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.
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