Right now, the Social Security Administration is sending checks to Americans in more than 150 countries. And when you rank those countries by how many checks they send to each, the list of places where americans moving abroad live gets very weird.
We could imagine that most of these retirees are in Mexico, the Caribbean, or a Mediterranean country where your dollar feels twice as big. But those guesses would be wrong.
We looked at the countries with the most Americans receiving Social Security, and among the top 15, there is: a country that has been at war for much of the last few years. At number two, an island on the far side of the planet where the language is notoriously difficult for English speakers. And at number one — a country that is cold, expensive, and the exact opposite of every retirement brochure you’ve ever seen.
So why are so many Americans choosing these places? Is it about saving money? Healthcare? A better lifestyle? Or is something else driving this migration? In this article, we will answer all these questions.
Number 15: Spain
Almost 8,700 Americans there are getting a Social Security check every month, and the surprise is that it is SO LOW in this ranking. Honestly, even I was surprised to see that Spain didn’t make it to the top 5.
The sunshine, the tapas, the slow lunches — this is the country half of America daydreams about, and it barely scrapes onto our list.
Spain allows you to live there during retirement via the non-lucrative residence visa, designed for expat retirees. If you’re 62, have savings enough, and are done working, Spain opens the door for you. And private healthcare is way cheaper than in the US and with good quality.
Housing in the popular areas has gotten expensive, and not just in Madrid and Barcelona — Málaga and Valencia saw soaring prices. Fortunately, the cost of living is still quite affordable in 2nd and 3rd tier cities like Murcia or Granada.
There are some cons, like the bureaucracy: residency renewals, tax registration, healthcare forms, etc. You also must learn Spanish if you want to live outside an expat-heavy neighborhood.
From southern Europe, we jump all the way to South America.
Number 14: Colombia
Colombia is on our list for one reason above all others — an American retirement income does more there. Medellín, Bogotá, Cali and other cities have much cheaper housing, transportation and services than most large U.S. cities.
The savings concentrate in two places: rent, and domestic services. That second one matters more than people expect. Help with cleaning, cooking, driving — things that are a luxury purchase in the U.S. become ordinary line items. That’s the difference between managing a household alone at 70 and having help.
Private healthcare is world class in major cities, to the point that Colombia became a hotspot for medical tourism. And the climate is another attraction — Medellín is high enough that its elevation gives it a springlike climate, not the sticky tropical we associate with “South America.”
With so many qualities, we could expect Colombia to be higher in this ranking, if not for… crime. The U.S. State Department rates Colombia at a warning Level 3 — meaning “Reconsider travel” — over crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.
But the risk varies heavily by city and by neighborhood. You must be very careful checking your options on where to live. And there is also a language barrier — English works inside expat circles, but not speaking Spanish will make your life much harder.
Now, from South America we go all the way to the Middle East.
Number 13: Israel
A country that’s been at war for much of the last few years is in the top fifteen Social Security recipients. Israel is defined legally as a Jewish state, and this is the first big clue about what our list actually measures.
These retirees are overwhelmingly Jewish Americans. Israel’s Law of Return gives people with Jewish ancestry an immigration path — the process is called Aliyah. It’s a route that is not available to an ordinary foreign retiree with a pension and a suitcase.
So the population there is specific: Jewish-American retirees, dual citizens, and people making Aliyah later in life. The numbers probably would be even bigger if not for the fact that Israel is expensive. Housing prices are closer — sometimes even higher — than in the US.
Number 12: Portugal
For more than a decade, Portugal has been the poster child for European retirement. What earns it the spot is the D7 — a residence route built around income rather than employment. If you have a pension or another reliable income stream, it gives you a path to live in Portugal without needing a job there.
Private healthcare in Portugal is another attraction, with strong medical networks in Lisbon and Porto, and considerably cheaper than comparable care in the United States.
The biggest downside of Portugal is that it is no longer cheap. Lisbon and the Algarve have become expensive. Braga, Coimbra and parts of the central interior are where the better value sits now.
However… a lot of expats are still planning around the old Non-Habitual Resident tax benefits — the NHR scheme. But the Portuguese government killed the old NHR scheme. So check the new rules — many tax incentives are no longer there.
Number 11: France
France is not a bargain, and the people who move there know it. So expats who move there are not looking only for prices, but also for an upgraded lifestyle.
France has a highly developed healthcare system. Access depends on your residence and insurance status. And many French cities let you live without a car at all. Think about what that’s worth at 78, when driving sometimes stops being convenient.
The typical American retiree in France is a Francophile or a returnee — someone with a French spouse or French family, a former student, a long-term expatriate, someone who has been visiting for twenty years and already speaks the language. They’re going back to a country they already know.
Taxes can be high, and you must be ready for some bureaucracy: paperwork for residency, healthcare, property, all of it requires patience and a thick folder of documents. And if you don’t speak any French, France probably is not the best choice.
Now we leave Europe, and go to the other side of the planet.
Planning a move to Europe? Get the country-by-country guide to visas, residence, and EU citizenship.
Number 10: Australia
This is a developed, English-speaking country on the far side of the world — and likely nobody goes there to save money. Instead of cheap prices, Australia has something else. No language barrier. Add a mature health system, modern cities and good public services, and you have some proper reasons why this is NOT a cheap place.
The most common receiver of US Social Security there are Americans with children, grandchildren or a spouse in Australia. Or Australians who moved to America, contributed long enough to Social Security and then moved back to Australia.
One thing important to mention is that immigration to Australia is NOT easy. There is no simple retirement visa for an American who happens to have a pension.
Number 9: Greece
Greece is one of those sunny countries that we all expect in a list about retirement abroad. It puts together quality of life and low costs — plus some sweet tax incentives.
While Athens can disappoint some people, smaller mainland cities like Kalamata positively surprise expats. They created a visa program specifically to attract expat retirees: the Financially Independent Person visa.
Private healthcare in major cities is far cheaper than in the United States, so you can pay out of pocket for care that would need an insurance battle back home.
Now the part that deserves more weight than it usually gets. Healthcare in Greece varies sharply by location. A beautiful island town may have limited specialist care compared with Thessaloniki.
Bureaucracy is the other tax on your patience — residence permits, banking, tax registration and property purchases all take time. Many of these expat retirees are Greek-Americans returning to ancestral villages or moving closer to relatives. Others are regular Americans that moved to Greece to pay lower taxes.
Number 8: Italy
Italy has so many American retirees because it offers a proper legal route, and it’s underrated. The Elective Residency Visa is for financially independent people with recurring income who don’t intend to work in Italy.
The low cost of living is also another MAJOR attraction. While northern regions like Lombardy can be pricey, southern Italy has some of the lowest cost of living in entire Western Europe — if not the lowest.
Bureaucracy in Italy is constant — property purchases, residency, taxes, etc., require paperwork. If you don’t speak Italian, it will be hard. I’m learning Italian myself right now, at an age where nobody would call it easy, and I’ll say the obvious thing: learning the language makes your life easier.
And that regional gap cuts both ways: the cheaper the rent, the longer the drive to the closest good hospital.
The US Social Security receivers in Italy can be divided into two crowds. Italian-American returnees with ancestry and family, and lifestyle retirees chasing a slower life in a smaller city.
The next country… well, probably NO ONE expected it to be in the top 10.
Number 7: Poland
Cold during most of the year, absent from most retirement brochures, but still has more Americans on Social Security than Spain, Greece, or Italy. And its appeal has nothing to do with beaches.
Poland is cheaper than Germany or France, especially outside Warsaw and Kraków. So you get European infrastructure without Western European prices. Even medium-sized cities are covered by strong public transportation and rail networks. A car you don’t need is money you don’t spend.
But just like with Greece, what brings so many receivers of US Social Security to Poland is ancestry. There is a large Polish-American population, so a lot of these retirees are actually 1st and 2nd generation Poles.
And the next country is the complete opposite of Poland in almost everything.
Number 6: The Philippines
Of all countries in this top ten, this is the most practical choice for someone on a modest budget. Because the living costs there are WAY lower than in the US.
Housing, food, domestic services and transportation cost far less than in the United States. I am talking about prices that are from 55 to 70% cheaper.
On top of the low costs, another pro of the Philippines is that many people there are fluent in English. It’s widely spoken and used in education, business, government and healthcare.
And the Philippines created a retirement visa program to attract people like you. Their government established the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa, an actual program with retirement-specific benefits.
Who’s there: Americans married to Filipinos, former U.S. military personnel, people with family in the country, and retirees who want to spend less for a seaside lifestyle.
The lower costs come with some cons: healthcare is concentrated in larger cities like Manila and Cebu, with low coverage in smaller islands. And life there includes the possibility of typhoons, flooding, traffic, and infrastructure problems.
Still, for a modest budget, no other country on our list gives you this much life per dollar.
Number 5: Germany
Nobody moves to Germany to save money. They move there because the system works (well, at least it used to). The healthcare system is large and advanced, with extensive specialist and hospital capacity (or at least, it used to).
And in the major cities, the trains, trams, and buses are good enough that car-free retirement is realistic.
Those receiving US Social Security there are American-German returnees and family-connected retirees, often someone who already lived there through military service, education, employment or marriage.
Germany is expensive compared with Poland, Greece, Mexico or Colombia, and housing in the major cities is particularly costly. Immigration is less straightforward too: Germany doesn’t have retirement visas.
Number 4: The United Kingdom
On paper this should be the easiest move an American can make: zero language barrier, removing one of the biggest obstacles for retirement abroad.
The NHS as a major public healthcare system. Trains and buses that make many British cities manageable without a car.
But, besides the increasing poverty, the unattractive weather, the social tensions, and other minor issues, the UK has some obstacles. First, the visa — or the lack of a retirement visa. There is no easy way for an American to retire in the UK.
Second, the cost of living is quite high. Housing is expensive even outside London.
Which is why the Americans there are mostly British-American dual nationals, people who previously lived in Britain, and people with close family — British children, spouses, parents.
Now, get ready, because the numbers of American retirees will start to jump.
Number 3: Mexico
If you guessed Mexico would be the number one, you were close — it got a bronze medal. Mexico in the top 3 is not a surprise (unlike the 2nd and 1st place, which are quite a shock).
There are about four times as many American Social Security recipients there as in Spain. The first reason people go is one word: proximity. You get to live abroad while remaining a short flight — or a drive — from the United States. Nobody moving to Australia can drive home for a grandchild’s birthday.
The lower cost of living is another reason: many Mexican cities have much cheaper housing, food, transportation and services than their U.S. counterparts. And the major cities and expat communities have private hospitals and specialist services at prices far below U.S. charges.
But remember that costs vary a lot between cities like Mérida, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and San Miguel de Allende.
And talking about the uncomfortable matter of crime… it varies enormously by state: some are as safe as Europe, others are incredibly dangerous. The U.S. State Department advises increased caution over crime, terrorism and kidnapping, with stronger warnings for specific areas.
The key phrase there is “specific areas”: tens of thousands of American retirees live in zones far from the crime hotspots, and they have a comfortable life.
Number 2: Japan
Japan has almost 58,000 receivers of US Social Security. That’s more than Germany and the United Kingdom combined.
An island on the far side of the planet, with a language notoriously hard for English speakers, and it has nearly 70% more American Social Security recipients than Mexico.
Japan has a low level of street crime and strong public order — two big pros for someone wanting a peaceful retirement. It has a broad health insurance system and a highly developed medical sector for eligible residents.
And it is one of the world’s best countries for anyone who doesn’t want to depend on a car, with extensive rail and bus networks in the major cities.
However… Japan does not have a retirement visa; long-term residence requires another qualifying immigration status. And the language is a major issue — Japan is easy to visit without Japanese and far harder to manage independently as a permanent resident.
So who are these 58 thousand people? Japanese-American returnees, dual citizens, Americans with Japanese spouses, Japanese-Americans, and similar cases. Most of them are people going back “home”, in a certain sense.
The number one is the same story but bigger.
1st Place: Canada
Canada is the opposite of every retirement brochure ever made — and still it has 70,943 recipients of US Social Security there.
Canada has more than twice as many Social Security recipients as Mexico, and more than Spain, Colombia, Israel, Portugal and France put together.
Proximity is the first driver — Americans in border states can visit family by car, and major Canadian cities have frequent direct flights to U.S. cities. There is also the familiarity: English is widely spoken, and daily life feels much closer to the United States than Asia or Latin America.
In terms of negatives, Canada is expensive (especially Toronto and Vancouver, where housing can swallow a large part of a retirement budget). On top of that, there’s no retirement visa for an American with pension income. Family programs exist, but they carry specific requirements and shifting intake rules — the Parents and Grandparents Program was paused for new intake in 2026.
The weather is a point for discussion — some love the white winters, others find it harder every year they age.
Which is why many of the Social Security receivers there are dual citizens, people with Canadian spouses or children, and retirees who want to live abroad without leaving their family’s orbit.
But if you don’t have the ancestry, the spouse or the second passport, which countries will still open the door for you and let your pension go much further? If you are wondering whether Americans are still welcome in Europe, or if you might regret moving to Europe, or even if you are looking for countries to escape the summer, we have you covered. For detailed reports on all the countries we covered, plus access to our algorithm that will help you discover the best country and city for you, join us on Patreon.
Levi Borba is the founder of expatriateconsultancy.com, creator of the YouTube channel The Expat, and a best-selling author. Some of the links in our articles may be affiliated links, meaning the author earns a small commission if you make a purchase.
