1. Malta.
This island nation boasts not just ancient walled cities but coastal trails, restaurants and countryside farmhouses.
It also has UNESCO World Heritage Sites, an English-speaking population — again, a legacy of British colonization — and hills that will remind you of that other city by the bay: San Francisco.
You can live here a lot more cheaply than you can in San Francisco, though, with couples living comfortably on $2,600 a month.
If you've been envisioning retirement far away from city canyons and icy streets, have we got news for you: International Living envisioned the same thing.
They came up with a list of 11 delightful islands around the globe for those who really want to get away from it all once they retire.
It includes one island that isn't tropical and not normally thought of as an island at all. Read on to find your favorite. (All photos: Shutterstock)
11. Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic.
Beloved by the French in years gone by, Las Terrenas offers a cultural blend of European and Caribbean—as well as fabulous food, says International Living.
In addition, its 19 miles of walkable public beach, complete with waving palm trees and scads of stars overhead at night, can be had for the fairly reasonable sum of $2,000 a month.
Keep in mind, though, that the report says, “most choose to spend closer to $3,000 a month.
10. Koh Samui, Thailand.
Those with a taste for the exotic will appreciate this choice, situated about 425 miles south of Bangkok.
Koh Samui, just 13 miles wide and 15 miles long, is the country’s second largest island after Phuket, with beaches, inland jungles, natural pools and a wide range of flora and fauna.
Lovers of both golf and water sports will find plenty to please here, and the cost is far from exorbitant at $2,000–$2,500 a month.
9. Bali, Indonesia.
Part of an archipelago of 17,500 islands, Bali offers not just beautiful beaches and mountain ranges, but rice paddies and jungles in the interior.
It's exotic no matter where you look, in a place where, IL says, “spas are part of the lifestyle.”
In addition, most days are between 78–89 degrees Fahrenheit with 75 percent humidity, although the mountains can be a bit cooler.
The cost to live on Bali is around $1,900 in most of its towns.
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8. Isla Colon, Panama.
In another archipelago half a world away is Isla Colon, close to the border with Costa Rica and offering a Caribbean lifestyle.
A welcoming expat community in Bocas del Toro—a group of nine main islands—will make you feel at home, and so will the cost.
Just around $1,400 a month will rent you a small and simple island-style home.
Fishing, water sports and whale watching are popular activities, and the main town of Bocas Town will delight you with buildings painted in all the bright colors of the Caribbean.
7. Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
Sea breezes keep the days pleasant and in the mid-80s in this Caribbean retreat about eight miles from Cancún.
People get around more by golf cart than they do by car in this laid-back place with an active expat community, with year-rounders and snowbirds.
The cost won’t frighten you off, either, since, according to the report, “A couple can live a very nice life on Isla Mujeres for $2,500-$3,000 a month, including rent.”
6. Roatàn, Honduras.
It used to be a secluded divers’ hideaway, but this island in the western Caribbean is now a full-fledged retreat off the northern Honduran coast.
While Spanish is the main language in Honduras, Roatàn is mostly English speaking, “thanks to a long colonial relationship with the United Kingdom.”
The interior jungles and mountains stand in contrast to its white-sand beaches and rocky coves, with world-class scuba and snorkeling, and the cost won’t drive you out to sea: A couple can get by nicely here on $2,000–$2,500 a month.
5. Ireland.
Now here’s a surprise: We bet you don’t normally think of Ireland as an island.
But it most certainly is, and while it’s considerably cooler than the other island retreats we’ve mentioned so far, just think how appealing that pint of Guinness will be in front of a roaring fire in a neighborhood pub—particularly during a ceili (that’s Gaelic for social gathering, usually with music and singing).
You needn’t worry about a language barrier, it’s close to Europe for further travel and it’s not so dear that you can’t manage it, at $2,800 a month for a couple.
4. Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Daytime — water sports. Nighttime — socializing. So goes life on this island paradise, which has retained its laid-back atmosphere thanks to less overdevelopment than you might find elsewhere.
Belize is uniquely welcoming, too, with the native language being English. It also accepts U.S. currency and credit cards, with lots of U.S. brands available in the shops.
Says the report, “For between $2,700 and $2,900 per month, a couple can enjoy a comfortable retirement in Ambergris Caye, including rent.”
But owning your own home here is cheaper yet, with “expats report[ing] it’s possible for a couple to live quite comfortably on less than $2,000 a month.”
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3. Penang, Malaysia.
Lots of English-speaking expats live here, thanks to it being a former outpost of the British Empire, so you’ll have plenty of retiree company with whom you can converse.
The food is amazing in George Town, its largest city, and the living is First World — except for price, which runs between $1,500–$2,500 a month for a couple.
And its central location makes it easy to travel throughout Southeast Asia, with Australia and New Zealand just a few hours further away.
2. Mallorca, Spain.
One of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca is just off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, with mountains, hilltop castles and even Roman ruins.
The island is 1,405 square miles, with beaches, marinas and natural rock-lined coves.
A year-round mild climate doesn’t hurt, either, and the price is affordable—depending on lifestyle, a couple can live well for $2,500 and up.
1. Malta.
This island nation boasts not just ancient walled cities but coastal trails, restaurants and countryside farmhouses.
It also has UNESCO World Heritage Sites, an English-speaking population — again, a legacy of British colonization — and hills that will remind you of that other city by the bay: San Francisco.
You can live here a lot more cheaply than you can in San Francisco, though, with couples living comfortably on $2,600 a month.
If you've been envisioning retirement far away from city canyons and icy streets, have we got news for you: International Living envisioned the same thing.
They came up with a list of 11 delightful islands around the globe for those who really want to get away from it all once they retire.
It includes one island that isn't tropical and not normally thought of as an island at all. Read on to find your favorite. (All photos: Shutterstock)
11. Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic.
Beloved by the French in years gone by, Las Terrenas offers a cultural blend of European and Caribbean—as well as fabulous food, says International Living.
In addition, its 19 miles of walkable public beach, complete with waving palm trees and scads of stars overhead at night, can be had for the fairly reasonable sum of $2,000 a month.
Keep in mind, though, that the report says, “most choose to spend closer to $3,000 a month.
10. Koh Samui, Thailand.
Those with a taste for the exotic will appreciate this choice, situated about 425 miles south of Bangkok.
Koh Samui, just 13 miles wide and 15 miles long, is the country’s second largest island after Phuket, with beaches, inland jungles, natural pools and a wide range of flora and fauna.
Lovers of both golf and water sports will find plenty to please here, and the cost is far from exorbitant at $2,000–$2,500 a month.
9. Bali, Indonesia.
Part of an archipelago of 17,500 islands, Bali offers not just beautiful beaches and mountain ranges, but rice paddies and jungles in the interior.
It's exotic no matter where you look, in a place where, IL says, “spas are part of the lifestyle.”
In addition, most days are between 78–89 degrees Fahrenheit with 75 percent humidity, although the mountains can be a bit cooler.
The cost to live on Bali is around $1,900 in most of its towns.
Advertisement
8. Isla Colon, Panama.
In another archipelago half a world away is Isla Colon, close to the border with Costa Rica and offering a Caribbean lifestyle.
A welcoming expat community in Bocas del Toro—a group of nine main islands—will make you feel at home, and so will the cost.
Just around $1,400 a month will rent you a small and simple island-style home.
Fishing, water sports and whale watching are popular activities, and the main town of Bocas Town will delight you with buildings painted in all the bright colors of the Caribbean.
7. Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
Sea breezes keep the days pleasant and in the mid-80s in this Caribbean retreat about eight miles from Cancún.
People get around more by golf cart than they do by car in this laid-back place with an active expat community, with year-rounders and snowbirds.
The cost won’t frighten you off, either, since, according to the report, “A couple can live a very nice life on Isla Mujeres for $2,500-$3,000 a month, including rent.”
6. Roatàn, Honduras.
It used to be a secluded divers’ hideaway, but this island in the western Caribbean is now a full-fledged retreat off the northern Honduran coast.
While Spanish is the main language in Honduras, Roatàn is mostly English speaking, “thanks to a long colonial relationship with the United Kingdom.”
The interior jungles and mountains stand in contrast to its white-sand beaches and rocky coves, with world-class scuba and snorkeling, and the cost won’t drive you out to sea: A couple can get by nicely here on $2,000–$2,500 a month.
5. Ireland.
Now here’s a surprise: We bet you don’t normally think of Ireland as an island.
But it most certainly is, and while it’s considerably cooler than the other island retreats we’ve mentioned so far, just think how appealing that pint of Guinness will be in front of a roaring fire in a neighborhood pub—particularly during a ceili (that’s Gaelic for social gathering, usually with music and singing).
You needn’t worry about a language barrier, it’s close to Europe for further travel and it’s not so dear that you can’t manage it, at $2,800 a month for a couple.
4. Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Daytime — water sports. Nighttime — socializing. So goes life on this island paradise, which has retained its laid-back atmosphere thanks to less overdevelopment than you might find elsewhere.
Belize is uniquely welcoming, too, with the native language being English. It also accepts U.S. currency and credit cards, with lots of U.S. brands available in the shops.
Says the report, “For between $2,700 and $2,900 per month, a couple can enjoy a comfortable retirement in Ambergris Caye, including rent.”
But owning your own home here is cheaper yet, with “expats report[ing] it’s possible for a couple to live quite comfortably on less than $2,000 a month.”
Advertisement
3. Penang, Malaysia.
Lots of English-speaking expats live here, thanks to it being a former outpost of the British Empire, so you’ll have plenty of retiree company with whom you can converse.
The food is amazing in George Town, its largest city, and the living is First World — except for price, which runs between $1,500–$2,500 a month for a couple.
And its central location makes it easy to travel throughout Southeast Asia, with Australia and New Zealand just a few hours further away.
2. Mallorca, Spain.
One of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca is just off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, with mountains, hilltop castles and even Roman ruins.
The island is 1,405 square miles, with beaches, marinas and natural rock-lined coves.
A year-round mild climate doesn’t hurt, either, and the price is affordable—depending on lifestyle, a couple can live well for $2,500 and up.
1. Malta.
This island nation boasts not just ancient walled cities but coastal trails, restaurants and countryside farmhouses.
It also has UNESCO World Heritage Sites, an English-speaking population — again, a legacy of British colonization — and hills that will remind you of that other city by the bay: San Francisco.
You can live here a lot more cheaply than you can in San Francisco, though, with couples living comfortably on $2,600 a month.
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
