The Annual Global Retirement Index has been running for 35 years, and it has never had Greece at the top. This year it does, and the country did not edge in quietly. It climbed from seventh place to first in a single edition.
The index weighs housing, healthcare, cost of living, climate, visa access and how easily an outsider can actually settle in. What moved Greece was a combination of affordability holding steady while the two countries that dominated this list for years, Portugal and Spain, became more expensive and more restrictive.
We are counting down the full top ten, with what living there actually costs, how the healthcare works, and which visa route applies, finishing with the country that just took first place. Coastal options are noted throughout, because for most people considering this, the sea is the entire point.
#10. Malaysia
Malaysia closes the top ten, singled out for healthcare that is both affordable and genuinely accessible to expatriates. Private hospitals in Kuala Lumpur and Penang operate to international standards, and English is an administrative language, which removes most of the friction that comes with medical care abroad.
Penang is the obvious coastal choice and one of the more interesting places on this entire list. George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a food culture that draws visitors from across Asia, and the island has beaches on its northern shore.
The Malaysia My Second Home programme is the long-stay route, though its financial thresholds have been revised upward and should be checked carefully before committing to any plan.