The Best Places in the World to Retire in 2025 Workshop

Our Annual Global Retirement Index Explained

[vimeo url=https://vimeo.com/event/4755096/2176fc3026]

If you’re looking for your just-right place overseas, this roundtable discussion is for you. Here at International Living, we’ve been exploring the world’s best options for better living abroad since 1979. Each year, we create a useful tool with our Annual Global Retirement Index—comparing, contrasting, ranking, and rating the 20 top countries for retirement living across seven key categories.

Jennifer Stevens, Executive Editor, together with expats who live in the countries that snag the top five spots in the 2025 Index—Tuula Rampont in France, Bel Woodhouse in Mexico, Glenda Cole in Portugal, Bekah Bottone in Costa Rica, and Jessica Ramesch in Panama—will discuss what life is like in their respective countries and dive into the benefits that make them top contenders. You’ll discover how they compare when it comes to healthcare, cost of living, day-to-day lifestyle, climate, and more, plus take a look at those under-the-radar perks that make these places special.

Our experts will be online answering your questions, below. Please type your questions, and we’ll get you the insights you’re looking for.

Monday, December 2, 2024
12:00 Noon Eastern Time

Join us Thursday, February 22 at 9 am EST, for our live text-based Q&A on Travel Tips and Long-Term Rentals, hosted by International Living editor Suzan Haskins. If you’d like tips and strategies that help you travel more efficiently and save you money, Suzan will be online for 30 minutes to answer questions in real time.

She can show you how to pinpoint your best, value-priced options and helps ensure that you get the best travel bargains every time.

This centralized platform is designed to connect you with International Living members and our experts… So you can help each other travel better… discover new places… live more affordably… and enjoy the world more.

Remember, our Community Forum is a new feature and a work in progress. We’ll follow up with a survey before the end of the week, be sure to send your feedback after the sessions.

Travel Tips and Long-Term Rentals Q&A with Suzan Haskins
WHEN: Thursday, February 22
TIME: 09:00 Eastern Time

Add a comment at the very bottom to ask your question.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Hi Wade,

Learning the language of the country you choose to live in is always a good idea and will help greatly with everyday living. Even just knowing enough to understand when the shopkeeper is asking if you would like a bag makes life smoother.

That’s not to say you need perfect Portuguese in order to live here. Many Portuguese do speak English, especially in the Algarve, Lisbon and Porto. And for those that don’t, broken Portuguese combined with their broken English will often be enough to get by.

It’s a good idea to pick up some basics of the language before you move, and you can always study more in depth once you arrive. A word of warning if using apps like Duolingo: often the Portuguese these apps teach is Brazilian rather than European. That version of the language will be understood, but it’s not the correct version for Portugal.

It is almost universally agreed that the “purest” Portuguese is spoken in Coimbra, a riverfront city in the center of the country.

Coimbra is Portugal’s former medieval capital and home to the University of Coimbra, the largest university in Portugal and one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world. Its Faculdade de Letras offers summer, annual, and intensive courses (in September and February) in the Portuguese language.

The Portuguese government also offers free language classes for immigrants. These are held at local high schools that run in conjunction with the school year.

There is a detailed section on learning Portuguese in our Escape to Portugal country guide (recently updated by me).

Bob S. Says:

I’m thinking of selling my home in North Carolina and moving to Panama. I will only have the proceeds from the house and my Social Security. What type of taxes would I have to pay?

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Hi Andrea, You’re in the right place! The workshop will be broadcast in the video above. We will monitor the comments here on the thread and ask our experts and expats your questions during the Q&A segments.

Gianna M. Says:

I have been following your articles about Portugal’s NHR program.

As a dual citizen, Italian-American, would I be able to take advantage of income tax reduction programs, or would I be subject to dual taxation?

I have read that the U.S. allows an overseas dweller tax free income for up to $120,000.

But how would being a dual citizen affect my tax rate in Portugal?

Apologies for the inconvenience. We're currently experiencing technical difficulties on the forum, but our team is actively working to resolve the issue. Rest assured, all your questions will be answered once the problem is fixed. Thank you for your patience!

Robin G. Says:

Is it better to ship my stuff to Italy or buy new when I get there?

Franklin O. Says:

We are on vacation in Porto with a thought of moving here, and are looking for some expats to meet. Please can you help us.

@SPREZIOSI-0 Thanks for joining the conversation! This is a text-based Live Q&A, and the post won't be taken down afterward, so there's no need to worry about time sensitivity. Feel free to ask any questions you have on the topic; Suzan will respond if she can. And all the questions and answers will be here to read through later at your convenience.

Debra F. Says:

Can a single person live in Portugal for $1,600 a month, all inclusive?

No, Costa Rica is not in the United States. It is located in Central America and borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. Canadian Passport holders can travel to Costa Rica as tourists for up to a maximum 180 days, no visa is required.

You can find a lot more information on our Visa and Residency in Costa Rica page on the website: https://internationalliving.com/countries/costa-rica/visa/

Aaron K. Says:

Will my U.S. bank cards work when I visit Thailand?

@JOYSCHAAD @14KONA We’ve noticed some confusion about how to register and where to watch the upcoming "How to Move Out of the US" roundtable event. We want to assure you that you're in the right place, and here are a few key points to clear things up:

• No Need to Register: The event is free for all International Living community members, and there is no additional registration required.
• Where to Watch: The roundtable will be streamed right here on the Community Forum.
• Date and Time: The event will be live on Tuesday at 11 AM EST.

Simply log in to the Community Forum at the scheduled time, and you'll be able to join the live stream directly.

We’re excited to bring you valuable insights and real-life experiences on moving abroad from our panel of experts and expats.

Thank you for being a part of our community, and we look forward to seeing you at the event!

Want to Test-Drive Life Overseas? Enter our competition to win a month in Costa Rica—all expenses paid. More info here: https://www1.internationalliving.com/test-drive-your-dream-life-overseas.html

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