Escape to paradise: Explore the 14 best overseas retirement spots for 2025

Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY
·2 min read

If you are interested in retiring overseas, you may be curious about the best places to enjoy your newfound freedom.More than ever, Americans are interested in experiencing life in another country. Between 2011 and 2024, the number of Americans who reported having a desire to live overseas more than doubled from 10% in 2011 to 21% in 2024, according to a Gallup poll.

While the most recent presidential election cycle may have sparked the notion in some people's minds, the idea is also just becoming more widely accepted. "I think it’s caught on, it's in the mainstream," said Sophia Titley, editorial director at Live and Invest Overseas, told USA TODAY. "The more people travel and explore the world, I think it opens up their eyes to the possibilities. They’re seeing relocation stories or being inspired by what other people are doing. It's one of those things that just spreads."

To inform retirees on where to move to, Live and Invest Overseas recently announced its annual 2025 Retirement Overseas Index. It comprises specific cities that have been thoroughly evaluated based on 15 factors important to retirees, such as cost of living, health care, crime, taxes and recreation (e.g. museums, golf courses, beaches and hiking).

"(Recreation) might seem kind of frivolous, but they pertain to how much you enjoy your daily life," Titley said.

This year's list highlights an array of global cities based on on-the-ground research and insights from real-life expats. The destinations range from Valencia, Spain's third-largest city with a thriving yet not overwhelming expat community set along the Mediterranean, to the emerging Colombian city of Medellin, which is pulsing with culture and gastronomy.

What is it really like to move abroad? Tips on moving abroad from first-time expats

Best Places to Retire Abroad 2025

Tourists enjoy the beach in Phalasarna, northwest of the Greek mediterranean island of Crete.
Tourists enjoy the beach in Phalasarna, northwest of the Greek mediterranean island of Crete.

  1. Valencia, Spain

  2. Cascais, Portugal

  3. Medellin, Colombia

  4. Crete, Greece

  5. Mazatlán, Mexico

  6. Pisa, Italy

  7. La Rochelle, France

  8. Ambergris Caye, Belize

  9. Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus

  10. Kotor Bay, Montenegro

  11. Mendoza, Argentina

  12. Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

  13. Hua Hin, Thailand

  14. Veraguas, Panama

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thinking of retiring abroad? Here are the 14 best cities for 2025

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