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…
For years, readers of International Living have seen Cotacachi promoted as an essential expat destination— and for good reason. Hundreds of expats have made this charming mountain town their home, enjoying the mild weather, friendly people, and stunning beauty of the lush valley that runs between the peaks of Imbabura and Cotacachi. With all this going for it...
They seem to demand silence, like a love affair you can never talk about. In the end, you’re just happy you were there—with your eyes open—and lived to see it.” The late chef and travel writer Anthony Bourdain was speaking about Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu. But there are many other places around the world that inspire the same sentiment...
As 2019 begins, I’m filled with hope and excitement. I feel this way for several reasons. One of these is the fact that 2019 will mark International Living's 40th year of publication.That’s four decades of making readers aware that living a happier, healthier, more affordable life in some of the world’s most exotic destinations—and having the retirement of their dreams—isn’t a fantasy.It’s a rock-solid...
An easy-going coastal hideaway. A sleepy mountain retreat. An energetic historical city.All sorts of good-value escapes exist overseas today to suit just about any taste in climate or surrounds. And they’re all spots where you can live better for less, spots where the weather is good year-round, and where you can sit back and relax, comfortable in the knowledge that you won’t outlive your nest egg...
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