So, hold on to your hats because here we go …

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s cost of living – for a retiree – is much less than what you would pay for a comparable lifestyle in the U.S. In fact, you can live a life of luxury with a full-time housekeeper in a lavish, three-bedroom house in the country’s Central Valley for about $3,000 a month U.S. And if your income is derived from social security, a pension or investments in the U.S., you won’t have to pay a penny in income taxes.

Croatia

The cost of living in Croatia is not as low as the Central American countries, but it is about 30% to 40% less than other European countries. For example, a good meal, including starter course, main course and dessert will cost you about $25. There are also plenty of coastal building sites in villages that are still available at reasonable prices. As an example of real estate costs, a new apartment that is five blocks from the sea in Petracane place was recently offered for sale at 208,000 Euros.

Ecuador

Ecuador is on our list of top 10 places to retire because it is one of the least expensive places in the world to live and yet offers a wonderful lifestyle.

In fact, it is not really a stretch to say that you can live like a king in Ecuador on a pauper’s budget. In fact, expatriates say that you can take $250 U.S. out of an ATM machine on Monday and this will cover your expenses for the entire next week. Many also say you can live fairly well in Ecuador for about $700 U.S. a month or $1,000 tops.

France

France may be the best place in the world to retire. Of course, its cost of living will depend on exactly where you live. France is basically a rural country and the cost of living in one of its small country towns is a lot less than living in Paris or Marseille. On the average, a single person living in France will spend about $129 U.S. a week for food. The cost to rent in communities near Paris can be around $645 U.S. a month. However, downtown apartments and condominiums can reach the astronomical price of $1900 to $2500 U.S. a month.

Honduras

Honduras is a country of friendly people, sun-splashed beaches, fresh food, a reliable infrastructure and a remarkably low cost of living – creating one of the best life styles to be found anywhere in the world. Its cost of living is between one-third and one-half less than that of its Central American neighbors and is considered to be one of the world’s most reasonable. For example, a three-bedroom home with a pool, tennis court, maid’s quarters and plenty of land in one of Honduras most exclusive areas sells for about $80,000. Additional monthly expenses such as a live-in housekeeper, telephone, electricity and air conditioning costs only about $150.

Italy

Italy is literally the cradle of western civilization, the home of the Renaissance and the source of all western religions in the form of Roman Catholicism. The one downside to retiring there is that its cost of living is one of the highest in the European Union – though there is a large disparity between the cost of living in the prosperous north and the relatively poor south. For example, a furnished, two-bedroom house will cost you, on the average, about $1667 a month to rent.

Mexico

In addition to offering hundreds of miles of beautiful, sun splashed beaches. Mexico also offers a very reasonable cost of living. At the time of this writing, a single household with four family members would spend only about $370 a month on grocery items. Rent for the typical one bedroom apartment is around $185, and even a 2-bedroom apartment in Acapulco or some other big touristy area generally costs only about $308 to $370 a month.

New Zealand

New Zealand has great beaches, a wide variety of outdoor activities, cultural attractions, free health care (for the most part) and attractive, modern cities. The cost of living there is certainly not as cheap as, say, Ecuador, but it is still reasonable by U.S. standards. In fact, you can live a modest lifestyle in New Zealand for about $700 U.S a month and will need a total income of only about $43,000 for a more upscale life.

Panama

In addition to having a world-famous canal, Panama offers a great lifestyle at a very reasonable cost. In fact, you can buy most consumer goods in Panama for a fraction of what you’d pay in the States. A U.S. style house can be built for about $40 a sq. ft., and a full time live-in maid costs only $120 to $160 a month. Panama also has an amazing program called Pensionado. If you are a resident “pensioner” under the Persionado Visa, you will get a discount of 50% off entertainment anywhere in the country, 30% off bus, boat and train fares, 25% off airline tickets, 25% off restaurant meals, 50% off closing costs for home loans, … and much, much more.

Spain

Spain has sparkling beaches, mountains, fabulous cities, fun festivals and lots and lots of sunshine. Its cost of living is a bit lower than many of the other European countries. The cost of renting a house or apartment varies from area to area with rental costs in Madrid or Barcelona at about $14 per 10.76 sq. ft (sq. meter). On the coast or in central Sevilla, it’s about $7.50 – $8.90 per square meter per month. Elsewhere in the country, rental costs will be more like $5 per month per square meter.

Now you have a taste of where you can choose to spend your golden retirement years. You can use this as a launchpad for where you want to retire in the world. These are some of the 10 best places to retire in the world.

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