Live and Invest Overseas
The Best Places To Retire In 2025

FREE REPORT: THE BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025






    We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
    • 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

      Join our Weekly Newsletter
      Overseas Property Alert

      Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive expert insights on the best international real estate investment opportunities.






        We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

        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

        International Property Summit

        Caribbean Virtual Conference

        Live and Invest In Spain Conference

        PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

        June 18-20, 2025

        VIRTUAL

        July 17-19, 2025

        Valencia, Spain

        Sep. 17-19, 2025

        LEARN MORE
        LEARN MORE
        PRE-REGISTER
        LEARN MORE
        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
      Live and Invest Overseas
      • 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

        Join our Weekly Newsletter
        Overseas Property Alert

        Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive expert insights on the best international real estate investment opportunities.






          We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

          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

          International Property Summit

          Caribbean Virtual Conference

          Live and Invest In Spain Conference

          PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

          June 18-20, 2025

          VIRTUAL

          July 17-19, 2025

          Valencia, Spain

          Sep. 17-19, 2025

          LEARN MORE
          LEARN MORE
          PRE-REGISTER
          LEARN MORE
          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
        Live and Invest Overseas
         Moving Out Of The U.S?

        THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

        the 10 best places to retire in 2025

        PLUS: A SPECIAL BONUS DESTINATION

        Simply sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report… absolutely FREE






          We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

          Home Lifestyle

          Asia, Europe, And The Americas Face Off

          The Pros And Cons Of Life Overseas

          by Kathleen Peddicord
          Jan 09, 2024
          in Lifestyle
          0 0
          Aerial Drone View of a tropical beach in Costa Rica. Sand and water surrounded by lush rainforest

          AdobeStock/Duarte

          The world is alive with opportunity.

          Specifically, in the context of the conversation we carry on in these dispatches, the world is alive with opportunity for an interesting, rich, full, adventure-filled, and sometimes very affordable retirement in a place that is welcoming, beautiful, friendly, and engaging.

          That’s our starting point…

          The way of looking at the world that, with the help of hundreds of far-flung correspondents, colleagues, expats, and experts across the globe, I work to share with you.

          Of course, in truth, retiring overseas isn’t for everyone…

          Who Should Live Overseas?

          To make a success of this, you need:

          • An open mind…
          • A spirit of adventure…
          • A good sense of humor…

          I’d say that, because you’re reading this right now, you likely boast those attributes and are, indeed, a good candidate for making a success of the kind of move you must be considering… precisely because you’re considering it.

          You—like your hundreds of thousands of fellow Live And Invest Overseas readers—are looking for something new, something better, something bigger, something different, something other.

          One question to be asking yourself as you’re reading along is… how different?

          How outside your comfort zone are you interested in going?

          More on this in a minute.

          Another critical starting-point question, of course, is to do with budgets. How much does it cost to retire overseas… and can you actually afford to follow through on the dream life you’re imagining?

          The short answer to that question is: Yes. You can afford to retire overseas. Even on a very, very modest budget.

          The specific answer, though (to state the obvious), is that it depends on the size of your nest egg… and where in the world you’re considering spending it.

          The question isn’t really how much does it cost to retire overseas?

          The question is how much money do you have to retire?

          Once you know the size of your retirement nest egg, then you can figure out where that nest egg will buy you the retirement you want.

          Though I’d suggest that’s not the way to approach this… at least that’s not the way to begin to approach this. That’s backwards.

          Most importantly, start by thinking through the life you want.

          Imagine your ideal lifestyle. Then look at the numbers in that context. Where will the budget you’ve got buy you the lifestyle you’re looking for?

          In these dispatches, I give a lot of virtual ink to Latin America. That’s because it’s nearby to North America (where most of our readers currently reside) and because it can be cheap and sunny (two things most would-be expats and retirees abroad actively seek).

          But there’s a world beyond these Americas that can also offer good weather and a low cost of living… plus, in some cases, some things you won’t find here.

          Asia

          Best places to retire in Indonesia. Image of beach with clear blue sea
          Image Source: iStock/Nuture

          Asia boasts a number of the most cost-friendly places anywhere to call home right now. Pockets of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, for example, can be absurdly cheap.

          Living on this side of the planet, you’d also have access to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches…

          In short, your life would be full of the exotic, the unexpected, and the adventuresome.

          That is to say, the culture shock would be significant. For some, this reality is thrilling and invigorating… for others, intimidating, even terrifying.

          Used to be that foreign retirees in Asia didn’t legalize their status.

          Historically—in some cases because it seemed easier and in others because formal residency programs weren’t an option—expats in this part of the world have relied on the “border run” approach. They’d leave the country where they were living briefly, then return with a renewed tourist visa.

          However, today, more and more countries in the region are cracking down on the practice (which, in fact, can be as or more expensive than obtaining legal residency)… and, as well, more formal legal residency options are available…

          Start Your New Life Today, Overseas






            We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
            A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas In .

            Meaning the border-run lifestyle is no longer necessary in Asia.

            Still there’s the practical downside of geography.

            Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc., are literally on the other side of the world. You’re not hopping back and forth between your new home in Asia and your old one in North America for grandchildren’s birthdays, for example.

            That’s why it can make sense to approach Asia not as a full-time choice but, instead, to create a retire-overseas plan that allows you to enjoy the benefits of Asia (super cheap and super exotic) part-time.

            How about a couple months in Da Nang, Vietnam, or Chiang Rai, Thailand, where your retirement budget would stretch far indeed, followed by a few months in the south of France, say, or Tuscany?

            Villefranche sur Mer, Cote d Azur, France. Villefranche sur Mer, Cote d Azur, France.
            Alamy/travelstock44

            Retire Overseas: Europe

            Which brings us to Europe. Most would-be retirees abroad dismiss Europe as too expensive, but, as we work hard to show you, this isn’t necessarily the case.

            Sure, a retiree on a modest budget probably can’t afford Paris or Florence, but have you considered southwestern France, where life is quintessentially French but, as well, surprisingly affordable, or Pisa, about an hour from Michelangelo’s hometown but dramatically less costly?

            One of the big advantages of Europe, compared with other regional retire-overseas options, is the opportunity it affords for what might be referred to as “high culture.”

            Every country in the world has culture, no question… but not everywhere has world-class museums, opera, and live theater, for example. If you’re interested in a life that includes cultural offerings of that variety, you should be looking to the Continent.

            Which is not to say it’s impossible to enjoy an old-world Continental lifestyle anywhere else.

            Retirement In The Americas

            Some cities in South America offer a fair imitation—Buenos Aires, for example, and Medellín, Colombia, to name two. Both are cities of open-air cafés, classic-style museums and theaters, art galleries, and antique shops.

            And both, you’ll note, are in South America, not Central America. The differences between these two regions, even between Panama and Colombia, next-door neighbors, can be striking.

            I’m speaking generally and could name exceptions to every point, but, again, generally speaking, South America offers what I’d call more polished options, a good place to look if what you want is culture on the cheap.

            Central America, by contrast, is, everywhere, rough around the edges. These are small, developing countries with non-existent budgets for things like art museums.

            Making for a way of life that is, for some, charming. Romantics (like me) in Central America focus on the potential for what could be rather than the reality of what sometimes is.

            Others find Central America frustrating, disappointing, even appalling.

            On the other hand, this sun-blessed region can be but a quick plane hop away and a user-friendly place to establish foreign residency…

            Pluses and minuses… give and take.

            Here’s how I’d shorthand the pros and cons of your big-picture options for where to think about reinventing your life and chasing adventure overseas…

            The Americas

             

            PROS

            • Accessible
            • Affordable
            • Great weather
            • Lack of regulation

            CONS

            • Unreliable infrastructure
            • Mañana mentality
            • Lack of regulation

             

            Europe

             

            PROS

            • Developed infrastructure
            • Culture
            • World’s best health care
            • Overall quality of life
            CONS

            • Language
            • Cost of living
            • Weather and length of day
            • Bureaucracy

             

            Asia

             

            PROS

            • Cost of living
            • Beautiful beaches
            • Exotic lifestyle
            CONS

            • Distance from North America
            • Language
            • Exotic lifestyle

            Until next time,
            Kathleen Peddicord signature
            Kathleen Peddicord
            Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter

            Tags: 'Argentina''Colombia''France''Italy''retirement''Thailand'AmericaAsiaEuropemove overseasPanamaPortugalretire abroadretire overseas
            Share122Tweet64
            Kathleen Peddicord

            Kathleen Peddicord

            Kathleen Peddicord has reported on opportunities for Americans to live, retire, and do business overseas for 40 years. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 24, established businesses in 7, renovated and built properties in 6, and educated her children in 5.

            Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets from the east coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland, then to Paris, France, and finally to Panama City, Panama, where she has based her Live And Invest Overseas business. Peddicord and her husband, Lief Simon, now divide their time between Panama and Paris.

            Peddicord was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. She opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Waterford, Ireland; Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France. Peddicord launched Live And Invest Overseas group in 2008 and has built it into a successful multimillion-dollar business. Today, she shares her firsthand experience of expat life with more than 500,000 readers of her publications, including Overseas Opportunity Letter and Overseas Living Letter.

            Kathleen has been featured often in The New York Times, MSNBC, AARP, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, and more and writes monthly about expat matters, international real estate, and offshore diversification for Forbes and U.S. News.

            Kathleen has written several books including the memoirs “At Home In Ireland” and “At Home At Los Islotes” and her latest title “At Home Abroad,” all published by Lahardan Books. Her best-selling "How To Retire Overseas: Everything You Need To Know To Live Well (For Less) Abroad” was published by Penguin Random House in 2018 and her “Buying Real Estate Overseas For Cash Flow (And A Better Life)” was published by Wiley in August 2020.

            Start Your New Life Overseas Today!
            Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on The 10 Best Places To Retire In 2025.

            We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
            Our Expertise Unlocks The World

            quick links

            • Best Places To Live
            • Best Places To Retire
            • Finding A Job Overseas
            • Real Estate

            LIOS Resources

            • New To LIOS
            • Ask An Expert
            • Media Center
            • Contact Us
            • FAQs
            the 10 best places to retire in 2025
            Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2025






              We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

              As seen in

              US Media Logos

              © 2008 – Live and Invest Overseas™ – All Rights Reserved.

              About Us / Contact Us / Privacy Policy / Terms / Unsubscribe
              Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Linkedin-in Instagram

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In

              Sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report…

              BEST PLACES TO RETIRE 

              FREE REPORT:






                We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

                Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

                RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY






                  We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
                  HOME

                  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
                  • Offshore & Diversification

                  Making Money

                  • International Real Estate
                  • Banking
                  • Employment
                  • Investing
                  Meet Our Experts

                  Real Estate

                  Overseas Property Alert 

                   

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

                  VISIT SITE

                  Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

                   

                  Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

                  READ MORE

                  Explore Our Latest Posts

                   

                  Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

                  EXPLORE

                  Conferences

                  INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY SUMMIT

                  PANAMA CITY, PANAMA June 18-20, 2025
                  LEARN MORE

                  CARIBBEAN VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

                  VIRTUAL July 17-19, 2025
                  LEARN MORE
                  PRE-REGISTER

                  Live and Invest In Spain Conference

                  Valencia, Spain Sep. 17-19, 2025
                  LEARN MORE
                  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

                  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

                  Services

                  • Overseas Living Letter: Affordable Retirement Guidance
                  • The Simon Letter: Wealth Protection Insights
                  • Global Property Advisor: Global Investment Opportunitites
                  VISIT OUR STORE

                  Free Report

                  THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

                  FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To retire in 2025

                  Sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report…






                    We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

                    LIBRARY

                    Follow Us:

                    © 2008 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.