Relocating abroad
Retirement is often a time to live better and reinvent your life, sometimes in a new part of the world. Moving to a new city can add adventure and inspiration to your retirement years. Here are 10 top options for living or retiring overseas in 2017:
Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal
Portugal is the best-kept secret of Old World Europe. Coastal Carvoeiro, in particular, qualifies as an appealing place to call home if you want to live on the water in a developed setting. The take-your-breath-away views from Carvoeiro’s rocky coast, constant sunshine, near-perfect weather year-round, food and wine and history all add up to top-shelf living for a bargain price. Thanks to the current strength of the U.S. dollar versus the euro, the enviable coastal continental lifestyle offered in Carvoeiro is an even better value, and the cost of a rentable home or condo is irresistibly discounted.
El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia
One corner of Medellín in particular offers a comfortable, tranquil and idyllic way of life for an affordable cost. At the current exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Colombian peso, the luxury-level cosmopolitan lifestyle available in El Poblado is a great bargain. Medellín is culture-rich and Euro chic. Its people are well-dressed, well-mannered and welcoming. Medellín’s heart, El Poblado, is a top choice for city living on a budget.
Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
Las Terrenas is quintessential Caribbean with a French twist. The big and established community of French expats living in this white-sand beach town means fresh baguettes, great restaurants and kisses on both cheeks in greeting. Infrastructure is improving, establishing residency is easy and the cost of living is one of the great bargains of today’s Caribbean, making Las Terrenas a place to start a new life with a Caribbean Sea view.
Santa Familia, Cayo, Belize
If you want to leave the troubles and worries of our age behind, little Santa Familia village in Cayo, Belize, is calling your name. Life in Cayo is back to basics, simple and sweet. You know your neighbors, they know you and you all look out for each other. Cayo is a region of wide-open spaces, fresh air, warm sun and fertile land, making it a place to disconnect and unplug.
Pau, France
France is known for its high quality of life, excellent health care, rich food and cutting-edge art and fashion. The charms and appeals of French country life are unrivaled. Pau’s landscape is accessible woodlands, the steep slopes of Jurançon wine country, the history-packed Plaine de Nay and its main town of Nay and the pretty rolling countryside and ancient towns of the Gaves de Béarn. Known as the “Green City” and the “Garden City,” Pau is also a university town, with close to 12,000 university students living on and off campus, helping to keep it lively. Brits and other North Europeans have been seeking out this part of France for retirement for years.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Since the 1800s, the Thai city of Chiang Mai has been luring expats from the West with its low cost of living, great weather, rich history and distinct culture. The heart of Chiang Mai lies within its old city walls where ancient and modern Buddhist temples coexist with public and international schools and residential and commercial neighborhoods. Modern Chiang Mai has grown beyond the ancient walls and offers mega malls, huge multinational grocery and department stores and all other trappings of life in the 21st century. The high quality of life is coupled with low costs. A couple can live here comfortably on as little as $1,100 per month, and you can see an English-speaking doctor for $20.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen is a little beach town that sits about an hour south of Cancún on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Once a sleepy fishing town, the port was inadvertently put on the map by Jacques Cousteau in 1954 when he filmed an underwater documentary of the Great Mayan Reef just offshore. Divers began seeking out these Caribbean waters for themselves, and in the 1970s a port was built to ferry the tourists from the mainland to Cozumel. Today Playa del Carmen is home to more than 10,000 foreigners, including Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Argentinians and Venezuelans. Playa del Carmen is also a welcoming destination for the LGBT community.
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, in the northeast of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea, is a vibrant, colorful, proud city that combines the passion of the Spanish with the efficiency and organization of the Catalans. This is a city with a strong energy that has not been dampened by Spain’s ongoing economic woes and is the economic, cultural and administrative capital of Catalonia. Spain’s second-biggest city is easily and quickly explored thanks to its compact, well-laid-out design, and there are many opportunities for diversion, entertainment and discovery. Art and architecture from pre-Roman to Modernism is around every corner. This is a city of galleries, museums, monuments, theaters, restaurants and shopping — all near the beach.
Granada, Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a beautiful country with a troubled history that appeals to the romantic, poet, eco-traveler, surfer and bargain hunter. The cost of living and real estate is a steal. Geographically, Nicaragua is blessed with two long coastlines and two big lakes, plus volcanoes, highlands, rain forests and rivers. At night the backdrop is an ink-streaked sky that, just before the sun sets, illuminates the yellow and white cathedrals. Architecturally, Nicaragua is notable. Colonial Granada is an architectural jewel. This city is one of the oldest in Latin America and continues to be busy and lively today, attracting tourists and expats in record numbers.
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo
This laid-back and quiet city is one of the most pleasant places to live in Asia and is incredibly welcoming. Its biggest practical advantages are the low cost of living and the high standard (and low cost) of health care. A couple could live well here on $1,200 a month or less. The city is small and walkable, less than three kilometers from end to end. Life revolves around the water and is lived outdoors. At home here you’d fill your days snorkeling, diving, boating and ferry hopping from the city center to neighboring islands. This is a little-known, low-key and low-population destination offering a tranquil, serene and close-to-nature lifestyle at a cost that’s a global bargain.
Bonus choice: Paris, France
Life in Paris can be as good as life gets anywhere. What you may not realize is that the cost of living in Paris can be manageable. Paris is a place where even a modest lifestyle can feel rich, and where some of the greatest pleasures — strolls along the Seine River or picnics in the Luxembourg Gardens — come free. Paris is also a city where a car is unnecessary. You can walk to the butcher, baker, grocer, wine shop, museums, movie theaters, cafés and restaurants. When you want to venture beyond your quartier you can take the metro. For just a euro and 90 cents, you can get anywhere in this city you might want to go.
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10 Places to Retire Overseas in 2017 originally appeared on usnews.com
