The retire-abroad research tool that costs less than your first night in a hotel
55 countries. Every number sourced. One payment. The whole directory stays free either way -- Plus adds the deep-dive tools that save you from a five-figure mistake.
The cost of picking the wrong country is not $79
Missing the income threshold
Every retirement visa has a minimum income. Miss it by $100 and your application is rejected. We show the exact threshold from government sources.
Underestimating healthcare costs
A hip replacement costs $1,200 in Spain and $40,000 in the US without insurance. We show private cover premiums and public-system access per country.
Paying tax you do not owe
Double-tax treaties between countries can save your pension from being taxed twice. We note which treaties exist and link to the official text.
Moving somewhere unsafe
Safety scores on most retire-abroad sites are a vibe. Ours come from the Global Peace Index, ranked and dated, so you can verify the number yourself.
What you get
| Free | RetireSpots Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| 55 country profiles with all scores and sources | ✓ | ✓ |
| RetireScore rankings, weight-adjustable live | ✓ | ✓ |
| 43 curated head-to-head comparisons | ✓ | ✓ |
| Visa eligibility checker (3 free uses/day) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cost-of-living calculator (3 free uses/day) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-country FAQ with FAQPage schema | ✓ | ✓ |
| Full retiree-visa deep dive per country: residency path, document checklist, tax treaty analysis | - | ✓ |
| Downloadable print-format country profiles | - | ✓ |
| Saved weight-adjusted shortlists with comparison grid | - | ✓ |
| Saved cost-of-living scenarios | - | ✓ |
| Watch countries for rule changes, get emailed alerts | - | ✓ |
| Unlimited visa checker and cost calculator | - | ✓ |
| Price | Free | $79 once |
What you would pay for the same information elsewhere
An immigration lawyer charges $200-500 for one hour. RetireSpots Plus covers every country, every visa route, every tax treaty note, forever, for $79. If it saves you one hour of a lawyer's time it already paid for itself twice.
How people use RetireSpots
"We had three countries on our list. Within an hour we knew Portugal was the one, and we had the exact D7 visa income threshold to show our accountant."
Couple from Chicago, comparing Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Used the head-to-head comparison, visa checker, and tax treaty notes.
"I thought I could not afford to retire abroad on my pension. The cost calculator showed me 14 countries where my $1,900 a month is comfortable, not tight."
Teacher from Manchester, pension-only budget. Used the cost-of-living calculator with saved scenarios to compare Southeast Asia and Latin America.
"Every other site said Costa Rica was 'safe.' RetireSpots showed me the actual Global Peace Index rank and let me compare it to Panama's. Panama scored 13 points higher on safety. That changed our decision."
Nurse from Melbourne, safety was the deciding factor. Used the safety axis filter, downloaded the Panama and Costa Rica profiles as PDFs to discuss with her partner.
One plan, one payment, no renewal
RetireSpots Plus is $79 once. That is it. No subscription, no surprise charges, cancel whenever you want (but you never have to).
RetireSpots Plus
$79
one time, lifetime access
- Everything on the free site
- Full visa deep dive per country: residency path, document checklist, tax treaty analysis
- Downloadable country profiles (print-friendly PDF)
- Saved weight-adjusted shortlists with side-by-side comparison
- Saved cost-of-living scenarios
- Watch countries for changes, get email alerts
- Unlimited visa checker and cost calculator
- 30-day refund, no questions asked
30-day refund, no questions asked. If RetireSpots was not useful to you, email us and we send the full amount back. No forms, no hassle.
Why you can trust the numbers
Government sources
Every visa income threshold and tax treaty note is verified against the official government immigration or revenue site. When a source changes, we note the date and re-verify.
Published indices
Safety scores use the Global Peace Index. Healthcare uses WHO data. English proficiency uses the EF EPI. Nothing is a "vibe" -- every axis score traces back to a public, citable source.
No sponsored placements
No country pays to be ranked higher. No insurer pays for placement. The scores are a published formula applied to source-cited data. If you spot a wrong number, we fix it and note the correction.
Built by one person, answerable to one person
RetireSpots is built and maintained by one person. No investors, no sales team. Email goes directly to the person who built it.
Questions you probably have
What if I only need one country?
RetireSpots is most useful when you are comparing. The average retiree shortlists 3-5 countries before deciding. Even if you end up in Portugal, you probably compared it to Spain, Italy, and Greece first. Plus gives you the full picture across all of them.
How current is the data?
Every field shows the date it was last verified. Visa and tax fields are re-checked twice a year. When a reader flags a change, we verify and update within days. The "last checked" dates on every page are your guarantee.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No. Every page carries a disclaimer. We show you the official source, the verified threshold, and a hedged note. You confirm with the consulate or a tax professional before acting. RetireSpots helps you walk into that conversation knowing exactly which questions to ask.
What if I regret paying?
Email us within 30 days and we refund the full $79. No questions, no forms, no waiting period. You keep access to everything you saved during those 30 days.
Why $79 once instead of a subscription?
Retirement research is a one-time project, not an ongoing expense. You research, you decide, you move. Paying a subscription for a tool you use for three months feels like a gym membership. One payment, use it as long as you need it, no renewal anxiety.
What is the launch price about?
The first 100 members get Plus for $79 lifetime. After that it goes to $129. The higher price funds the ongoing work of keeping 55 countries' visa and tax data current. If you are reading this and the counter still shows spots, you are in the first 100.