10 Best Places to Retire in 2024 (Visas, Residency, Healthcare, Taxes)

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No matter where we live, there are always pros and cons as life is short to do the things you don't love doing. I've been hopping between Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam for ten years now since my early retirement from the States. Be mindful, be kind whenever possible, and be happy of what we have. We came to this world barehanded and we're going back with nothing. Sharing is caring. Peace from a genocide survivor under the Khner Rouge killing madness from 1975 to 1979✌️

I am from Colombia and if possible I will not retire here. This country is not made for old people, transportation infraestructure is bad, traffic is one of the worst in the world, and security has become a real problem in big cities. Infletion is the highest in the region. Crime has gotten out of hand

Kristen I so agree how you ended your video by showing that There are lots of great countries out there to retire in. I have been retired for ten years now. And one thing that I notice is. These countries rise and fall on the best place to retire list constantly. I'd like to propose an idea to you and your listeners. Instead of retiring to one country, Pick two or three countries that you would like to live in. Buy a primary residency in one of the countries, where you can store your stuff .Slow travel between countries. You will avoid being taxed.If you stay in one country, they will eventually TAX YOU. Most travel so this way you don't need a visa and avoid taxes 😊 you also avoid these SCAMS where you are required to deposit money, buy inflated property ,or have to show income. PROBLEMS SOLVED. You also have a permanent home to feel stable free of tax and visa problems, which change constantly. My plan is 90 days in Italy, 90 days in DaNang Vietnam 🇻🇳, and one day less than 6 months in my house in Chiang Mai Thailand 🇹🇭 Then one week in USA for family and friends. 90+90+179+6= 365 days 😊

I have checked out Spain as a possible retirement destination. I spent time primarily in Valencia last summer. I was very impressed with the people there. It is a very communal country. Families go to outdoor restaurants and spend hours there without everyone's heads buried in their phones. They are very friendly, very helpful and seldomly rude. When I was there, I felt so calm because no one was annoying me or asking me for money. I rented a scooter for a week. People drove respectfully and the roads were by far the nicest, most well kept of any place I've been. It's a beautiful European country with amazing architecture and Mediterranean beaches, but it's not expensive at all. If you go to a bar and order a nice glass of wine, it's generally 3 euros or less. My favorite thing...the price you see is the price you pay!! If you go to a restaurant, if the menu says 10 euros for a dish...that's what it costs. Thanks for a VERY imformative video, Kristin. Keep up the great work!

I have a friend who lived in Costa Rica for 20 years. He left the country recently because of the-out of-contol crime. One of his expat neighbors was murdered in his home. This crime wave can be explained by the drug trafficking that has taken over the country in the last 10 years. So Kristin is absolutely right when warning us about the safety issues in this otherwise very attractive retirement country. As far as I am concerned safety is the #1 dealbreaker for a retirement place. So Costa Rica is out of the picture for now and it is a shame because the country had so much to offer and the language barrier is a lot less than in most other countries.

I’m an Air Force Brat. We moved a lot. One thing my dad taught me was don’t live in big cities. Pick a smaller city with a good Hospital, a university and access to a major highway. They will have good options for health care, eateries and entertainment and food. I retired in 2008 at 60 with an IRA from a 28 yr job and Social Security. My first move was Eastern Tennessee. When I say live out of cities, Tennessee is a poster child for retired danger. Chatanooga, Knoxville and Memphis are just dangerous. I lived in a village called Coker Creek for seven years. Great people, climate, roads(I ride a motorcycle) and cost of living. I moved in 2022 when someone offered me twice what I paid for my cabin. Now I’m living a bit north of Russellville, Arkansas. Cost of living is great. I can get to Little Rock’s airport in less than 2 hours. Great riding, wonderful people and a nice college(Arkansas A&M). Life is good.

Retire in Bali-Indonesia, Bangkok or Chiang Mai-Thailand, Antalya-Turkey, Hoi An or Da Nang-Vietnam. All beautiful places, people are nice, and very affordable to live. The food is amazing.

I'm not going to tell you where I live but will tell you it's not the US. IF you plan on living in an expat area don't expect lower costs. First rule of success is avoiding purchasing property until you have lived there for 2 years. And don't trust real estate agents.

The top place to retire is Malaysia. English is widely spoken, warm all year round, good foods, mountains, beaches, rainforest. Malaysian are known for friendly and hospitable. The health system is excellent. You can buy property and start a business there. There are 3-tier of visa options besides retirement visa for retirees from all over the world. They are offering for 5, 10, 15, 20 yrs and can be renewable. As a retiree from America, you can live a comfortable life with your monthly social security benefits. The cost of living in Malaysia is 70 % cheaper than the USA. The currency exchange rate is impressive.

Awesome video. I moved to Mexico from Florida 3 years ago.Best move ever. I live in Queretaro. It's safer here than anywhere in the U.S. this is coming from a retired NYC police officer.

I am SOOOOOO biased to SE Asia…I’ve traveled there extensively 30 times the last 15 years. I love tropical climates and hot weather. It’s super inexpensive and most major cities have incredible health care at a price that makes me so ANGRY at the prices in the West. A friend’s wife had a c-section in Da Nang, Vietnam and stayed in hospital 5 days. Total cost $500. I was hospitalized in Chiang Mai, Thailand after contracting an amoeba in a mountain village. A 3 day 2 night stay in a private room with a mountain view including labs, doctor fee, nursing cost $658. The quality of care was superior to USA experiences. For the most part, Asian people are so kind and peaceful and I have NEVER, EVER felt unsafe. I was kidnapped at gunpoint by two men in downtown Atlanta, Georgia when I was 19 y/o. Needless to say my, “Danger Will Robinson” senses are always sky high. (NOTE: “Danger Will Robinson” is from the Lost In Space TV show from the 60s where a family’s space adventure went bad and they hopped from planet to planet….totally cheezy)

14 years in Mexico. Still happy. No matter where you live, there are plusses and minuses. I speak rudimentary Spanish. When my Spanish fails me I have a translation APP on my phone. Also, I note that many people speak English, and schools I am told are encouraging kids to learn English. I live in a comfortable home near the beach on the Yucatan side. Merida, a large city, is about half an hour from home. We have Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, Dairy Queen, Wendy's, Burger King and even McDonald's. So if you need a bit of home stores, they are around. Purchase prices on homes, with my family home here only costing around $40,000 USD, but that was 14 years ago! There are tons of people from the US, Canada, France, Spain, England, and on and on. It is a melting pot of expats. Mayan Culture, pyramids, and artifacts abound. Crime hasn't been an issue and I hope it stays that way. We also are near a cruise ship port ... lots of tourists and the beach is near ... the electricity is on most of the time, but when it is off you want to shout! lol. Solar assists are great and even a generator is a decent back up. We have neither ... so after 14 years I am not really complaining. I will say, Mexican people are friendly and kind for the most part. And, they are the most hard working and industrious people I have ever met. And it is rather nice to be able to hop on a flight to the USA and be back is a very short time, if you want to! Cheers! Viva La Mexico!

Two corrections regarding Greece: Compared to most places in the world, there is actually no language barrier as the vast majority of Greeks can communicate in English to different extents. Also, medical care is top notch in the sense that you can find any private-sector doctor of your choosing at any given time and the appointment will only cost you a fraction of the cost of most of the western world. Good luck getting this level of service in the UK or in France for example.

Great stuff, Kristin! Thanks for sharing. ❤

I retired to Thailand from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2017. I lived 6 years in central Bangkok and now 1 year in the Isaan countryside. It has all the usual pros - low cost of living, great food, excellent health care, interesting culture, great infrastructure, beautiful parks and beaches. It has all the usual cons - language barrier (less so in cities), hot climate, driving on the left side of the road, challenging driving with a plethora of motorbikes, some low level corruption. We don't get cyclones or earthquakes. There is also strong expat community throughout Thailand. There was a military coup in 2014 but has been remarkably stable since then. Retirement visas and extensions for those over 50 generally require a deposit of 800,000 baht ($23,000) or an income of 65,000 baht/month ($1,850). In 2022 Thailand introduced the 10 year long term resident visa (LTR). There are several categories of LTR. For retiree there is the pensioner LTR which costs 50,000 baht ($1,400) for 10 years but requires health insurance and a passive income of $80,000/yr. I have had the pensioner LTR for 1 year now.

Awesome! Kristin always has thorough and intelligent High Effort videos.

Thank you! This was very thorough and well done!

It is not 'almost' a requirement anymore to learn to speak French if you want to live in France long term. It is an actual requirement now. (If you want a carte de séjour pluriannuelle, which you now must apply for after a few years of renewing short-term visas, you'll need to pass a French DELF test at A2 or above. And long-term 10-year EU resident cards will now require passing a DELF B1 test, rather than A2.) Fortunately, most people wanting to retire in France won't have to worry about their French level, as most retirees are on carte de séjour visiteur visas, which don't have a language requirement - and for the other types of visas, those over 65 are exempt. But anyone who has tried to live here without being able to speak French adequately can tell you, it is not so comfortable to get by without it, and everyday politeness absolutely requires at least the basics: bonjour, merci, bon journée, etc.

I really appreciate the information, and the points you make in each video. Pros and Cons, laying out the options for each place. Keep up the good work!