The World’s Most Affordable Retirement Haven Is …

When it comes to retirement locations, there’s a pretty big world out there. And according to the editors of International Living, the best choices in their 2020 Annual Global Retirement Index (GRI) can be found across the Pacific and south of the Texas border.

 

For the fifth year in a row, Cambodia ranked first in the Cost of Living category of the Annual Global Retirement Index, scoring 93 out of 100 points. The country was praised for its ecosystem and cultural heritage, while the capital of Phnom Penh was praised for a “stunningly low cost of living, bustling markets, and a thriving food scene, set to a backdrop of colonial French architecture and temples.”

 

Vietnam and Bolivia are tied for second place with 92 points, with Peru coming in fourth at 91 points and Ecuador fifth with 90 points. The four countries were praised for affordability, a gracious population and a surplus of leisure pursuits.

 

“Affordability is one of the most important qualities of a great retirement destination,” said Dan Prescher, a senior editor for International Living, “especially if you’re trying to stretch savings, pensions, and Social Security as far as possible. Those are exactly the places that top the Cost of Living category of the Global Retirement Index. In fact, cost of living can be so affordable in these places that even a modest budget of around $2,000 a month for a couple leaves room for indulgences like a housekeeper or a gardener, or both. Affordability makes for a rich quality of life in retirement, and the countries at the top of the GRI’s Cost of Living category offer some of the highest quality of life possible for the least amount of money."

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