#1Where should you retire abroad?
Compare 55 countries on the six things that actually decide it: healthcare, retiree-visa rules, cost of living, safety, climate and expat community. Every number shows its source and the date we last checked it. No hype, no sponsored paradise lists.
- 55 countries, scored on one comparable scale
- Every figure carries its source and last-verified date
- Adjust the weights to match what matters to you
Today's top 3 of 55 scored countries, default weights
55countries scored on one comparable scale
6axes per country: healthcare, visa, cost, safety, climate, community
every number shows its source and the date it was checked
How the RetireScore works
Every country earns six axis scores from 0 to 100, then one weighted RetireScore. The formula is published and deterministic, so the same inputs always give the same number. You can adjust the weights to match your own situation, and every figure links to its source and the date we last checked it. Where we cannot verify a field, it stays empty instead of guessed.
Healthcare
25%System quality, whether foreign residents can access public care, and what private cover costs a 65-year-old.
Retiree visa
20%How reachable the income threshold is, the insurance burden, and the path from a retirement visa to residency.
Affordability
20%A comfortable monthly budget and central rent, normalised so places compare on the same footing.
Safety
15%The Global Peace Index score and rank, so safety rests on a published measure rather than a vibe.
Climate
10%How much of the year sits in a comfortable band and how far the extremes reach.
Expat community
10%The size of the existing expat and retiree community, plus how widely English is spoken.
The weights above reflect what retirees most often lose sleep over. Healthcare leads at 25%. On RetireSpots you can slide these to fit your own priorities and re-rank all 55 countries live.
The whole directory is free. The deep-dive tools cost less than dinner.
All 55 country profiles, every score, every source, the comparison pages and the free tools stay free forever. RetireSpots Plus adds the visa deep dive, downloadable country briefs, saved shortlists, and change alerts. One payment, no renewal.
Launch price
RetireSpots Plus
$79one time
Lifetime access, no renewal.
- Full visa deep dive per country: residency path, document checklist, tax treaty notes
- Downloadable print-format country profiles
- Saved weight-adjusted shortlists with comparison grid
- Saved cost-of-living scenarios
- Watch countries for rule changes, get email alerts
- Unlimited visa checker and cost calculator
- 30-day refund, no questions asked
- 0 of 100 launch-price spots claimed
Retire abroad guides
Honest, data-backed articles on every part of retiring abroad. Every number shows its source.
The 2026 Global Retirement Index: Top 10 Countries
The top 10 retirement destinations ranked by RetireScore. Every number shows its source and the date it was last checked.
Read guideBest Healthcare Systems for Retirees Abroad: Ranked
Top countries by healthcare quality for foreign retirees, combining quality, foreign-resident access, and insurance cost. Public vs private, honest about what access means.
Read guideBest Places to Retire in Europe: Full Ranking
Every European country in the RetireSpots directory, ranked by RetireScore. Portugal, Spain, Greece, and the rest, with honest cost and visa comparisons.
Read guide30-day refund on either plan, no questions asked. Email us and we send it back.
Get the free Retire Abroad Checklist
A plain 27-point checklist for pressure-testing any country before you commit: visa income proof, healthcare access, tax on your pension, and the questions most guides skip.
One email with the full checklist, nothing else. No selling your address.
Questions
- How does the RetireScore work, and where do the numbers come from?
- Each country gets six 0-100 axis scores (healthcare, retiree visa, affordability, safety, climate, expat community) built from public sources: government immigration and tax sites, the Global Peace Index, WHO health data, the EF English Proficiency Index and cost bands read by hand from public pages. Those combine into one weighted RetireScore using a published formula, and you can adjust the weights yourself. Every field shows its source and the date we last checked it.
- Do you sell my data?
- No. We do not sell, rent or share your email or any personal data. If you subscribe we use your address only to send what you asked for and the occasional note when a rule changes. You can unsubscribe at any time.
- Can I get a refund?
- Yes. Both plans carry a 30-day refund, no questions asked. Email us within 30 days and we return your payment.
- What does Plus add over the free site?
- All 55 country profiles, every score and the comparison pages stay free. Plus adds saved weight-adjusted shortlists, the full retiree-visa breakdown per country, saved cost-of-living scenarios, and alerts when a visa threshold or rule changes for a country you are watching.