Map shows 10 best countries for Americans to retire in 2026

The best destination for Americans thinking of retiring abroad in 2026 is not so far from home, as pera new report by Live and Invest Overseas, a firmoffering advice for people who want to live, retire, and invest abroad. 

The minormountain town of Boquete, Panama, was identified by the firmas the number one retirement haven for Americans ready to enjoy their golden years surrounded by the great outdoors, while still having access to good-quality, affordable health care—all on a relatively modest budget. 

Why It Matters

About 450,000 Americans have already retired abroad, as perthe Social Security Administration (SSA), and more are considering doing so as the cost of living in the U.S. remains high. 

According to a Nationwide survey run last year, more than half of the retired Social Security recipients who responded were cutting discretionary spending last year due to rising living costs outpacing benefits, while one third were cutting on essentials including groceries and medications. The survey questioned 1,812 U.S. adults in June and July last year who were receiving or expected to receive Social Security benefits.

While there are many factors playing into someone’s decision to leave the country and move abroad, the high cost of living in the U.S.—especially health care and housing—is likely to play a dominant role. A February 2025 Harris Poll survey found that 55 percent of Americans were striving to achieve retirement and financial security and 52 percent believed they could live a higher quality of life abroad. The poll was held between August 2024 and February 2025 and asked 6,358 U.S. adults in three rounds.

Between 2018 and 2024, the number of Americans receiving Social Security benefits abroad climbed from 423,022 to 463,480 in 2024, as perSSA data cited by ExpatNetwork.

What To Know

These are the top 10 retirement havens for Americans moving abroad in 2026:

1. Boquete, Panama
2. Algarve, Portugal
3. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
4. Gascony, France
5. Crete, Greece
6. Tarragona, Spain
7. Santa Familia, Belize
8. Hua Hin, Thailand
9. Kotor, Montenegro
10. Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

To identify these cities and rank them, Live and Invest Overseas considered 14 factors of “key relocation criteria,” including cost of living, climate, health care quality and costs, entertainment and recreation, English-speaking population, expat community, infrastructure and access to the U.S., environmental factors and crime, real estate restrictions, and residency and taxes.

All of the destinations on the list have a monthly cost of living that is between 34 percent and 71 percent lower than the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average American aged 65 and above spends $5,007 a month to live.

In Boquete, a retiree’s monthly budget was estimated by Live and Invest Overseas at $2,400. In Algarve, at $3,085. In the popular spring destination of Puerto Vallarta, at $3,305. In Gascony, a town immersed in the French countryside, at $2,085. 

In Crete, Greece’s biggest island, $1,830—the smallest budget of all destinations—puts it in the top 10.

In Catalonia’s Tarragona, a town full of history, a retiree’s monthly budget was estimated at $2,008. In Santa Familia, at $2,035. In the Thai summer retreat of Hua Hin, at $1,442. 

In the Balkan town of Kotor, the cost was estimated at $2,224. And on the Caribbean island of Las Terrenas, which boasts 800 miles of coastline, $2,225.

Many of these destinations also offered access to good health care at a much lower price than the U.S., which currently has the world’s most expensive private health care market, as pera recent report by Henley & Partners, with average annual international private medical insurance premiums of about $18,000 per person.

What People Are Saying

Kathleen Peddicord, founding publisher of Live and Invest Overseas, told Realtor.com: “This year’s retirement index is one of the most critical ones yet. Recent polls show about a third of Americans—around 117 million people—would like to go and settle in another country. A concept that once felt ‘out there,’ limited to budget travelers or serious adventurers, is currentlysquarely in the mainstream.”

She added: “People are realizing that, in many places around the world, it’s possible to buy prime coastal and city properties for much less than comparable homes would cost in the United States.”