If your retirement dream is to live in one of the grand old cities of Europe, it can be difficult to narrow your options. Retirees on a budget need to consider the cost of living, including real estate prices. As you get older, you will need health care that is readily accessible and reasonably priced. Entertainment and recreation options are another top consideration for many retirees. Interested retirees will also want to factor in the ease of establishing residency and traveling back to the U.S.
Adopting a European lifestyle can be an ideal way to relax and enjoy your retirement years. Here are 10 top choices for retirement in Europe:
— Annecy, France
— Cascais, Portugal
— County Clare, Ireland
— Kotor Bay, Montenegro
— Ljubljana, Slovenia
— Paris
— Paphos, Cyprus
— Popoli, Italy
— Tavira, Portugal
— Valletta, Malta
Annecy, France
Annecy is a city of art and history that can seem like an open-air museum. The big attraction in Annecy, the pearl of the French Alps, is the ski slopes in winter. However, this lakeside city is an appealing place to be year-round for retirees.
Unlike other top ski destinations in France, fairy-tale-like Annecy is not a tourist town but a vibrant community that is more cosmopolitan than a typical haunt of snow bunnies. Every July, its streets are given over to Noctibules, an annual art festival, and the much-anticipated Fête du Lac in August features the biggest fireworks show in Europe.
[Read: How to Retire in France]
Cascais, Portugal
A miles-long stretch of sheltered coves, sandy dunes and rocky outcroppings, the coast of Cascais, Portugal, offers some of the best beaches in Europe.
Cascais boasts a marina, top-tier golf courses, over 100 parks and gardens, a year-round mild climate, proximity to the capital city, Lisbon, and an overall extraordinary quality of life. This seaside city is home to a large and welcoming expat community.
Cascais began as a village of fishermen and farmers but has evolved into a small city of approximately 200,000 residents, complete with a university campus, international and bilingual schools, hospitals, a shopping mall and a casino.
County Clare, Ireland
County Clare, found along Ireland’s west coast, holds a special place in the hearts of the Irish. It’s a stronghold of the true Irish spirit — the idioms, friendliness and charming sense of humor that the Irish are famous for.
Here, dramatic cliffs traced by walking trails stare out at moody Atlantic waters. Clare holds a reputation as a surfers’ mecca because of the swells at beaches across the region. For retirees planning to live in Ireland permanently, the Stamp 0 visa is one residency option.
Applicants must prove an annual income of 50,000 euros plus a 10% to 15% lump sum above that minimum for one-off expenses. That is expensive compared to other destinations on this list, but it also reflects Ireland’s high standard of living.
Kotor Bay, Montenegro
Montenegro is a tiny seaside country situated between Croatia and Albania in Southeastern Europe. It’s home to 620,000 people dispersed over an area that’s about the same size as the state of Connecticut.
In southwestern Montenegro, you find a deep inlet of the Adriatic Sea known as Kotor Bay. It’s surrounded by towering mountains on one side and the dazzling Adriatic on the other. Aside from stunning scenery, Kotor Bay is famous for Kotor Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site and perhaps the best-preserved medieval town in the Mediterranean.
The Old Town square is anchored by the 11th-century St. Tryphon’s Cathedral, but its cafés and shops are lively and bustling with a youthful energy. This is a little-known but friendly, safe and welcoming corner of Europe comparable to the historic stone villages in Italy, but more affordable.
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Ljubljana, Slovenia
Slovenia is nestled among Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia in the core of Central Europe. It is a mountainous country with 30 miles of Mediterranean coastline.
The Old World capital city of Ljubljana is at the heart of the country, offering easy access to both beaches and ski resorts. Ljubljana is a modern city with all the amenities of 21st-century living, yet it manages to retain a small-town charm. Local farmers bring their produce to market in wooden carts each day.
Retirees can enjoy this Old World lifestyle, supported by top-notch infrastructure, on a budget of as little as 1,400 euros per month.
Paris
Paris offers the best of city living for retirees who prefer to stay busy in its many bookstores, antique shops, Champagne cellars, parks and gardens, museums, theaters, galleries and five-star restaurants.
Paris has excellent public transportation, eliminating the need for a car, plus it’s flat and walkable, leading to a healthier lifestyle by encouraging you to set out on foot more.
It’s one of the most expensive cities in the world, but it’s also one of the best storehouses of wealth. An apartment of charm in a good location in this city will always find a buyer and a renter.
Paphos, Cyprus
Cyprus is found at the far eastern edge of the Mediterranean. While Americans are just starting to discover its retirement potential, Cyprus has long been an escape for Northern European and British retirees.
It is loved for its warm year-round weather, with more than 300 days of sunshine per year, and its long, sand-fringed coastline. English is widely spoken, and the cost of living is among the lowest in Europe.
Paphos, the supposed birthplace of Aphrodite, is a city in southwestern Cyprus. It features UNESCO-recognized historical sites, including ancient architecture, mosaics and buildings of religious importance. Paphos’ coastline is highly developed and tourists throng its beach resorts.
Popoli, Italy
In the valley of three Apennine mountains sits Popoli, Italy. With a population of 5,000 residents, it is a complete escape from the troubles of the modern world and a sought-after healing center.
This medieval town is known as the City of Water, thanks to a long-dormant volcano that rumbles beneath it, bubbling up thermal spring water famed for its healing properties since the days of the Romans. The first healing center was built on the site in 1885, but was destroyed during World War II.
The modern Terme di Popoli opened in 1998 and utilizes the area’s thermal waters as the basis for treating dozens of ailments. During high season, the facility sees over 1,000 patients each day.
Tavira, Portugal
Tavira is an ancient town located in Portugal’s Algarve region, the area of the country that has historically been the most popular with expats. It holds a reputation as the most charming town in the region and has all the hallmarks of a traditional Algarve village: whitewashed buildings with azulejo tiles, lacework chimney pots, cobblestone streets and more.
The tranquil Gilao River divides Tavira in two, with restaurants, cafés and social buzz concentrated in town squares on either side. Unspoiled, golden-sand beaches that stretch for miles are a short boat ride away from Tavira’s center.
Portugal is one of the most affordable countries in Europe for retirement, due to the low financial threshold of approximately 1,200 euros per month required for a couple to qualify for residency.
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Valletta, Malta
From its weather and food to its history and culture, Malta is not only the best of Mediterranean Europe, but also one of the most affordable options for a European retirement.
This three-island, 122-square-mile nation has been working hard to raise its international profile, and Malta’s capital, Valletta, was named European Capital of Culture in 2018. The language is English, crime rates are low and health care is excellent.
Since 2024, Malta has offered the Maltese Retirement Program for EU and non-EU nationals. To apply, your pension or social security payouts must constitute at least 75% of your total income.
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10 Best Places to Retire in Europe originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/30/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
