Countries from 5 continents divided in 9 groups. And one question that matters for the rest of your life: which of them is the best place to retire abroad?
That’s what we’re deciding today in our Retirement Abroad World Cup. Same format as Fifa the World Cup. Same nations. Different prize.
Every country gets scored on the five things a retiree actually cares about — healthcare, cost of living, quality of life, weather, and infrastructure. Group by group, worst to best, we crown the first places.
And I’ll warn you now: these results will start arguments. Some of the most famous, most “livable” countries on Earth finish dead last. A few places you’ve probably never even thought about challenge for the trophy. And if you’re reading from the United States or the UK… your country loses.
Unlike a lot of articles, I’m not here to sell you a postcard. In fact, I had been in many of these countries. If you’ve ever seriously wondered whether you could afford to live better somewhere else, this article is the starting point — I will show you the good, and the ugly.
The group stage of the Expat World Cup… starts now.
Group A
A neighbour, a European country with solid infrastructure, an Asian economic powerhouse, and a stunning but troubled African giant.
We start at the bottom with South Africa. The main issue is its huge problems with crime and violence – in this aspect, South Africa is among the worst places on earth.
The cost of living is very low, so yes, your pension stretches there. But that means little when a big chunk of it goes to private security, a gated community, and a driver because you can’t safely walk to the shop.
Large cities have very good private hospitals. The public system is another story.
South Korea comes in 3rd. Its world-class healthcare system is the best of these four, the infrastructure is excellent, and the country looks kind of futuristic.
But it has a high cost of living, the second highest here, and there’s no real retirement visa. Plus, it has an ENORMOUS language barrier — Korean language is extremely difficult. A great country to visit, a tough place to retire.
The Czech Republic puts up a strong showing, though it’s often overlooked. This central-European country has EU-level healthcare, a strong safety rating, and a cost of living well below Western Europe.
The winters are cold and grey, and the residency process takes patience. But if you want safe, walkable European cities without paying Scandinavian prices, this is a serious option.
The next is the most famous country in this group. Mexico has affordable costs, good private healthcare, and is already famous among expats. Entire neighborhoods in Mérida and Puerto Vallarta are built around foreign retirees. You can live well for under $2,000 a month.
The one real caveat is the bad safety rating, which swings wildly by city. Some places, like Mérida, have european safety, but others are pretty dangerous. Picking Mexico without researching the specific town is a serious mistake.
Still, it wins the group with the Czech Republic very close behind.
By the way, today I’m only covering the group stage. In a future article, I may put the group winners against each other in a playoff bracket to crown the ultimate Retirement Abroad champion.
Group B
Group B looks like a total mismatch on paper: the most expensive country on Earth, a post-war Balkan nation, a G7 country, and a Gulf state. But just like a World Cup group where the top seed goes home early, the results here are not what you’d expect.
Qatar ends up at the last place. Its excellent safety rating is one of the highest overall, and healthcare is solid. But there’s no retirement visa — residency is tied to a job — the summer heat is brutal for months, and the social rules make long-term expat life hard.
I lived there, so trust me: Qatar is a great place to earn money, not a place to live off money you already have.
Canada finishes middle-of-the-pack, which might upset a few readers. Millions dream about retiring there, and I get it. But the cost of living in Canada skyrocketed in recent years — in a proportion much worse than in the US.
There is a myth around the Canadian public healthcare, but wait times are long. On top of that, there’s no retirement visa — you compete with workers for immigration slots. Add winters that are freezing, and the dream gets a lot colder.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, a very out-of-the-radar country, surprises with the 2nd position. Its highly affordable cost of living means your money goes farther in Sarajevo than in almost any European capital.
The weak spot is a below-average healthcare system, the lowest in the group, so anything serious might mean a trip to a neighboring country for treatment. For a younger, healthy retiree on a modest budget, it works.
Switzerland takes the win. Yes, its cost of living is exceptionally high — major Swiss cities have costs higher than New York City, and all the 6 most expensive cities in the world are in the Switzerland, but…
But it wins on a top-tier healthcare system, a fantastic safety rating, and infrastructure nothing else here can touch. Switzerland is expensive simply because it is probably one of the best, most functional countries in the entire world — and the taxes are relatively low.
Group C
This group will start arguments in the comments. A South-American giant, one North African value pick, a collapsed state, and a cold, grey UK nation.
Haiti sits firmly at the bottom, and there’s no kind way to put it. Its enormous levels of violence and poor safety rating are areas of major concern. The healthcare system is under huge strain, the infrastructure is fragile, and the instability makes retirement planning there impossible right now.
Morocco secures the 3rd place and deserves a closer look. A very low cost of living is appealing, Agadir has nice beaches and a growing expat community, and you’re a short flight from Europe. What holds it back is an unrealiable healthcare system, and the cultural adjustment is bigger than most Western retirees expect.
Brazil gets the 2nd place. It has a highly affordable cost of living, the weather is warm, and private hospitals in the big cities lift the healthcare quality. The problem is a poor safety rating, which means where you live matters enormously. Pick the wrong neighborhood and that low cost of living stops being an advantage.
Scotland comes out on top, for the surprise of those looking for cheap rent and endless sun. But the safety, the infrastructure, and zero language barrier are big positive points. Yes, the cost of living is the highest in the group, and the weather is famously grim. But it is way safer than Brazil and has better infrastructure than Morocco.
Group D
Here you have two wealthy, developed nations that most people would call obvious retirement choices, and two that most people wouldn’t even consider. The scoreboard tells a different story.
Australia finishes last, and it’s not about quality. Healthcare is top-tier, safety is solid, and the infrastructure is excellent. But the cost of living is extremely high, property in Sydney and Melbourne is among the priciest on Earth, and life is ridiculously expensive. The cost barrier is uniquely high in this case.
On top of that, you’re as far from North America and Europe as you can get, which matters when family is back home.
The USA gets the 3rd place in this group, and we must give reality a hard look. It is either expensive if you live in a good place, or dangerous if you live in a cheaper place. Healthcare has stratosferic costs too, so staying in the US on a fixed income carries significant, often ignored financial risks.
Turkey almost got to the top of the group, standing out as a fascinating option. It boasts good healthcare with JCI-accredited hospitals in Istanbul, adequate safety, and a very affordable cost of living. Currency volatility is a major factor, as local savings can quickly devalue. The Aegean coast has a big, established expat community and good climate.
Paraguay emerges as the clear winner here. It offers an exceptionally low cost of living, there’s zero tax on foreign income, and residency is one of the easiest in South America.
A retiree on $3,000 a month in Phoenix is scraping by. That same $3,000 in Asunción covers a large apartment, a housekeeper, regular meals out, and full private health coverage.
Now we jump straight to Group H. We skip E, F, and G — they’re mostly countries not suitable for an expat looking for a nice place to retire to – think names like Iran or Germany.
Group H
That group is probably the one you all expect the most, since everytime we talk both about Spain and Uruguay… we have huge responses from our readers! These two countries are clearly among the favorites.
Saudi Arabia gets the last place. Its high safety rating is actually one of the best here, and healthcare is decent. But summer temperatures pass 45 Celsius, and the social rules make daily life as a Western retiree impractical.
Cape Verde comes in the 3rd place. And I have a doubt here: why in English we translate the entire name of Ivory Coast, but for Cape Verde we just translate half of it? Why not “Green Cape”?
Its moderate cost of living is fair, the weather is warm year-round, and the pace is relaxed. But outside the main island of Santiago, healthcare is thin — need a specialist and you might be flying to Europe for the appointment.
Now the two heavyweights of this group (at least from the retirement abroad perspective).
Uruguay performs very well, among the best South American options. Cities like Montevideo, Punta Del Este and Maldonado are clean and stable, healthcare is solid, and there’s a real residency pathway with attractive tax incentives.
But it is expensive — MORE expensive than many European countries, and that is why it does not get the first place. The higher costs buy a level of stability rare in the region. We covered Uruguay – also known as the “Switzerland of South America”, in another article.
Spain gets the top spot in this group. Its good private healthcare, good safety rating, reasonable cost of living, and an excellent Mediterranean climate make it highly appealing. However…
Spain ended its golden visa in 2025, so the Non-Lucrative Visa is now the main route for retirees. Spain also has a regional tax system, where taxes differ drastically between autonomous communities — Andalusia, for example, has much lower taxes than Catalonia.
Group I
This group has one country that wins on paper but loses on price, one that nobody talks about but probably should, one that’s not viable by any measure, and… France.
Iraq is at the bottom. The safety, the healthcare, the infrastructure — none of it works for a retiree right now. It’s a tough situation overall.
Senegal comes next in 3rd. The advantage of it is a lower language barrier, since the lingua franca is French. But other than that, there are some real issues with infrastructure and healthcare.
Norway comes in 2nd. Norway topped the 2025 Natixis Global Retirement Index as the best country in the world for retirement security. Its healthcare is fantastic, safety is high, and the infrastructure is spectacular. But… The extremely high cost of living is a major hurdle, and the winters are long and dark.
With much lower costs than Norway, and a better weather, France wins the group I. Its moderate cost of living, and very pleasant weather in the south make a great combination. Compared to Norway, France costs about 20% less and gets a lot warmer as you head toward Provence or the southwest. The catches? French bureaucracy takes patience, and some taxes are quite high.
Group J
This might be the most argued-about result in this entire episode, and I’ll explain why in a minute. First, let’s go from the bottom.
Algeria takes the 4th and last place in the group. The bureaucracy is heavy. Healthcare doesn’t inspire much confidence either. The infrastructure for Western retirees is nearly absent.
Jordan gets the 3rd place, often surprising those who visit. Despite the location, it is a functional and relatively safe country, english is often spoken in professional settings, and the cost of living is low. But there’s no solid retirement visa, the climate is dry desert, there are significant cultural differences, and the regional tensions add uncertainty you can’t ignore.
Austria comes in 2nd, looking incredibly strong on paper. Its world-class healthcare is exceptional, safety is excellent, and Vienna tops global livability rankings year after year. But the expensive cost of living is the highest there by some distance, and the winters are cold and long. Austria is hard to fault. It is simply outpaced by a much more affordable alternative.
Argentina manages to edge out the competition here. Yes, Argentina still struggles with safety issues in some cities like Rosário, and ongoing economic challenges. Even so, plenty of expats live comfortably in places like Mendoza or Mar del Plata by being sensible about where they settle.
It still has a low cost of living (despite recent increases), solid private healthcare in many major cities, and the cultural life feels European without the European price tag. One of our most watched articles ever was a comparison between Argentina and Uruguay – check it later.
Group K
The most uneven group of the lot. One country scores nothing, one has European safety numbers, one is famous among expats, and one actually earns the reputation.
DR Congo sits firmly at the last spot. There are generalized conflicts, crime is widespread, and it is one of the most violent countries in the entire african continent.
The surprise is the high cost of living in Kinshasa — it is as expensive as many European cities. That’s because the economy is built almost entirely on imports, so you pay Western prices for a place that lacks Western safety and healthcare standards.
Uzbekistan comes in 3rd, making many people look twice. It has very low crime, comparable to some of the safest countries Europe. (There is a huge difference between the “stan” countries in terms of violence — places like Afhganistan are dangerous.) Samarkand and Bukhara are fascinating cities with real history. But the healthcare is still developing, the language barrier is steep, and the expat network is thin. Just not for everyone.
Colombia performs admirably, validating its popularity in the Americas. It offers a very affordable cost of living, good healthcare, Medellín has a big foreign community, and that city enjoys great weather year-round. The obstacle are the issues with criminality – it improved in comparison to the 90s, but it is still far from ideal.
Portugal wins the group. It is a safe country, with a moderate cost of living (except for Lisbon!), and the expat infrastructure is excellent. But it is a very close call versus Colombia, since Portugal recently removed the NHR regime that was highly beneficial to expat retirees. In fact, we can say that either Portugal or Colombia could be the winner of this group – depending on your lifestyle.
Group L — The Final Group!
And we end like a good tournament does: a clear winner, a strong runner-up, one surprise, and one expensive favorite knocked out early.
Let’s start with the most polemic part: England finishes as the last in the group. There are a few pluses, like the lack of language barrier and the connectivity to Europe, but…
But the cost of living is higher than any other country in this group, the weather is grey, and the crime indicators deteriorated. England isn’t a bad country — but according to 9 in every 10 people we talk to, it got much worse in the last few years.
Ghana comes just above — it is a fast growing economy, but… Healthcare is very limited, and infrastructure has real gaps — especially outside Accra.
Croatia finishes strong in 2nd, giving the winner a run for its money. It has excellent safety ratings — the best in the group, and despite increases in the cost of living since they joined the Euro, it is still cheaper than Western Europe. The reasonable cost of living and adequate healthcare make cities like Split and Rijeka attractive for Mediterranean spots without the price tag of the French Riviera.
And the big winner of this group is… Panama. Its Pensionado program is the most retiree-friendly visa structure among all countries we presented, with discounts on healthcare, flights, and more written directly into law. There are world-class US-affiliated hospitals in Panama City, and they have an airport (Tocumen) that has numerous direct flights to the US and Europe.
Group L closes the competition the right way: the country that built an entire program specifically for expat retirees wins the group.
Now, what if I told you that there is a highly advanced method to discover what is the best country for you to live? You can read more about exactly what I am talking about in our guide on where to move abroad.
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.
