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

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    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

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    Lahardan Books

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

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    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

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Home Retirement/Living

Exploring Europe’s Elite Retirement Havens

by Kathleen Peddicord
Nov 03, 2024
in Retirement/Living
0 0
Cyprus island - best beaches. Scenic Louma beach with little church. Elite Retirement Havens

AdobeStock/Freesurf

Europe is home to the world’s elite retirement havens.

You won’t find a higher quality of life than here on The Continent.

Sure, Latin America and Asia can offer you remarkable beaches… friendly people… sunny days… and, famously, a low cost of living…

But Europe can deliver all those things, too…

Including affordability.

After decades of helping people find their spot abroad, we at Live And Invest Overseas can tell you that it’s likely you can live in Europe for as much or less than you’re spending now.

I’ll prove that to you in a minute.

Just imagine, though, what your life could be in one of the world’s blue-chip destinations…

Year-round sunny days and afternoon dips in the bright blue sea, just a stroll away from your home on a Mediterranean island…

Hiking and exploring in the summers and winter skiing (or a glass of brandy and a fireplace) from your cottage in an Alpine village…

Or imagine living in one of Europe’s grand cities, where errands to the baker, butcher, fish monger, and fruit markets are so pleasant they’ll make you rethink life and its simple pleasures…

Whiling away the days at cafés… planning a big night out at a Michelin-star restaurant… walking your dog down a charming street with iconic architecture… weekends at famous museums…

Your new life in Europe could be a dream come true.

And, again, before doubt creeps in, I’m here to tell you that, in the right places and with the right advice, it’s all possible and affordable.

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I’ve done it, thousands of your fellow readers have done it, and millions of North American retirees and expats are doing it right now.

Now, there is a caveat … not everywhere is affordable, of course, and not everywhere easily accepts North American and other expats…

But that’s what we’re here for…

We’ve handpicked for you 9 of your best options where you can live well for $2,000 or less.

These are 9 havens where you can truly embrace le joie de vivre or la dolce vita on a budget.

Again, you’ll need a little guidance…

However, once armed with the right insights and the right destinations, you’ll be amazed at how easy it actually is to enjoy the good life in Europe…

How Much Will Your New Home In Europe Cost You?

Everyone knows that Europe doesn’t offer the shoestring bargain havens of Latin America and Asia…

But Europe is home to the world’s elite retirement destinations.

Living affordably here is actually an even more astounding bargain when you consider how much more Europe has to offer…

The combination of architecture, climates, and history is, frankly, simply not available anywhere else in the world.

Just like anywhere else, your housing cost here in Europe will be—by far—your largest expense…

Back in America, folks spend on average 33% of their budget on it.

The average (median) asking price for a new lease in the United States is currently $1,987 per month…

You can add about 50% to those figures in popular U.S. retirement destinations like Orlando or Scottsdale.

Of course, not all rents are the same—you’re going to pay more in California than Kansas—but I don’t have to tell you that America is teetering on a crisis when it comes to skyrocketing housing costs.

Even the rents in Kansas went up by 9.81% last year.

Look, inflation in America is what it is, but we’re talking about people’s homes… rent prices are getting out of control…

According to a recent Census Household Pulse Survey, more than 7.8 million tenants are behind on their rent.

The situation in the U.S. is getting so bad that “tenant unions” are sprouting up in places like Colorado and California to combat corporate real estate schemes and to install rent controls…
In much of Europe, such protections are already in place.

It’s part of the reason that, not only can you live better—you can do it for less money here… check out these three recent examples:

Florida Vs. A Mediterranean Island

Naples, Florida, has an average rent of $2,316 per month for a new lease on a 1,017 square foot apartment.

On our favorite Mediterranean island, rents start at about 200 euros (about $215) per month for basic accommodation, with nicer apartments in city centers or close to the beach going for about twice that.

That’s over $2,000 in savings every month—just for choosing a Mediterranean island over Florida…

And before you think your European apartment is a step back in comfort, check out the view from your porch:

This two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment has a total living space of over 900 square foot (85 meters squared). It rents fully furnished for $450 a month in a complex with the pool above. The property is a short stroll from the market and just few miles to the beach…

Compared to your potential home in Florida, you’d save more than $22,000 every year living on this Mediterranean island in Europe.

Arizona Vs. A Superyacht Hub

The average monthly cost of an apartment lease in Scottsdale this year is $2,043…

But you can rent a two-bedroom apartment for as little as 350 euros (about $380) per month in a stunning, tiny country on the Adriatic Sea—no water shortages here. For something a little nicer, better located, or close to the beach, your cost would start around 750 euros (about $810).

You’ll spend over twice the cost in Scottsdale to not be on the beach…

But here in a country across the sea from Italy, you’ll enjoy the coast and an extra $1,233 in your pocket.

We found a sea view apartment in this country, where the Saudi royal family keeps part of their yacht fleet, with a big garden and a playground. About 1,100 square foot, it rents for 600 euros a month. It comes fully furnished, has a hot tub, a big terrace, and it’s close to the beach and nightlife.

California Vs. Europe’s #1 Retirement Haven

The average rent in southern California is now around $2,719 per month.

The average rent in the Algarve, superstar overseas haven often referred to as the “California of Europe,” is only 763 euros (about $825) for a similarly-sized apartment. Farther from the coast, or in a small village, that cost can drop by up to 40%.

Dropping California in favor of Portugal—where you can also surf, walk the boardwalk, and enjoy 300 sunny days a year—will save you nearly $1,900 a month…

Portugal is also one of the safest places in the world… and it offers tax breaks…

This semi-detached house above is a 50-second walk to the beach of Monte Gordo.

It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an equipped kitchen, a small living room with an extra bed, and air conditioning in every room. The west-facing terrace is ideal for enjoying late afternoons over the sea…

It rents for 700 euros (about $755) a month… fully furnished.

I could go on and on with examples, but I think you get the idea.Until next time,

Kathleen Peddicord signature

Kathleen Peddicord

Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter

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Tags: 'retirement havens'best place to retire in Europe
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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.

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Super Cheap

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Cheap

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  • Kyrenia, Cyprus
  • Hua Hin, Thailand
  • The Algarve, Portugal

Affordable

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  • Pisa, Italy
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