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    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
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  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

    Upcoming Events

    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    • MORE EVENTS

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    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
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    From Outside North America:
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    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

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    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
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    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

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Home Health Care

Our Top 5 Destinations For Medical Tourism

by Live And Invest Overseas
Sep 29, 2022
in Health Care, Lifestyle, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Thailand
0 0
Medical tourism

iStock/Visivasnc

What is Medical Tourism?

Medical tourism is simply traveling to a foreign country with the primary purpose of seeking medical attention.

As healthcare costs rise in the US and other parts of the world, the search for affordable medical care often leads people to travel to countries that offer great medical care at a reduced price. In fact, this kind of tourism has become so popular that it is now a multibillion-dollar industry.

Some people may be concerned that paying a lower price means receiving lower quality, but this isn’t necessarily true in the case of medical tourism. The lowered costs of foreign medical costs are more often related to

the nation’s economic status rather than the quality of service. That said, anyone interested in medical tourism should asses both the destination and the procedure they are traveling for. It is best to check if the facility where you are seeking care is accredited and recommended by international referral networks.

Often people who travel for medical tourism are seeking a specific type of treatment. Common treatments sought overseas include, but are not limited to, dentistry, cosmetic surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, and organ transplants. 

While most people who travel for medical treatment are going mainly for the lowered price of treatment, many people find an opportunity to seek medical treatment, and enjoy a great vacation at the same time. With all these considerations in mind here is our top five list (in no particular order) of the best destinations for medical tourism.

Thailand

Ko Phi Phi Island - Thailand
iStock/EPasqualli

Thanks to its combination of low costs, and high-quality treatment, Thailand is a great place to visit for medical tourism. In fact, in Thailand the official government policy is that Thailand is a “Hub of Wellness and Medical Services”. And the government has put in place a set of progressive policies to help them achieve that status. In 2016 the government rolled out a ten-year plan to turn Thailand into the “Medical Hub of Asia”.

And if you plan on using medical tourism as an opportunity to get some regular touring in as well, Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles”, and it’s easy to see

why. With many breathtaking beaches, misty mountains, golf courses, kick boxing events, and friendly locals it is easy to see why Thailand is also a tourist and expat hub. To top it off the cost of living in Thailand is cheap. It is arguably the cheapest place in the world to live.

Panama

Skyline of Panama City, Panama
iStock/Jan-Schneckenhaus

Medical tourism is on the rise in Panama. Although currently, there are only two hospitals in Panama accredited by the JCI, other top hospitals in the country, and many of the private hospitals, are accredited by the Panamanian government and other non-government sources. Many of the doctors in Panama are trained in the US and this can bee seen in the facilities, treatment and practices.

Panama has been dubbed the “Hub of the Americas”, and it is an ideal country to live in or visit, especially for those traveling from Canada or the United States. The locals are friendly, the cost of living (while not as cheap as other locations) is very affordable, it has numerous beaches (both on the Pacific and the Caribbean), and the atmosphere is laid-back and easy going.

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Malaysia

Penang Bridge, Malaysia
iStock/KeongDaGreat

Another location where medical tourism is booming is Malaysia. Hospitals in Kuala Lumpur and Penang were among the first in Asia to be accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), and prices for treatment in Malaysia are about half of what they would be in the United States.

In Malaysia you can experience a very unique and great culture. With a diverse population of Chinese, and Indian ethnicities, Malaysia is an excellent place to partake in exotic festivals, foods and traditions. Malaysia is also very welcoming to foreigners, and they offer great incentives like the Malaysian My Second Home Visa Program.

Mexico

Traditional decorations in streets in Mexico
iStock/Marcos Elihu Castillo Ramirez

Over a million visitors from all around the world travel to Mexico every year to get medical treatment. Mexico is a popular medical tourism location for United States citizens since it is so close. On top of that you can get high-quality treatment for a fraction of the cost that you would pay in the United States. Mexico has 7 hospitals accredited by the JCI and they offer a wide set of treatments.

Mexico is the most accessible country to the United States and Canada and is a wonderful place to visit or live in. Home to the largest population of North

American expats in the world, Mexico is a diverse country with a lot to offer visitors such as, great beaches, jungles, Mayan ruins, rain forests, rivers and lakes. And the food is excellent, Mexico is a foodie’s heaven. The sheer variety of food in Mexico is mind-blowing… and it’s delicious.

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Portugal

Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal
iStocktock/Jacek_Sopotnicki

Portugal often ranks highly on the WHO list of countries with the best healthcare in the world. So, it is no surprise that this country is a top choice for medical tourism. They have 14 JCI accredited facilities and many other facilities are working hard to earn that prestigious accreditation. Medical procedures are offered at a low cost, they have clean facilities, well-trained staff, the latest in medical technology, and they offer a wide variety of procedures that may be hard to find in other places.

Don’t let Portugal’s small size fool you. Portugal offers a wide variety of things for tourists to do, they have some of the best golf courses in the world, there are medieval ruins, fishing villages, open-air markets and beautiful beaches. English is spoke in most of Portugal and the people are friendly and welcoming to foreigners. To top it off Portugal also ranks as the 17th safest country in the world.

If you are in need of expensive medical treatment it is definitely a good idea to look abroad and find out what your options are. Here are a few more resources to help you find the ideal location for your treatment or procedures.

A full list of the best medical tourism destinations can be found at the Medical Tourism Index.

Follow this link for more information on JCI accredited organizations.

Click here for CDC information on Medical Tourism.

Tags: 'health care'and organ transplantscardiac surgerycosmetic surgerydentistryhealthmedical tourismneurosurgeryorthopedic surgery
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  • Spain
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  • Panama
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  • Colombia
  • Cyprus
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  • France
  • Montenegro

Best For:

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  • Retirement Living
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BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

Budgets

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To Live Overseas?

Super Cheap

  • Chitré, Panama
  • Santa Marta, Colombia
  • Phuket, Thailand
  • Dumaguete, The Philippines

Cheap

  • Medellin, Colombia
  • Boquete, Panama
  • Kyrenia, Cyprus
  • Hua Hin, Thailand
  • The Algarve, Portugal

Affordable

  • Valencia, Spain
  • Cascais, Portugal
  • Las Terrenas, The DR
  • Pisa, Italy
  • La Rochelle, France
  • Mazatlán, Mexico

Luxury

  • Ambergris Caye, Belize
  • Kotor, Montenegro
  • The Panama City Beaches
  • Paris, France

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