6 Top International Retirement Destinations for 2026
Be it because of domestic political turmoil, Baby Boomers retiring, or simply to make their retirement dollars stretch further, more Americans than ever before are considering moving abroad for retirement—a lifestyle choice that not long ago was considered unusual if not completely contrarian.
That has the editors at Live and Invest Overseas excited about their new list of the Best Places in the World to Retire Abroad in 2026, released earlier this month and based on the new edition of their Overseas Retirement Index.
The 2026 Overseas Retirement Index emphasizes havens that welcome expats with open arms—places that offer better weather, slower paces of life, vibrant culture, and lower costs of living. The coverage emphasizes real-life experiences from expats and provides practical advice for people seriously considering a move abroad to live out their golden years.
While Live and Invest Overseas features a top 12 list in its comprehensive 168-page Overseas Retirement Index report, here’s a brief summary of the top six for 2026 culled from the 18th annual index:
6. Tarragona, Spain
Located in Spain’s Catalonia region and sitting on the country’s Costa Daurada (Golden Coast) just 60 miles southwest of Barcelona, this beachside city offers a more relaxed pace of life than hotspots like Madrid or Valencia.
Making its debut on the Overseas Retirement Index, the coverage refers to Tarragona as “a wonderland of wide boulevards, golden-sand beaches, biscuit-colored-brick buildings, and lush parks.”
One of Tarragona’s big draws is the low cost of living. People pay less for housing, groceries, transportation, eating out, and utilities here than in Spain’s big cities. Furnished studio apartments can be rented for under $650 a month. Two-bedroom, furnished apartments can be found for under $900 a month.
While the expat community here is smaller than in hotspots likes Barcelona or Valencia, it is growing. The city is home to around 140,000 people, around 33,000 of whom are foreign-born.
NEXT PAGE: Crete, Greece and Gascony, France
5. Crete, Greece
The biggest island in Greece and the fifth biggest in the Mediterranean, Crete offers more lifestyle options than your typical island… from cities like Chania and Heraklion to pristine wilderness, charming beach towns to snow-capped mountains, and ancient olive groves to mountain villages.
Crete is an affordable place to live, and because the island is so big, there’s enough room for budget flexibility. Outside of the cities, rent can be as little as $500 per month.
Around the main population zones, locals speak English at a passable level and there are expat communities spread out across the island with the biggest found in Chania and Heraklion. While most expats are older folks from the U.K. and Germany, there’s also a fairly large community of American expats here because of the U.S. naval base in Souda Bay, made up of 350 commissioned and enlisted personnel.
Greece offers several paths to residency. The residence permit that most retirees use to live here long-term is an independent means visa called the Financially Independent Person (FIP) Permit. The basic requirement to qualify is showing that you receive €3,500 (about $4k) per month. This residency permit is available for two years and is renewable.
4. Gascony, France
The historical capital of Gascony, Auch, is about a seven-hour drive south from Paris. “Nestled in the sedate southwestern corner of France, between Bordeaux and the Pyrenees and close to the Spanish border, this safe and peaceful region is a true hidden gem,” write the editors at Live and Invest Overseas.
A studio apartment in the region can be rented for under $500 a month or a house with a garden for around $800. You can dine out at a local bistro for around $30 for three courses and a drink.
Crime is exceptionally low across the board—far below national and urban French averages. Violent incidents are rare and petty crime is declining regionally. “Simply put, Gascony is one of France’s safest rural regions and it’s highly unlikely that crime would affect your life living here,” the editors write.
NEXT PAGE: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and The Algarve, Portugal
3. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Located on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in the scenic Banderas Bay and surrounded by the Sierra Madre mountains, Puerto Vallarta was once a quiet fishing village. Today, though it retains its traditional charm, it’s one of Mexico’s most popular beach towns.
Featuring an active and growing expat population plus super-friendly locals, the high season (November to March) is busy with snowbirds and international vacationers.
Puerto Vallarta is also proud to be a LGBTQ-friendly destination. Often called the “San Francisco of Mexico,” the city hosts a huge Pride Week celebration every year in May. It’s more liberal and laidback than most places in Mexico.
Many expats and retirees own their own boats and park them in one of the marinas in the bay. Whether it’s sailing, snorkeling, whale watching in the winter months, or simply walking along the beach and getting your own feet salty, Puerto Vallarta is a premier destination for ocean-lovers.
As Puerto Vallarta’s popularity has grown with tourists and expats, its prices have risen. It’s by no means a cheap place to live but it is still largely affordable by North American standards.
Many people speak English quite fluently as it is primarily a tourist town geared towards Americans and Canadians.
2. The Algarve, Portugal
Stretching along Portugal’s entire southern coastline from the Spanish border in the east to the Atlantic cliffs of Sagres in the west, the Algarve is home to close to 500,000 people—a number that more than triples in the summer months as vacationers flock here.
Portugal has been a haven for foreigners for decades. Over 1.5 million foreigners call it home and numbered among them are an estimated 100,000 expat retirees.
In the Algarve English is spoken widely. There’s also an impressive list of things to do, including both highbrow culture (museums, art galleries, and historic towns and sites all around) and an abundance of outdoor activities, from fishing and hiking to Europe’s best selection of golf courses, boasting more than 800 holes.
NEXT PAGE: Top Place Boquete, Panama
1. Boquete, Panama
The No. 1 spot in the 2026 Live and Invest Overseas list of the best places in the world to retire abroad is Boquete, Panama—perhaps the world’s best-known expat haven. It’s home to some 25,000 people, over a fifth of whom are expats primarily from the U.S. and Canada, but a good number of Europeans, too. Living here you’ll never want for English-speaking company.
In addition, its location at an elevation of about 3,900 feet in the highlands offers eternally pleasant weather year-round compared to Panama’s hot and steamy temps at sea level. It is less than an hour from David, the country’s second-largest city, where you’ll find everything you’d expect to find in a large city back home. You’re also just 50 minutes from the Pacific coast and its beaches.
The town boasts restaurants of nearly every nationality, nightlife, massage studios, and beauty salons. Grocery stores stock international brands and the medical clinics have English-speaking staff.
The cost of living is still a bargain, as someone renting a casita, shopping in local markets and using public transport can get by on about $1,500 a month. Health care, another major concern for retirees, is both high-quality and affordable in Panama. Routine doctor visits often cost between $20 to $40, and many expats opt for private health insurance, which is cheaper than in the U.S.
“Boquete has everything you could want for your retirement lifestyle… and it’s for all those reasons and more it’s the place we’ve named the world’s best for an overseas retirement this 2026,” conclude editors Kathleen Peddicord and Victoria Harmer.
Check out the complete Live and Invest Overseas coverage of the best places to retire abroad in 2026 here.
SEE ALSO:
• Greece Tops 2026 Global Retirement Index for First Time
• Midwest Tops Charts in U.S. News 2026 ‘Best Places to Retire’
• 6 ‘Up-and-Coming’ Retirement Destinations for 2025