Live and Invest Overseas is one of the world’s most respected resources on relocating and investing abroad. It’s no surprise then that their annual top picks for retiring abroad is a list that is anticipated all year. The list often includes little-known and unexpected locations and the 2016 Retire Overseas Annual Index was no exception.
The list stretches across the continents with locations found in the Americas, Europe and Asia. However you may need to pull out your map to locate some of the surprise entries on the list. Ljubljana, Slovenia and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia aren’t places I would expect most people to be familiar with. However more familiar locations do appear on the list. Both Playa Del Carmen and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico placed in the top 10 this year, and for good reason.
So how does Live and Invest Overseas compose their list? For the 2016 round-up, they score locations on 12 categories that are important for retirees to consider. These included taxes, healthcare, Virginfety, cost of living and entertainment to the amount of English spoken. These categories are all given equal importance and the information comes from on-the-ground reliable sources, data experts and correspondents.
The 2016 World’s Best Places to Invest and Retire:
No. 1: Algarve, Portugal
No. 2: Valletta, Malta
No. 3: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
No. 4: Cayo, Belize
No. 5: Ljubljana, Slovenia (pronounced LOO-blee-ah-na)
No. 6: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (pronounced Ko-tah Kin-a-BA-lu)
No. 7: Playa del Carmen, Mexico
No. 8: Crete, Greece
No. 9: Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
No. 10: Ambergris Caye, Belize
A quick look at the list shows that Europe and Mexico in particular are popular choices all-round.
Why Invest and Retire in Mexico?
Puerto Vallarta was included in Live and Invest Overseas list which was put out in early January 2016. This list consisted of Invest and Retire Overseas founder and publisher Kathleen Peddicord’s personal favourites. The official 2016 list, which also includes Playa Del Carmen, was both a subjective and objective list.
So how did both Puerto Vallarta and Playa Del Carmen make the cut? The chosen locations for the list score well across all 12 categories. However what can often drive a new location onto the list, or keep it there, is their affordability.
Lief Simon, Live and Invest Overseas real estate editor, breaks down why affordability is such an asset when it comes to retirement plans. He explains that the strong American dollar spells only good things for your budget. With such a favourable currency exchange rate, now is a great time to build a retirement home in Mexico, ‘then your real estate costs are locked in and you can create a buffer should the currency go against you.’
Build your future now while costs are low so you don’t have to worry about the affordability come retirement. This gives you all the time in the world to consider the other factors that put both Puerto Vallarta and Playa Del Carmen on the list. Basically, Live and Invest did all the hard work for you so now you can focus on pristine beaches, great entertainment and large expat communities to immerse yourself in and enjoy your retirement in Mexico with.
