George Town, Malaysia has been listed as the third best place to retire overseas by Live and Invest Overseas in its 2014 Retire Overseas Index.
Described as one of the most liveable cities in Southeast Asia, George Town is a busy, thriving city with a large expat community that has managed to retain its colonial charm (it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
It has a total population of around 740,000, which makes it small enough for seniors to make friends and meet people, but big enough to mean that health care services meet international standards and easy availability to goods and services.
Moreover, the city is affordable with first world infrastructure, turn-key permanent residency and gorgeous white-sand beaches. Its year-round sunshine and English-speaking locals also make living in George Town easier.
Portugal’s Algarve was named as the best place to retire followed by the colonial city of Cuenca in Ecuador.
Home to over 100,000 resident expat retirees, Algarve offers the best of the Old World – from medieval towns and fishing villages to open-air markets and local wine – as well as some of best beaches in Europe.
Aside from this, Portugal is ranked as the world’s 17th safest country. Its new Non-Habitual Resident and Golden Visa programs help make it easier for a foreign retiree to arrange legal residency within the country. With the cost of living among the lowest in Western Europe, a retired couple could comfortably live in this country on a monthly budget of as little as US$1,5000 (RM 4,718.30).
Meanwhile, Chiang Mai in Thailand bagged the fourth place, while Dumaguete, Philippines and Pau, France took the fifth and sixth spot respectively.
Rounding up the top ten were Medellin, Colombia; Abruzzo, Italy; Panama City Beaches in Panama and Turkey’s Istanbul.
Farah Wahida, Editor of PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories email farahwahida@propertyguru.com.my
