gritty of living overseas to bring you the top 25 countries around the world for an overseas retirement.
Places like Malaysia, which topped the healthcare category in this year’s Index. When Kirsten and Mark Raccuia moved to Penang, good healthcare wasn’t a reason for choosing Malaysia. “But since living here,” Kirsten says, “we’ve realized that the top-notch healthcare at affordable prices is one of the reasons it’s so attractive for retiring expats.” Read Kirsten’s assessment of Malaysia’s healthcare system here.
Or Costa Rica. This year, that country topped the Healthy Lifestyle category. Stephen Day and his wife Christine live in the Lake Arenal region of Costa Rica. Because of the affordable fresh produce, “we now eat more healthily than ever,” he says. Up north, stress is a common cause of health problems. Stephen doesn’t worry about that anymore. “The Costa Rica lifestyle is slower and less stressful than our lives in the U.S. And we believe our decision to move here will give us many extra years of discovery.”
Then there’s Mexico…just one of four countries IL Editor Dan Prescher has lived in over the last 18 years. As a seasoned expat, Dan firmly believes that living overseas can change lives for the better. “Every country on the Global Retirement Index represents a chance to see how livable, how enjoyable, how packed with adventure and opportunity the world is.” Read Dan’s thoughts on why now is the best time in history to move abroad here.
We created the Annual Global Retirement Index almost three decades ago to help readers like you find their top retirement haven. So, let’s get started…
In exchange for taking care of a home while the owners are away, you can live rent-free for months at a time all over the world. If you love traveling, and like the idea of doing so without paying for accommodation, housesitting is an established approach.Since I started housesitting, I’ve stayed in some enviable destinations...
One of the quandaries facing potential expats is what to do with their possessions. Is it worth shipping these to their new home abroad, or should they leave them behind? Some expats pack up all their belongings; others move with just a few suitcases and leave or get rid of everything else. But most people fall somewhere in between...
When you think of an island in Southeast Asia, you probably think of beautiful beaches and coconut palms swaying in the breeze, but not world-class healthcare. I’ll admit, my husband, Mark, and I chose to move to Penang, in Malaysia, for a host of reasons, and none of them was healthcare. We moved here when we were 48 and 39 respectively, so major healthcare issues weren’t on our minds...
It’s 7:30 a.m. and early morning activities are happening around us: healthy types setting off on their morning walk or jog along the three miles of trails, children playing in the open air playground, mothers looking on and chatting quietly among themselves. The morning light is still gentle as it reflects off the lake’s surface...
Once, most North Americans were content to wind down at age 65, collect the retirement income they’d accrued over their working lives, and settle into a quiet, slower third age in the towns and states where they’d spent the previous decades.The picture is somewhat different now. Most people don’t have the funds they need to retire at 65...
With no standing army, 99% of its energy needs met by sustainable sources, and a local population whose national motto, Pura Vida, celebrates the simple joy of living, Costa Rica is without doubt a progressive nation. It’s a safe, stable paradise where clued-in expats have been heading for decades. With an excellent nationalized healthcare system, a mild...
The revolution is everywhere…in your home, the workplace…in the engine of your car. Artificial Intelligence—AI—is all around you. Self-service checkouts, smart TVs, robot assistants (if you have an iPhone, think of Siri), even robot vacuum cleaners. Everyone on earth is affected...
Many U.S. citizens dream of retiring abroad, and more are now taking the plunge than ever before. With some research and planning, an enhanced quality of life—including a better climate, more affordable healthcare, and a healthier lifestyle—are more attainable goals than they've ever been. Here are our three top tax tips for U.S. citizens considering retiring abroad...
Hostal Chalupa has its own kind of welcoming vibe… Use it as a jumping-off point to explore Tulum’s beaches, cenotes, and ruins, but leave time to soak up the atmosphere of the hostel itself,” reads one online review of this quirky establishment on Mexico’s Riviera Maya...
Remember the days when you had to hire a travel agent to plan your vacation, and accept any prices they gave you for your flight, hotel, car rental, and activities? You often didn’t know what to pack. If you didn’t speak the language, it was difficult to communicate and find the latest and best restaurants, events, and things to do once you reached your destination...