This is for world wide. For US people: where are you looking at. What kind of incomes are we looking at needing. What kind of investment in real estate would it be etc? How are the islands for this? How is Brazil? What about hawaii, Socal, ??
What’s a world real estate bargain for someone retiring from a job in the US with a decent check?
Currently stationed in Hawaii, it’s very nice but honestly, you can get so much more for your money elsewhere. I’ve looked at some places, and I’m not too impressed. Luckily, I’m living in the barracks.
I’d much rather live in the Gulf states to be honest.
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You seem to be seeking someplace sunny and warm. There’s a significant US expat community in the Philippines, and everyone speaks English. Just about everything is dirt cheap there, like 60-70%, even up to 90% less than you’d pay for nearly any given thing in the US.
I was born in Biloxi, but I haven’t been back there since the 80s. I really liked Corpus Christi when I went there (a few times) for work. I feel like the Gulf coast is America’s forgotten coast. The Pacific and Atlantic coasts are overpopulated and overpriced. If I had the money to retire and move, I’d go south to Biloxi or Corpus Christi. Your money will stretch a lot farther there than Hawaii or SoCal. And you still get sun, sand, and fresh seafood.
I’m not familiar with the rest of the world at all, and frankly, as terrible as this country can be sometimes, I’m an American and I want to stay here. So I don’t plan on moving to Thailand or anything, though vacationing there sounds awesome.
Okinawa.
It’s Japan.* It’s also Hawaii (in the sense of being part of Japan, but distinct culturally and physically distant). It’s still pretty affordable, compared to the rest of Japan. Subtropical weather.
*“It’s Japan” matters because I want to be able to travel around that country. I’ve seen all of the US I’d care to, and the southern continental US utterly fails to do anything for me, so no snowbirding in CONUS for me.
Does a place which rarely has snow but regularly sees temperatures at or below freezing count as a haven for snowbirds? Because that’s what sub-tropical means.
Anyway the place for me is the Maldives.
Chamonix, France.
What? 
Curious - misread the OP, having just recently booked my winter vacay for skiing outside of Salt Lake City! 
Panama …
ETA: It’s exceptionally nasty in the Pacific Northwest ten months a year … absolutely the WORST place in the entire world to spend winters … you’d be better off in North Dakota in January than in Washington State in May …
Medellin Colombia.
Year round spring time weather. Pretty good infrastructure and public transport. Only an hour flight from the beaches in Cartagena or Santa Marta. And the cost of living is pretty low. Though real estate costs have been rising of years. I’m still 20 years or so away from retirement, so thing may change by then. Oh, and you pretty much need to speak Spanish, which might be a problem for some. While there is a growing expat community there, it is not as established as places like Panama or Mexico.
Only an hour airplane flight to get to the beach? Sign me up!
It’s all in the game. Why the Maldives?
Costa Rica often comes up when this question arises. And I think there are parts of Mexico that are popular with American expats.
I was in houston for a few weeks last century. My buddy had a beach house on stilts near dow chemical. I’m having a hard time imagining living there. I heard the chem plants have a large presence both in the water and generally. I don’t know about other communities. Are there any resorts or cultural destinations?
Have you ever been in the northern Great Plains in January? :dubious:
If I could be assured of Canadian style medical care, I would move to Barbados in a minute. The predicted highs for the next week are all 29-32, a bit warm, but the lows are 27 every day. And it is only a degree or so cooler in January. My idea of a tropical paradise. And the local language is English (well sort of, but nearly everyone can raise the level to international English).
Cartagena is fine too if you’re looking for beaches and 80-90 degree weather year round. The cost of living is a little more expensive there though, I think. It’s also more of a tourist destination too, which has its pros and cons. Parts of Central America might be a better spot if you’re looking for beaches. The Caribbean islands too, though I’m not sure of the costs of living there.
One benefit that the northern coast of South America has is that it is outside of hurricane tracks, which might be a consideration with what we’ve seen recently.
Edit: since some are posting about the islands. What is the cost of living like there? It was my impression that since nearly everything is imported that costs were generally pretty high.
To be more specific about my aim: I’d like to get a place suitable for living in 4-6 months of the year, November to April say, that has water sports available, and some reason to want to be there. I’d like to buy a condo, or have a time share or even rental.
Cartagena is a hot muggy place for too much of the year. Stick to a Medellin home base and make the flight a little farther (just under 2 hours) to San Andres for the beaches and diving.
There is a reason the call Medellin the city of eternal spring. Damn nice weather without being overbearingly hot in summer or freezing cold in winter.
I’m in it.