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    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
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    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

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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

    Contact Our Events Team

    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
    1 (888) 627 8834
    From Outside North America:
    1 (443) 599 1221
    Working Hours
    Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

    Unlock The World

    • Access Your Library

    Overseas Havens Reports

    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

    Conference Kits

    • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

    Lahardan Books

    • Titles on living and investing around the world
    • Explore Our Store
    Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

    Services

    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

  • My Library
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Home In Focus: Europe

All Of Your Europe Retirement FAQs Answered

by Kat Kalashian
Jan 23, 2025
in In Focus: Europe
0 0
Building of Aghia Triada monastery, located near Chania town, Crete

AdobeStock/gorelovs

A couple weeks ago, I joined a few colleagues for the 2025 Top 14 Retirement Havens Webinar.

On January 10, I joined a few colleagues for the 2025 Top 14 Retirement Havens Webinar.

Together, we introduced the top 5 winners for this year, 3 of which are in Europe:

  1. Valencia, Spain
  2. Cascais, Portugal
  3. Medellín, Colombia
  4. Crete, Greece
  5. Mazatlán, Mexico

Those of the nearly 15,000 registrants who joined us live were also able to ask us questions. Many of these are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive, so let me share a few, along with our answers…

Question: Do all these budget numbers include rent or is it if you own your home?

Answer: For the Overseas Retirement Index, we feature budgets which include rental figures, but in each issue of Overseas Living Letter (of which the Index is but one monthly issue), we include three budgets for each destination we cover: a renter’s budget, a homeowner’s budget, and a “penny-pincher’s budget.”

Question: Does the Index include the minimum guarantee of income for retirement visas for every destination?

Answer: Not every destination on our list offers a specific retirement visa, but they all offer easy residency visa options for retirees, and in each case we specify the requirements needed to qualify.

Question: As a handicapped person, how is it getting around in these places?

Answer: This depends greatly on the destination, but, generally speaking, accessibility is not as well provided overseas as it is in the States or Canada, where standards are at their global best.

You’ll find that most public transportation in Europe is handicapped accessible, with wheelchair lifts on buses, and in cities you’ll typically find ramps on most sidewalks. Metros are hit and miss… some offer elevators but some don’t. In smaller towns or villages, you might not be able to count on accessibility.

In the end, the only way to truly know if a destination will accommodate you is to visit for yourself.

Question: Is the newsletter you’re speaking about online or in print? I loved getting the magazine years ago, but we do not have postal service in Ecuador so only online works.

 Answer: Overseas Living Letter is indeed digital, complete with beautiful high-resolution images and full details on living in each destination covered. This publication has no regional focus, it covers the entire world… If you’re interested only in Europe, though, take a look at Europe Uncovered, our monthly Europe-focused subscription.

Each publication is delivered in PDF format to your inbox on the 10th (Overseas Living Letter) or 25th (Europe Uncovered) of every month.

Question: Can you recommend tax experts within these countries? I have done a tour already in Europe. One of my biggest problems is taxes—I need a resource that can do a comparison for countries in terms of the tax consequences of each option. This is important, especially for retirees who have passive income that will be taxed. Please advise if you can.

Answer: Yes, this is a critical thing to consider about any move overseas, and is something we cover—especially in regards to retirement income—in each issue, including the annual Overseas Retirement Index.

Question: Considering crime, which of the top five locations discussed officially reported the least crimes?

 Answer: We always include coverage of crime and safety when we report on a destination, and all of the places we talk about are generally safe. In fact, many of them are noted as some of the most peaceful countries in the world. The only real crime you’ll encounter in any of these places would be petty crimes of opportunity, mostly pickpocketing.

Of our top five, Cascais, Portugal would have the least crime, as it’s not a typically touristed part of the country, so it’s not a pickpocket hot spot.

Question: Are any of these places good for couples with high school-aged children?

Answer: Yes, many of these EU destinations are ideal places to raise kids, and we know of many expat families doing just that in all three of these top EU retirement havens.

Question: Do you need a car if you live in Valencia? Does Spain have a golden visa program?

Answer: No, living in Valencia you could live very comfortably without a car—and most residents would recommend doing just that. A car here would be an unnecessary expense.

Spain has had a Golden Visa program, but it was just announced that it will be terminated on April 3, 2025, and since the news was broken, applicants have skyrocketed.

So, if you’re interested in applying, you should do so now, before it’s too late.

Question: Which of the recommendations would be easiest for walking? Not a lot of ups and downs, I need mostly flat areas…

Answer: Crete is the only EU city of our top five that is mountainous and not so easy for walking. Otherwise, these destinations are all nice and flat, with plenty of public transport options.

Question: Is there an airport on Crete?

Answer: Yes, Heraklion International Airport offers a few direct flights throughout Europe, but many are seasonal. You’ll likely have to connect from Athens, depending on where you’re coming from.

Question: In Crete, how is the health care for seniors?

Answer: Greece’s health care ranks #41 in the 2023 Legatum Prosperity Index (compared to Canada’s #32 and the United States at #69).

Both public (available through the National Health System—ESY) and private health care facilities are available on Crete. Most are centered around Chania and Heraklion, though, and rural areas have limited facilities.

Standards of care are generally high, and you can have most health care needs taken care of here. Bigger public hospitals are well-equipped and have English-speaking staff. With a residence permit, you’d gain access to Greek public health care.

That said, many expats maintain international health insurance (affordable relative to insurance costs in the U.S.) to receive care faster and access private facilities.

Question: Does your information include if places are LGBTQ friendly? Many of us are interested…

Answer: Yes, this is something we always report on, and generally speaking, all of the destinations on the list would be welcoming. The exception is Italy, which is staunchly religious and conservative, and may not be a top choice. Generally speaking, and other than Milan, Italy is not a progressive country for queer culture.Happy trails,

Kat Kalashian signature

Kat Kalashian

Editor, In Focus: Europe

Tags: 'Expats Overseas'best place to retire in Europemaking plans to move overseasnew life abroad
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Kat Kalashian

Kat Kalashian

Kat Kalashian has grown up around the world, living in the United States, Ireland, France, and Panama, and has traveled extensively in her few years. Growing up as a young expat she is familiar with the trials and tribulations of an overseas move and the adjustments that must be made in every new destination. After living in Panama for seven years, she and her husband relocated back to Paris, France, in 2018 where they now live full-time with their American-born cat, Panamanian-born dog, and two French-born daughters. She's now been living in Paris for over 10 cumulative years, and enjoys being able to explore France and the rest of Europe at every opportunity. As head of Live And Invest Overseas’ European Division, she is Editorial Director of Europe Uncovered, a monthly subscription service, MCs the Europe based Live And Invest Conferences, and scouts out new locations for coverage on the Continent.

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Top Countries

  • Spain
  • Portugal
  • Panama
  • Belize
  • Colombia
  • Cyprus
  • Mexico
  • France
  • Montenegro

Best For:

  • Health Care Abroad
  • Retirement Living
  • Cost Of Living
  • Investing in Real Estate
  • Establishing Residency
  • Gun Ownership
  • English Speakers
  • Safety
BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

Budgets

How Much Will It Cost
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

Resources

Global Living

  • Living & Retiring Overseas
  • Raising A Family Abroad
  • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
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Making Money

  • International Real Estate
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Meet Our Experts

Real Estate

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Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

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Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

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Learn More About This Event

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VIRTUAL Nov. 13, 2025
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Contact Our Events Team:

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Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

Store

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Lahardan Books

  • Titles on living and investing around the world

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