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    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
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    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

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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
    DISCOUNT
    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
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Home In Focus: Europe

Retiring Abroad Alone? Here Are 8 Things To Know

Single? Here Are 8 Secrets To Making A Success Of Your Move Overseas

by Kat Kalashian
Aug 25, 2022
in In Focus: Europe, Lifestyle, Retirement/Living
0 0
Portrait of happy elderly woman on beach

Adobe Stock/aletia2011

It might seem that retiring abroad alone could present additional challenges…

That taking this big leap on your own could be harder than making such a big move with a partner.

In fact, I’d say that moving to a new country solo comes with upsides.

Retiring overseas can be an isolating experience for anyone, single or not, especially if you move to a place where the language isn’t English. No matter your circumstances, you’ll have to make an effort to make friends and become a part of your new community.

However, if you’re going without the cushion of another person you can rely on for interaction, you’ll have to make an even greater effort to meet people.

Couples tend to be insular (I speak from experience). Going solo can speed up the process of integrating. If you’re in the market for a new beau, dating a local will turbo-boost your assimilation…

Still, making an international move all alone can seem like an intimidating idea.

Here are eight tips I hope will help make your transition as a single expat easier and as stress-free as possible:
#1: Pursue your hobbies

What better time to do the things you most like to do than in retirement? It’s a great way to meet people who share those interests, making strangers instant friends. Consider, say, salsa, which is a very social hobby that’s also fun and can be a great form of exercise… or maybe golf, which is normally played in foursomes and incomplete groups will ask you to join…

#2: Enroll in language classes

This is a number-one way to meet other expats overseas. Speaking/interacting is what language classes are all about, so you’ll quickly get to know your classmates. My husband made some good friends in his French classes who we still see regularly years later—one of the couples has since moved to the south of France and we now visit them at the beach. Many language programs offer opportunities to network with your fellow students, like happy hours, field trips, dance evenings, etc. Even if they aren’t formalized, though, most language classes go out for a drink after class every now and then.

#3: Volunteer

You’ll find many opportunities for this in all of the places where we direct your attention. Volunteer agencies in developing countries, in particular, will really appreciate your First World skills and experience…

#4: Seek out your affiliations

Find a church to attend. Join the local community center. The Rotary Club. The women’s group. The local library. The Harley-Davidson Enthusiasts Club… whatever! Libraries offer book clubs, conversation groups, and lectures… community centers and churches offer mix and mingle nights, card games, fitness classes, dance, self-defense workshops, knitting circles, and more…

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#5: Join dating apps

If you want to change your single status, join any of the many dating apps and websites out there. It’s another way to meet people locally, and, again, dating a local is the fastest way to learn a new language and integrate into your new home…

#6: Attend local events

Attend local events to do with gardening, art, music, dance, etc.—that relate to your interests. Again, this is a great way to connect with like-minded people…

#7: Stay active

I mean this both literally and figuratively… look for English-speaking fitness or yoga classes, they’re a great way to get to know new people and build a weekly rapport with them. And less literally, just get out and about. Go out to eat or do your shopping instead of ordering in—you’ll begin to build relationships with local vendors and you’re likely to start recognizing neighbors.

#8: Sign up for everything

Sign up for everything even if you wouldn’t usually. You never know what will lead to what—you need to keep a more open mind overseas in order to embrace all possibilities. Sign up for embassy updates from your country’s consulate, sign up for the city’s email blasts if they do them, join every online expat group you come across. And then follow through—go to the mixers and the potlucks, participate in the online chats and forums, and generally put yourself out there. It can take some getting used to, but it becomes more natural.

The second concern that you might have if you’re considering moving overseas as a single could be related to your budget.

Retirees in the United States right now are worried or even panicked about rising costs. Inflation is making it harder than ever to feel confident your retirement nest egg will carry you through.

That is not the case many places around the world, meaning retiring overseas can be the number-one way to beat inflation worries. Both the costs of living and the rates of inflation are far lower many places we spotlight than in the States.

Remember, too, that you have control over your cost of living anywhere you decide to move. Many places we write about, for example, offer free events, exhibitions, museum days, etc.

I wrote recently about the best free things to do in Paris, for example.

You could look into house- or pet-sitting, both easy to arrange, especially in places with big vacation travel markets. This could even be a way to earn some side income.

The bottom-line point I’d like you to take away is that being single is definitely not a reason not to pursue a new life in a new country.

Expat groups abroad are welcoming—probably more welcoming than any group you’ve lately joined back home. They reach out to newcomers. We’re all in this same expat boat together, and for this humbling reason, there’s a generosity of spirit that seems like a rare thing these days…

I find most non-expat communities are equally welcoming… if you speak the local language.

In a big city (Paris, for example), being a foreigner isn’t unusual… but if you’re not moving to an international city, being the only foreigner garners attention—people want to come and talk to the exotic newcomer from strange lands. Locals are eager to befriend you.

You won’t regret retiring overseas on your own…

The greatest risk, I’d say, is that, once you’ve made the move, you’ll regret not having made it sooner.

Kat Kalashian
Editor, In Focus: Europe

Tags: Live abroadMove abroadretire abroadretire singleRetiring abroad alonesingle retirement
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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
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Making Money

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