Malaysia among top 5 best countries to retire in Source: Singapore Sunday Times New York - Looking for a safe, affordable place for retirement? With its warm climate, affordable housing and generous benefits, Ecuador was named the best country to retire in by InternationalLiving. The South American nation bordered by Colombia and Peru topped the websites annual global retirement index of 25 best countries, scoring high points for affordable cost of living, entertainment and amenities. Next are Panama, Mexico, Malaysia and Costa Rica, rounding out the top five nations in the index that looks at eight criteria to determine the best countries for retirement. The worlds top retirement havens for 2015 may dot the landscape from Asia to Latin America to Europe, but they share certain assets, said Ms Jennifer Stevens, executive editor of InternationalLiving. Theyre safe, offer good value and are places you can settle in with relative ease, she added. Ecuador scored 92.7 out of 100 points, with top marks for climate, cost of renting or buying property and discounts on flights, public transportation and utilities offered by the government for retirees. Panama is considered the best destination in Central America and offers a Pensionado visa, which is available to anyone with a lifetime pension of more than US$1,000 (S$1,300) a month. The visa offers discounts on medical services, entertainment, meals, air fares, as well as electricity and phone bills. Malaysia, the top retirement country in Asia, earned high scores for ease of fitting in, entertainment and amenities, as well as low cost of living. A meal with a bottle of wine can cost as little as US$5 and a visit to the doctor just US$15. In Europe, Spain at No. 6 was the top retirement nation, thanks to its warm climate and low cost of living compared with other European countries. It scored top marks for infrastructure, a health-care system recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the best, and entertainment. Neighbouring Portugal came in at No. 9, followed by Thailand, which won points for low health- care costs, culture and affordable housing. Seventh-placed Malta and Colombia at No. 8 completed the top 10. The Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam were at the bottom of the list. Reuters
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 03:29:26 +0000
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