Where Are the Best Places to Retire or Live Abroad?

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

See recent posts by Carl Unger

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The expatriate lifestyle has long captivated our collective psyche. Who among us hasn’t at least briefly imagined what it would be like to start over someplace new and completely different from home? The idea is especially appealing to retirees and empty nesters looking for a bit of adventure or simply a change of scenery: to live abroad.

Best Places to Retire or Live Abroad

The quest to live abroad may seem like a pipe dream, but it’s actually quite doable with a bit of planning and a good sense of direction. Figuring out that last part—where you actually want to go—can be vexing. Here are the best places to go live abroad and why according to Live and Invest Overseas, focusing on the best options for 2018.

Lisbon, Portugal
Cali, Colombia
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Saint-Chinian, France
Città Sant’Angelo, Italy
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Bali, Indonesia
Da Nang, Vietnam

This list is more focused on the inherent appeal of each location rather than affordability or livability. Lisbon is praised for its elaborate, charming cobblestone walkways, while San Pedro is touted as a “barefoot paradise.” These qualities are certainly important, if not crucial, to the decision-making process. If you’re going to move or retire abroad you should like the place you choose, right?

On the other hand, St-Chinian, Ljubljana, and Città Sant’Angelo are noted for being particularly affordable, especially in Europe. Property prices in and around Saint-Chinian are half that in Provence and the Côte d’Azur, while Città Sant’Angelo is described as Italy’s “best-kept secret,” where expats can live for a fraction of the cost of neighboring Tuscany.

As a nice complement to this list, Business Insider recently listed the 14 most affordable places to retire abroad, and perhaps not surprisingly, many of the same countries were featured, including Portugal, Colombia, Belize, and some areas in France.

Readers, where would you go if you were to live abroad? A sleepy Caribbean beachfront paradise? The south of France? Or a bustling urban metropolis? Let us know in the comments below.

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