# Opinions on places in the world for Americans to retire to cheaply **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 17, 2025, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410 "2025-02-17T10:30:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/61 "2025-07-03T05:10:42Z")
Regular reminder that Cape Town is English-speaking, same Mediterranean climate as southern Europe, and way cheaper. And if you’re up for remote work, we have a new digital nomad visa that covers the first few years. > [@SenorBeef](#): > > in 10 or 20 years we may be looking at collapse. Europe without the [AMOC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_meridional_overturning_circulation#Effects_of_an_AMOC_shutdown) wouldn’t be so great, either. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/62 "2025-07-08T10:20:21Z")
I do appreciate the South Africa suggestion as I wouldn’t have likely thought of it otherwise. It’s still in the running (and has a lot of positives) but I think the distance from everything is a big barrier. This is a very American/Eurocentric view, but I’m not thinking that it would allow similar travel opportunities as living in Europe. Undoubtedly southern Africa has some cool people and some great stuff to see, but the infrastructure/safety/etc would definitely be issues, whereas if I live in Spain or somewhere else in Europe like perhaps Greece I’d have more than enough easy, cheap, and amazing travel opportunities for the rest of my life. > [@MrDibble](#): > > Europe without the [AMOC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_meridional_overturning_circulation#Effects_of_an_AMOC_shutdown) wouldn’t be so great, either. Latest projections on the AMOC is that it’s not going to collapse until at least 2100. So… yay? Adjusting to climate change is actually a big point in Europe’s favor – both in that the climate is relatively resistant to the effects relative to the tropics and because they have the will, money, and infrastructure to be able to handle it without collapsing. Things will get worse there, too, but probably by a lot less than the rest of the world. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/63 "2025-07-08T10:29:14Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I thought I might move to Portugal anyway, because their requirements are easier and you can get citizenship much faster (5 years vs 10) And then, there’s this: > **[Portugal Tightens Immigration Law: Key Changes for 2025 ](https://www.giambronelaw.com/site/news-articles-press/library/articles/radical-changes-in-portuguese-immigration-law)** > > Portugal introduces major immigration reforms, ending Sephardic citizenship and increasing residency to 10 years. Find out what's changing and how it affects you. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/64 "2025-07-08T13:29:51Z")
Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Somehow even though I have been heavily researching portugal and spain I didn’t see this. To be fair, it’s pretty recent, but none of the sites I was looking at mentioned that it was in the process of being passed. At this point there’s no advantage to Portugal over Spain that I can see. Portugal’s income requirement is much lower, but from what I understand Spain basically just requires you to have around $32k USD in the bank or in passive income or any combination thereof for the first year. That seems quite generous to me – you don’t even need passive income for the non-lucrative visa. The first renewal after a year of residency is actually twice that because you’re renewing for 2 years. I should consult a spanish immigration lawyer soon. Several discussion board posts confirm that this is how it works, and all the sites that discuss the visa say “a combination of passive income and savings”, but I’d like to see an actual official document somewhere say that the requirement can mix and match passive income and savings, because I haven’t been able to find that. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/65 "2025-07-27T09:30:54Z")
Those considering Portugal might be interested in a long piece in this Saturday’s Guardian magazine about the increasing concern in Lisbon about the social and economic consequences of the influx of remote-working foreigners and the “bubbles” they create around them, particularly as property prices and other costs of living go up. Sadly, it’s not actually on the Guardian website (yet?) and the only link I can find is paywalled on PressReader, which looks like a parasite to me. But nevertheless here it it is: > **[PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions](https://www.pressreader.com/uk/saturday-magazine/20250726/281590951607381)** > > Digital newsstand featuring 7000+ of the world’s most popular newspapers & magazines. Enjoy unlimited reading on up to 5 devices with 7-day free trial. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/66 "2025-07-27T10:18:40Z")
Just an update on the Cape Town front - it’s [the best city in the world](https://www.timeout.com/cape-town/news/cape-town-named-time-out-best-city-world-011525) this year. Well, according to Time Out. And the [Telegraph](https://www.timeout.com/cape-town/news/its-official-cape-town-is-the-best-city-on-earth-071625), I guess. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/67 "2025-08-08T03:22:39Z")
Western Cape is gorgeous and there are lots of lovely small towns. Spent a number of Canadian winters in the area. Highly recommended and safe. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/68 "2025-08-08T04:42:17Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Cape Town - it’s [the best city in the world](https://www.timeout.com/cape-town/news/cape-town-named-time-out-best-city-world-011525) this year. Has Cape Town solved its water crisis? That’s where I learned the concept of “zero day”'. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/69 "2025-08-08T05:42:58Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Has Cape Town solved its water crisis? We haven’t had restrictions since. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/70 "2025-08-24T04:09:44Z")
Cairns is very nice to retire to and luckily it is home for us. Me for 15 years and partner for 30. > **[Things to do in Cairns - Great Barrier Reef day trips, Kuranda rainforest and...](https://www.tourismcairns.com/)** > > Things to do in Cairns and on the Great Barrier Reef. Tourism Cairns is your online destination for tours and activities in the Cairns region. You do need money even tho the gradient US to Aus dollar is favourable for y’all. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/71 "2025-09-17T14:01:56Z")
> **[Why are so many Americans moving to Portugal? Apart from the obvious reason …](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/16/why-are-so-many-americans-moving-to-portugal-apart-from-the-obvious-reason?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other)** > > Vietnam and Albania have their fans. Some Americans might even enjoy the UK. But there’s a lot to be said for a country with universally accessible healthcare and freedom of movement within the EU ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/72 "2025-09-17T14:41:52Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Alternate timeline **Sitnam** would run a backpacker dorm in South East Asia. Phnom Penh to be exact, that place is like Tombstone. My son came back to the states a few months ago after living in Phnom Penh for about 9 months (long story). According to him it’s actually a pretty modernized / Westernized city, with malls and restaurants both Asian and Western-style. He attended the opening of a Little Caesar’s Pizza place in the city, and was happy that he could point to a map on the wall of where in the world Little Caesar’s was founded, on the opposite side of the Earth, and say “that’s where I’m from!” (the greater Detroit area). He was able to live like a king for less than $1000 a month total expenses, living in an apartment with maid service and a pool on the roof. There ware drawbacks of course-- he didn’t pick up much of the Khmer language, and few Cambodians speak English. He had to do a lot of phone translation stuff to make himself understood much at all. He got very bad food poisoning from his favorite takeout place and had to be hospitalized. The medical care was dirt-cheap, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/73 "2025-09-17T14:49:21Z")
SEA is a special place for travelers, loaded with interesting foods and fascinating people it’s still scary and far enough to keep most westerners away. I hope more get to see it all before Little Caesar’s takes over and it becomes like every other tourist trap. All of SEA is a wild adventure, but Cambodia leads the charge. ---
**Author:** ![bobsmom101](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobsmom101/32/2867_2.png) [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/74 "2025-09-17T15:21:04Z")
Though probably not of interest to @SenorBeef , I’m surprised Uruguay hasn’t been mentioned in this thread. I have in-law relatives there and it seems to be a laid-back, accepting, society – though perhaps a bit dull & slow-paced for people looking for a more glamorous urban European vibe. The word is that you can get by with English in Montevideo, not so much in the countryside. ETA: forgot to add this link > **[Expats in Uruguay spill the beans: What life is really like](https://www.guruguay.com/expats-in-uruguay-spill-the-beans/)** > > We interview expats in Uruguay from the US, UK and Pakistan so that you can learn from their mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/75 "2025-09-17T15:41:28Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > … Albania … I know a recently-retired American couple that relocated to Albania this year. They were always Italiaphiles, traveling there often, language & cooking lessons. I unfortunately wasn’t able to catch up with them before they left to discuss the Albania vs Italy decision but I doubt there were any surprising reasons, mostly easier residency & longer dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/76 "2025-09-17T16:02:45Z")
We spent two weeks in Albania in the spring. Neat place, super underrated destination, but we got the impression it would be really difficult to live there as an expat. Good luck to the couple. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/77 "2025-09-17T19:52:20Z")
They’re quite sophisticated and were previously my local experts on Italian things. I know they’d also visited Croatia with relocation in mind so it was well researched. I was surprised to learn they were heading to ALB and quite regret not getting to chat about it. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/79 "2025-12-22T20:10:52Z")
Yeah, but isn’t Albania one of those places where 45/47 has heroically ended a nasty war ( against Aberbazan or summat). That’s not safe for ‘merkins. It could flare up at any time. Regardless of what the local tourist board says. Just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/80 "2025-12-22T20:33:23Z")
Oh, this reminds me that I recently wrote this on a neighboring thread: > Came across a New Yorker article (not paywalled mirror) on leaving the USA for the Netherlands, I think it may be relevant to this thread: > [https://archive.is/JrMHl](https://archive.is/JrMHl) > One thing that caught my attention was the formulation “survivor’s guilt about having left”. I hope it is not that bad yet for the majority. May as well repeat it here, seems fitting. Of course the Netherlands is not the cheapest place to live, there Albania has an advantage. But apart from that, a lot speaks for the Netherlands. OK, not the mountains. Which may be an advantage for walking tours. And as usual for walking tours: YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410/81 "2025-12-22T20:43:51Z")
Hmmm. The post Pardel and self were referring to has done gone missing. Vale context. 🤷‍♀️ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-places-in-the-world-for-americans-to-retire-to-cheaply/1014410.md?page=5)