The Complete Guide to Researching the Best Places to Retire Abroad
If you are thinking about retiring abroad, the first step is to make a list of what you want in your ideal retirement location. Consider priorities like:
- Affordable cost of living that matches your retirement income
- Access to good, reasonably priced healthcare
- An established expat community for friendship
- A comfortable climate if important to you
- Safety and political stability
- Easy access to an airport for travel home
Rank these by how important each one is to you personally. This will help later when comparing different locations.
Calculating Cost of Living in Different Places
One key factor in choosing where to retire overseas is the cost of living. With a fixed retirement income, finding an affordable place that aligns with your budget is crucial. Several websites provide cost of living calculators to estimate expenses in various international cities:
- International Living – Lets you enter your own spending on housing, food, healthcare, taxes, etc. Shows costs in popular expat destinations.
- Expatistan – Compares prices for everyday purchases like groceries and dining out across hundreds of cities.
- Numbeo – Uses crowd-sourced data to show costs globally for goods, services, utilities, rentals, and more.
When researching locations, look at average prices for housing, food, transportation, healthcare, entertainment, and other costs. Compare both cities and rural areas. This helps identify places and lifestyles that fit your retirement funds.
Researching Healthcare Options
After cost, healthcare is likely a top concern when retiring abroad. It’s important to thoroughly research the quality, affordability, and accessibility of medical care in potential destinations ahead of time. Key factors to look into include:
- Availability of English-speaking doctors and specialists
- Reputable hospitals and facilities
- Health insurance options for expats
- Typical costs for appointments, procedures, medications
- Emergency services and urgent care
Talk to expats already living there, read expat healthcare blogs, and join local medical groups to get advice. Knowing you can get quality care you can afford provides essential peace of mind.
Connecting with Current Expat Retirees
One of the best ways to understand authentic daily life abroad is to connect with retirees already living in places you are considering. Their on-the-ground perspectives are invaluable. Ways to connect include:
- Joining general expat Facebook groups and forums for your locations
- Finding blogs written by retirees who have moved there
- Attending virtual or in-person meetups to ask questions
- Emailing potential contacts willing to share insights
Ask about pros and cons of neighborhoods, cost of living, healthcare access, obtaining residency, amenities, and more. Their real experiences help assess if locations suit you.
Joining Relevant Expat Forums
In addition to talking to retirees directly, active expat forums focused on your potential destinations offer timely, local information. Look for recent discussions on topics like best areas, healthcare, safety, costs, visas, etc. Just be aware of thinly disguised marketing content. Moderated forums tend to have the most useful conversations.
Choosing the Right Expat Community
Once you narrow down countries and cities, research specific neighborhoods and towns that offer the lifestyle amenities you want, such as:
- Walkable streets with shops and restaurants
- Public transportation if needed
- Parks, recreation centers, gyms
- Grocery stores with specialty items
- Entertainment like movie theaters
- Nearby cultural activities and events
- Organizations for English speakers
Reach out to expats to understand the cost of living in different districts. Finding the community that suits your needs best will help your overseas transition.
Some adventurous retirees start small businesses abroad like consulting, teaching English, writing, or selling crafts online. With proper research into legal and tax requirements, many countries make it fairly easy to become an entrepreneur resident.
Taking the time to thoroughly research costs, laws, healthcare, real expat perspectives, and more using expat-focused resources will help you discover the perfect place for your adventurous retirement abroad. The key is outlining your must-have criteria and needs, then finding destinations that fit the lifestyle you envision.
1 thought on “The Complete Guide to Researching the Best Places to Retire Abroad”
Comments are closed.