US based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice Kiplinger.com has endeavoured to compile the ultimate list of best places to retire abroad. To come up with their 8 main recommendations they consulted with 3 leading voices in all things ‘overseas retirement,’ and researched their suggestions carefully.
However, the list contains some surprising recommendations in our opinion, so we would welcome your feedback about whether the following 8 locations really do represent the best places to retire abroad.
Kiplinger.com is clearly a US facing online magazine, and those it sought opinion from when compiling its list are largely US facing expatriate resources too, so perhaps when it comes down to it, the difference in opinion is simply between where Americans would be best off retiring, and where British expats would prefer to retire overseas – but please let us know what you think!
Kiplinger spoke to the editors of websites ExpatExchange, LiveAndInvestOverseas and InternationalLiving, and came up with these, it’s top 8 picks of prime overseas retirement destinations: -
Columbia and the city of Medellin - the benefits being down to the weather and the cost of living apparently. We presume the downsides would be the crime rates and the fact that not many British expats have been brave enough to move in!
Croatia and the city of Dubrovnik - the advantages cited include the weather again, accessibility and the sheer majesty of the setting. However, we would like to point out that anywhere in the Mediterranean region suffers from cold winters, (yes, really – December and January are no fun when you’re living in a house with no central heating)! What’s more, living in Dubrovnik would not be cheap.
Ecuador’s city of Salinas - being mild and dry almost year round the climate was appealing to Kiplinger.com, but so was the fact that this is a coastal resort reminiscent of Miami but without Miami’s prices apparently! We would like to mention that you need to speak Spanish to get the most out of this nation.
Malaysia’s George Town - The appealing financial advantages of the Malaysia My Second Home Programme were cited as being reason to consider Malaysia full stop; and George Town was flagged as a destination of choice because it represents: “British colonialism on the cheap…” Hmmmm is that even a positive?
Bilbao in Spain - was also listed because of its climate – which can be cold in the winter however (see Dubrovnik above). But what about the high cost of living and massive recession that Spain is suffering from at the moment?
Coronado in Panama - this came next on the list because of its weather and because it represents luxurious living for expats apparently. On the downsides it’s listed elsewhere on expat websites as overpriced, over-rated and overrun with tourists and expats!
Ireland’s city of Galway - is right up there on Kiplinger’s list, and the benefits are described as including the local people and the now apparently affordable real estate following Ireland’s property crash. We would like to point out that the weather is appalling, the cost of living isn’t cheap, and properties really haven’t receded much in price despite a massive crash.
Mexico and the city of Tlaxcala - this town (you can hardly call it a city) is described as being ‘undiscovered Mexico’, with the lure being accessibility to the US and having mild weather. But if you have a picture of sunny Mexico in your mind you won’t really find it here, what’s more, the altitude can be an issue for some people – as can the fact it’s a small city with limited amenities and facilities…a potential issue to anyone retiring abroad who may need additional help later in life.
What would your top picks be for overseas retirement destinations? Clearly nowhere is perfect, but surely there are some places better than these we have cited!