Top 10 Best Places to Live Overseas in 2019. The State Dept. says 8.7 million Americans live abroad, and more than 500,000 social security payments per month are sent to overseas residents. That’s up from 400,000 just three years ago. So why the growing trend and where are the best places for retirees to build a new life?
Author Kathleen Peddicord, who’s lived and written about living and retiring overseas for more than 30 years, has identified the best places for anyone – millennials to baby boomers – to live in 2019. See press release below that includes how each location scored on a variety of criteria – health care, access to North America, crime, taxes, etc.
Author, Retirement and Real Estate Expert Kathleen Peddicord says, ‘These are simply the best places to be, regardless of your age or any other circumstances’
Paris, France – Live and Invest Overseas, the leading overseas investment, real estate and retirement resource for more than 400,000 people around the world, announced its 10 best places in the world for you to live better, reinvent your life and have a grand adventure in 2019.
“We aren’t identifying the world’s top retirement havens. At least, these are not only the world’s top retirement havens right now,” said Kathleen Peddicord, author and publisher of Live and Invest Overseas. “These are simply the best places to be, regardless of your age or any other circumstances.”
#1: Algarve, Portugal
Cost Of Living: D+
Health Care: A+
Entertainment: A
Recreation: A+
English Spoken: A-
Expat Community: A+
Infrastructure: A+
Access To North America: B+
Environmental Factors: B
Crime: A-
Affordability Of Real Estate: C+
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: A+
Residency: A
Taxes: B
Portugal takes first and second place on the list of best places to
retire overseas in 2019. Cascais, on this country’s coast just a
40-minute train ride from Lisbon city center, is the best of both city
and beach living, a seaside town that’s not too big and not too small
with a strong sense of community. This is a well-heeled, high-end
destination, one of the world’s most affordable places to embrace a
luxury-standard lifestyle on the ocean.
Cascais is spectacularly beautiful with a rugged coastline, white sandy
beaches, stone buildings, cobblestone sidewalks, museums, and parks. The
people are friendly, welcoming, and helpful. You’ll be instantly at
home.
Life in Cascais is best lived without a car. You can walk to markets,
shops, cafés, and restaurants and, for recreation, venture out to
explore nearby seaside cliffs, forts, and lighthouses.
Summer in Cascais is all about being outside and enjoying the beaches.
This time of year you’d share the city with a vibrant crowd of tourists
from around the world. The winter months are quieter, a good time to get
to know your Portuguese neighbors.
The cost of living in Cascais is significantly greater than in the Algarve but a bargain given the standard of living on offer.
While you could get by here without learning to speak Portuguese,
English is less widely spoken in Cascais than in the Algarve region.
#3: Mazatlán, Mexico
Cost Of Living: A-
Health Care: B+
Entertainment: A
Recreation: A+
English Spoken: B+
Expat Community: A+
Infrastructure: A+
Access To North America: A+
Environmental Factors: C
Crime: A
Affordability Of Real Estate: B+
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: B
Residency: A-
Taxes: B
Over the past four decades, Americans have voted Mexico the world’s
number one place to live or retire overseas in the way that really
counts—they’ve packed up and moved there. This country is home to more
American expats and retirees than any other, at least 1 million and as
many as 2 million.
Mexico’s primary attraction is its accessibility. It’s easier for an
American to get to Mexico than to any country other than Canada. Why go
south of the Rio Grande rather than to the Great White North? The
weather!
Among this country’s many attractive lifestyle options, Mazatlán stands
out. Real city, beautiful beaches, and walkable colonial center…
popular expat choice and authentic Mexican resort town that manages to
feel homey… Mazatlán has it all.
Located about midway along Mexico’s Pacific coast, Mazatlán has been out
of favor among tourists and expats for decades but is making a
comeback. The renaissance has been focused on the city’s historic
center, which has undergone an impressive face-lift and now rivals
Mazatlán’s 20 miles of beach for attracting attention.
From December through March, daytime temperatures in Mazatlán hover in
the high 70s, lows are in the low 60s, and there’s little to no rain.
Between July and October, on the other hand, temperatures are regularly
90 degrees and warmer, and humidity levels are higher. This makes
Mazatlán an ideal choice for snowbirding.
Moving to Mazatlán can be as hassle-free as an international move gets.
Nothing’s as easy as loading up a truck and driving south. Your moving
budget could be gas and tolls.
#4: Cuenca, Ecuador
Cost Of Living: A+
Health Care: A-
Entertainment: A
Recreation: B+
English Spoken: B+
Expat Community: A+
Infrastructure: B
Access To North America: C-
Environmental Factors: A-
Crime: B-
Affordability Of Real Estate: A
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: A+
Residency: A+
Taxes: B-
Cuenca is a beautiful city with cobblestone streets and a well-preserved
historic center that, though Ecuador is the developing world, enjoys
reliable electricity, modern internet service, and drinkable water
throughout.
This is a walkable city, meaning you don’t have to invest in the expense
of a car. The mild climate means no heating or air conditioning costs,
another budget savings. Health care is first-rate and so inexpensive
that it can make more sense to pay for care out of pocket rather than
insuring against it. All things considered, Cuenca is one of the world’s
most affordable places to retire well. A couple could live here
comfortably on a budget of US$1,000 per month or less.
Further, Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar as its currency, meaning no exchange rate risk.
Cuenca is home to one of the world’s biggest expat retiree communities.
You’d have plenty of support to help you with your transition.
The real estate market in Cuenca boomed between 2006 and 2014, when
property owners enjoyed double-digit appreciation year after year.
Ecuador’s infrastructure was improving dramatically during this time,
oil prices were high, crime was down, and things in this country were
good. Ecuadorians living abroad returned home to Ecuador by the
thousands, many settling in Cuenca.
Then property markets across Ecuador, including in Cuenca, retreated.
From 2014 to 2016, values dropped by 50% and more. The market is now
beginning to return. Meantime, if you’re interested in owning your own
home in Cuenca, this is the time to shop for a bargain.
#5: Valletta, Malta
Cost Of Living: B
Health Care: A+
Entertainment: A
Recreation: A
English Spoken: A+
Expat Community: A+
Infrastructure: A-
Access To North America: C
Environmental Factors: C-
Crime: A
Affordability Of Real Estate: C-
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: A-
Residency: A+
Taxes: A
The 3-island, 122-square-mile nation of Malta, with a population of just
over 400,000 people, is a first-world jewel in the middle of the
Mediterranean Sea. An EU member where English is almost universally
spoken by the multilingual population, Malta is a safe, stable haven
boasting an excellent overall standard of living and top-notch health
care. The Maltese people are warm and welcoming with a culture all their
own, and all Europe is a quick plane hop away.
Malta’s rugged coastline boasts dramatic cliffs alternating with tiny
coves dotted with ancient forts and quaint fishing harbors. Inland,
stone walls separate fields of olives, wheat, and potatoes. Wine
production is also popular, and, in season, vines hang heavy with grapes
all across the island.
From its weather and food to its history and culture, Malta is not only
the best of Mediterranean Europe but also one of your most affordable
options for embracing this lifestyle.
The country has been working hard to raise its profile internationally,
and Malta’s capital, Valletta, was named 2018’s European Capital of
Culture.
Malta does not offer a retiree visa, but its Global Residence Program
for non-EU citizens amounts to one of the best residency opportunities
in Europe. You can qualify simply by renting a place to live for as
little as 800 euros per month.
#6: Occitanie, France
Cost Of Living: B+
Health Care: A+
Entertainment: B+
Recreation: A+
English Spoken: C
Expat Community: A+
Infrastructure: A
Access To North America: C+
Environmental Factors: A+
Crime: A+
Affordability Of Real Estate: B-
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: A+
Residency: B
Taxes: C
The south of France is not very big, but it is in two parts. Provence is
very known and very expensive. Alongside it is the other south of
France, Occitanie, not known and not expensive. In Occitanie (formerly
Languedoc) is little Saint-Chinian, a quintessential French country
village where everyday life is like something out of Disney’s “Beauty
and the Beast.”
This town is notable for two things in particular. First, its property
prices, which are half those of Provence and the Côte d’Azur.
The second reason for the growing popularity of Saint-Chinian is its
wine. For decades, the Occitanie produced vast quantities of quaffablevin de table but nothing notable. Over the last dozen years, growers have specialized and built on the AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée)
status created in 1982 and are now producing world-ranking red wines
from the original Carignan, Cinsaut, and Grenache grapes, with the
addition of Syrah and Mourvèdre varieties.
Indeed, wine is the village economy. Saint-Chinian is home to 1,900 inhabitants and 200 winemakers.
Sitting on a hillside in Saint-Chinian, enjoying the idyllic French
country scene, you could think you are in the middle of nowhere.
However, Spain is near enough that you could pop over for dinner, and
Paris can be just three hours away by TGV.
Thanks to the excellent train and bus service, you could live in
Saint-Chinian without a car. If you find you do need a lift somewhere,
ask a neighbor. The people of Saint-Chinian are disarmingly friendly and
always ready to help out. The French are often thought of as rude and
aloof. In Saint-Chinian, the reality is nothing to do with the
stereotype.
#7: San Ignacio, Belize
Cost Of Living: B
Health Care: D
Entertainment: D-
Recreation: B+
English Spoken: A+
Expat Community: A-
Infrastructure: C-
Access To North America: A-
Environmental Factors: A
Crime: B+
Affordability Of Real Estate: A-
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: A+
Residency: A
Taxes: A+
Cayo is inland, in the Belizean rain forest. This is a land of mountains
and Mayan ruins, rivers, and waterfalls, Belize’s frontier. The
wide-open spaces of Cayo appeal to the adventuresome and the
independent. Living here, you’d enjoy elbow room, far-reaching vistas,
and a clean slate. You could start over and rebuild your life entirely.
You’d have a higher level of support than you might expect. The region
today known as Cayo once supported a population of Maya greater than the
entire current population of Belize. History has come full circle; the
Cayo District is again the heart and soul of Belize, home to the
nation’s capital, the location of one of the newest U.S. embassies in
the world, and the fastest-growing region in the country.
Cayo is one of the top choices worldwide for getting back to basics. The
good news is that going off the grid today does not have to be as
challenging nor the lifestyle as rugged as it was even 10 years ago.
Today, amidst Cayo’s virgin rain forest, you can live self-sufficiently
in style and good company.
Driving along the Western Highway from Belize City to Cayo, the view
from your window is of fields and pastures, trees and jungle, rivers and
livestock. Here and there a small house of concrete block or timber, in
the distance the outline of the Maya Mountains. The land in Cayo is
fertile. Farmers grow corn and sugarcane, watermelons and citrus.
San Ignacio is Cayo’s biggest town and home to a large and growing
community of foreign retirees and expats. You could settle in among them
easily, as everyone speaks English and Belize residency is easy to
establish.
#8: Annecy, France
Cost Of Living: C
Health Care: A+
Entertainment: A
Recreation: A-
English Spoken: B+
Expat Community: C
Infrastructure: A
Access To North America: B+
Environmental Factors: A+
Crime: B+
Affordability Of Real Estate: C
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: A+
Residency: B
Taxes: C
Only a few cities in the world can hope to meet the expectations of a
nature lover, a museum aficionado, a foodie, an adrenaline junky, and a
fashionista. Annecy offers a lifestyle that satisfies all these agendas.
Historically, Annecy has been known for its skiing (this is the Pearl of
the French Alps) and its lake, one of the cleanest in the world.
Cradled as it is between its crystal blue lake and the surrounding
Alpine summits, the city is naturally protected from large-scale
development and has managed to retain its traditional village appeal.
Annecy is an open-air museum. Dating back to the Gallo-Roman Empire, the
city was the capital of Savoy, the longest-surviving royal house in
Europe. Boasting today the twin titles “City of Art and History” and
“City in Bloom,” Annecy serves up more than its share of castles,
museums, pastel-colored townhomes, and other historical sites alongside
modern theaters, cinemas, and festivals. The streets become a giant
circus in July for the annual art festival known as Les Noctibules, and
every August the much-anticipated Fête du Lac features the biggest
fireworks show in Europe.
If France is the country of cheese, Savoy is its heart. Annecy residents lunch on tartiflette (a melted potato and bacon pie smothered in Reblochon cheese) and dine regularly on la fondue raclette.
This part of France is home to many notable restaurants, including
several with Michelin stars. World-famous Savoyard chef Marc Veyrat was
born in Annecy and takes inspiration from its lake fish for signature
dishes.
#9: Città Sant’Angelo, Italy
Cost Of Living: B+
Health Care: A+
Entertainment: A
Recreation: A+
English Spoken: D
Expat Community: D
Infrastructure: A
Access To North America: B+
Environmental Factors: A
Crime: A+
Affordability Of Real Estate: B
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: A+
Residency: C
Taxes: C
Abruzzo, historically one of the poorest regions in the country, had
fallen off the national map until just a few decades ago. Since the
1950s, however, Abruzzo has seen steady economic growth. In the 1990s,
its growth surpassed that of any other region in Italy and its per
capita GDP expanded to become the highest in the country. The
construction of new highways made it more easily accessible from Rome,
opening up the region domestically and attracting state and private
investment the likes of which Abruzzo had never seen before.
Today, the per capita GDP well outpaces that of the rest of southern
Italy (and is a healthy 84% of the national average). Today, this is the
richest region in this part of Italy. Yet it remains absolutely
affordable, one of Europe’s greatest bargains. Abruzzo has everything
Tuscany offers and more, at a fraction the cost.
New development is taking place across the region, and small towns are
working hard to attract investment to save their historically
significant but nearly deserted streets. Nowhere is this truer than in
Città Sant’Angelo, perhaps the most appealing spot in this welcoming
region. This would be an ideal place to embrace the best of traditional
Italian life.
The downside could be language. Living in Città Sant’Angelo, you’d need to learn to speak Italian.
#10: George Town, Malaysia
Cost Of Living: A
Health Care: A+
Entertainment: A-
Recreation: A+
English Spoken: A
Expat Community: A-
Infrastructure: A-
Access To North America: D
Environmental Factors: C-
Crime: C+
Affordability Of Real Estate: B-
Real Estate Ownership Restrictions: C
Residency: B-
Taxes: A+
Penang isn’t just another lost-in-time outpost of the former British
Empire. Combining all that’s appealing about island and city living, the
“Pearl of the Orient” is one of Southeast Asia’s most livable
destinations. Low costs are a big part of the appeal. In addition,
health care is excellent, foreigners are welcome, and the country is
safe and stable.
The population is a melting pot of Malay, Straits Chinese, Chinese,
Burmese, Arab, Thai, Indonesian, and Indian. Thanks to its colonial
past, English is the language that holds the ethnic stew together.
Life here is both traditional and 21st century, exotic and comfortable.
Beyond the high-rise apartments of modern George Town is one of the
best-preserved old cities in Asia. Hidden along the winding streets of
this UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site are old shophouses, guildhalls,
and clan houses.
Then there’s the great outdoors. Almost on the city’s doorstep are
stylish seaside settlements with palm-fringed sandy beaches and a
backdrop of lush rain forest.
This city is recognized as an Asian culinary capital. Delicious
specialties like Char Kway Teow, noodles with shrimp, chili paste, and
cockles, are less than US$2 per portion.
Malaysia is one of the world’s most tax-friendly jurisdictions. As a
resident of this country, you are taxed only on income derived from
within the country, meaning that even income you remit to Malaysia is
not taxed as long as it was earned elsewhere.
-Kathleen Peddicord
About Live and Invest Overseas
Based in Paris, France and Panama City, Panama, LIOS is the leading resource for people who want to live, retire and invest overseas. Headed by Kathleen Peddicord and Lief Simon – who collectively have more than 40 years’ experience visiting, living and investing in foreign countries – LIOS and its free e-letter service, the Overseas Opportunity Letter have more than 400,000 regular readers. More info available at www.liveandinvestoverseas.com.
