The Philippines Is One of the Best Places in the World to Retire… If You Can Afford It

Retirement is everyone’s endgame, and it looks like we’re already living in one of the best places in the world to retire. According to Big 7 Travel, the Philippines is the 44th best place in the world to retire in thanks to its low cost of living and range of activities.

Seniors won’t ever be bored in the Philippines when they have the chance to fly to remote islands and picturesque waterfalls. The low cost of living makes retirement in the Philippines even more appealing, and foreigners are known to retire in the far-flung provinces and suburbs around Manila.

Big 7 Travel called the Philippines “the ultimate tropical antidote to the drudgery of working life.” With 7,641 islands, the Philippines is also home to a large English-speaking population, which is no doubt a convenience for foreign retirees.

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But of course, retirement is only common in the middle class in the Philippines, where you’d need at least P5 million to live comfortably in retirement. Most Filipinos work until old age, but big family units make it easier to pull back from working in your later years.

Big 7 Travel ranked its Best Places to Retire list based on a number of factors, namely: quality of life, cost of living, rent index, restaurant price index, average annual temperatures, the easiness of obtaining a visa or residency, healthcare, hospitality, language barriers, and the range of things to do. 

The Philippines, surprisingly, ranked higher than Luxembourg, Ireland, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, the best countries to retire in are Slovenia, Portugal, Estonia, Spain, and Paraguay. But you won’t have to fly halfway across the world for a cozy retirement community when you can find it right here in the Philippines.