Best Countries to Retire
There are many reasons to decide to live abroad and many aspects of a country that set it apart from others to retire in; climate, culture, cuisine, cost of living, etc. The best countries to retire in may offer tranquility or adventure, the seclusion of a rural landscape or the challenges of big city life in a foreign language. Whatever your reasons for looking to a foreign country for your senior housing, choosing between the best countries to retire in is not a decision to make lightly. Make sure to do enough research to make sure the costs of living abroad are worth the rewards.
One of the biggest costs is being far away from family and friends. How hard will it be to keep those relationships at home strong? Will you have enough of a community in your new home? One way to make the separation seem a little less is moving over with another couple or with a group of seniors. This will give you the freedom of exploring a completely new place while also having the stability of a core group of people to share your adventures with.
Some other big challenges, aside from negotiating all the bureaucracy of foreign residence, are usually around culture shock. Learning a new language can be a fun challenge, or a daily frustration. A country with a lower cost of living and a more low-key lifestyle may not have all the conveniences or product choices you’re used to. The excitement of a new culture may fade into homesickness.
All of which is why, as you start researching the best countries to retire, it’s important to spend as much time in those countries as possible. There are many different situations that might put a country on your list of best countries to retire:
- a mixture of big city life and accessible beaches
- vibrant history and cultural heritage
- stunning landscapes and low cost of living
- a country whose architecture, entertainment and culture are undergoing a rebirth
- a reasonable cost of living
- Medicare accessible
- easy travel back home
Be both realistic and creative about thinking through what kind of lifestyle you want, and can afford. Living in a city is more expensive than living in a suburb or rural area, but if you are going to be working or traveling in the city a lot, the cost of traveling into the city might counterbalance the cost.
Consider options like spending half the year abroad and half back in the USA – timed around the best weather or time with family. Many retired individuals or couples not only have different houses stateside, but also throughout the world. Only living in a foreign country for half a year also means you deal with less paperwork. You are not trying to become a citizen or live there permanently so there is less to deal with on paper. There’s a whole world of options out there. Countries that speak the same language, some that don’t; some that are ahead of America, others that are still technologically in the 1800s. Go wherever your interests take you, and above all, remember to breathe and experience the culture that will be introduced to you.
