Best Countries to Retire Abroad: Ranked on Cost, Income Thresholds, Healthcare and Tax
Every country, ranked and sortable
The whole atlas as one table. Sort by any column. Nothing here is a composite score dressed up as objectivity: each column is a single measurable thing.
Each hexagon is one country, placed in approximate geographic position and sized equally so that every option is equally easy to reach. Select a metric to recolour. Choose a country to open its full profile.
| Country | Cost index | Couple budget | Lowest income bar | Healthcare | Safety | Visa ease | Tax | Months | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 38 | $2,100 | $1,500 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 9 | Apostille |
| Belize | 48 | $2,600 | $2,000 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 4 | Apostille |
| Brazil | 38 | $2,300 | $1,500 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 7 | Apostille |
| Chile | 52 | $2,700 | $1,500 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | Apostille |
| Colombia | 33 | $2,000 | $1,370 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 2 | Apostille |
| Costa Rica | 55 | $3,000 | $1,000 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 14 | Apostille |
| Croatia | 50 | $2,600 | $1,090 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 7 | Apostille |
| Cyprus | 58 | $2,900 | $872 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 12 | Apostille |
| Dominican Republic | 40 | $2,100 | $1,500 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 4 | Apostille |
| Ecuador | 32 | $1,800 | $1,446 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | Apostille |
| France | 68 | $3,500 | $1,635 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 5 | Apostille |
| Georgia (Country) | 32 | $1,700 | n/a | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 2 | Apostille |
| Greece | 48 | $2,600 | $3,815 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 8 | Apostille |
| Italy | 60 | $3,100 | $2,816 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 10 | Apostille |
| Malaysia | 40 | $2,200 | $2,200 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 8 | Legalisation |
| Malta | 65 | $3,200 | n/a | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | Apostille |
| Mexico | 42 | $2,400 | $4,400 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 4 | Apostille |
| Nicaragua | 28 | $1,500 | $600 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Apostille |
| Panama | 50 | $2,600 | $1,000 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 6 | Apostille |
| Peru | 33 | $1,800 | $1,000 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Apostille |
| Philippines | 35 | $1,800 | $800 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 3 | Apostille |
| Portugal | 55 | $3,000 | $1,003 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 12 | Apostille |
| Spain | 58 | $3,100 | $2,616 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 7 | Apostille |
| Thailand | 40 | $2,200 | $1,900 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | Legalisation |
| Uruguay | 62 | $3,100 | $1,500 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 15 | Apostille |
| Venezuela | 30 | $1,800 | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | Apostille |
| Vietnam | 30 | $1,600 | n/a | 5 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 4 | Apostille |
Cost index is relative to the United States at 100. Healthcare, safety, visa ease and tax are our editorial scores out of 10. Months is the typical time from starting document collection to holding a residence card. Documents shows whether U.S. records take the apostille route or need full embassy legalisation.
Common questions
Are these scores objective?
The cost index, budgets, income thresholds and processing times are figures with sources. The healthcare, safety, visa-ease and tax scores are our editorial assessment out of ten, and we say so rather than dressing them up as data. They exist so the matching wizard has something to weigh; treat them as a starting point and read the country page.
Why is the income bar sometimes higher than the cost of living?
Because a visa threshold is a policy number, not a budget. Several countries peg it to a domestic benchmark such as a minimum wage or a tax unit, which produces the odd result that you must prove more income than you would actually spend. Mexico is the clearest example.
Authoritative sources
Where anything here disagrees with one of these, the official source is right. Tell us and we will correct it.
- SSA: Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States
- SSA: Payments Abroad Screening Tool
- SSA: Totalization agreements
- Medicare: coverage outside the United States
- IRS: U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad
- IRS: Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
- IRS: Foreign Tax Credit
- FinCEN: Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts
- IRS: United States income tax treaties A to Z
- Federal Voting Assistance Program
- Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
- U.S. embassies and consulates directory
- European Commission: Entry/Exit System
- European Commission: ETIAS official site
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table Which countries accept an apostille, and from what date.
- U.S. Department of State: Records and Authentications Federal document authentication, including the Office of Authentications.
- U.S. Department of State: country information Entry, exit, safety and local law, country by country.
Verified Sep 7, 2026 Primary sources: travel.state.gov, www.hcch.net
Verified Sep 7, 2026 Primary sources: travel.state.gov, www.hcch.net
This resource is provided free by Federal Apostille as an educational tool. It is not legal, tax, immigration or financial advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using it. Immigration rules, income thresholds, fees and processing times change frequently and often without notice, and consulates apply them differently. Always confirm current requirements with the official government source and the specific consulate that has jurisdiction over your U.S. state of residence before you act. Every figure on this site carries the date we last verified it and a link to the primary source.
