Best Places for Wealthy Retirees in 2025

Time was, retirement meant slowing down.

These days, for the world’s wealthiest retirees, it’s about levelling up – in lifestyle, financial and personal freedom and where they live.

If you’ve spent decades in a high-pressure city – building businesses, managing assets, or staying close to family – your retirement years offer a rare chance to reset.

For many people, that means swapping stress for space, congestion for coastline and high taxes for smart financial structuring.

Fortunately, there’s a growing number of countries which are actively courting affluent retirees.

From Europe to Latin America to Southeast Asia, governments are rolling out the red carpet with residency programs geared specifically for people arriving on their shores with wealth, pensions or passive income.

That can mean generous tax breaks, affordable luxury living and the ability to own property in scenic destinations without sacrificing access to modern healthcare, strong legal systems and global connectivity.

But picking the right place to retire isn’t just about factors such as warm weather and great food.

For high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), the stakes – as well as the opportunities – are higher. These HNWIs are about aligning lifestyle goals with smart residency or citizenship options and picking a jurisdiction that respects their privacy, protects their assets, and positions them for long-term peace of mind.

So, whether you’re looking for a beachfront villa, a mountain retreat, or even a cosmopolitan third act, the world is full of attractive options.

And for retirees, that’s never been more important than in 2025, as the increase in international instability is matched by a similar rise in global mobility.

Ready to explore your options? The Nomad Capitalist team has been busy analyzing data so it can put together the below list of the best places for wealthy people to retire in 2025, so you can finally find the place where you’re treated best.

Finding the Best Country to Retire: Factors to Consider

At Nomad Capitalist, our team helps individuals build their dream life overseas based on their own unique goals, and there are a wealth of factors to consider when choosing the best place to go. 

However, there are a few standout aspects that tend to be the most important among wealthy retirees.

For starters, you’ll want to consider which countries offer the best retirement visa options. 

The countries on our list offer visas that make it easy to settle down for the long term, so there’s no need for frequent visa runs or to live a life of perpetual travel. 

There are also countries that impose minimal or no taxes on retirement income. After all, if you’ve spent decades building your nest egg, you’ll likely be hoping to surrender as little of it as possible to the taxman.

We also consider the expat-friendliness of a country, the climate and how easy it is to live a fun, peaceful and healthy lifestyle. 

The quality of the general infrastructure is considered, as are real estate options and any benefits offered for retirees. 

Best Places to Retire for Wealthy Individuals

We’ve split our list of the best places to retire into options for Europe, Asia and Latin America. However, we’d still encourage you to consider all of your options around the world. 

Because of how deeply personal this decision is, you may just discover the perfect retirement hotspot elsewhere.    

Best Countries to Retire in Latin America

Costa Rica

Costa Rica allows retirees to enjoy a safe and peaceful lifestyle in gorgeous natural surroundings. 

Whether you want to spend your retirement sipping coconut water on the beach or immersed in nature and tranquillity, this island is an appealing option. 

Its Pensionado Visa only requires you to demonstrate a retirement income of US$1,000 per month. Although it’s aimed at older applicants, there’s no minimum age tied to this visa. 

Its beachside towns are safe places to live with large expat communities. Better yet, Costa Rica has a territorial tax system, so all your foreign income is tax-free.

Panama

Panama is another Central American nation that offers a Pensionado visa to all ages who can demonstrate a retirement income of at least US$1,000 a month. 

There are other paths to gaining residency, including via its Friendly Nations Visa or by buying real estate worth at least US$300,000. 

There are plenty of laid-back beach towns to enjoy alongside the thriving capital Panama City. 

Panama has a global reputation for offering high-quality healthcare, and there are eye-catching discounts available for holders of the Pensionado visa.

Panama also has a territorial tax system, so you won’t have to worry about paying tax on your foreign income. 

Ecuador 

Ecuador offers a beautiful lifestyle for retirees with a low cost of living.

Cuenca and Vilcabamba are two examples of picturesque villages with sizable expat communities, including many retirees. 

There are plentiful beach towns by the Pacific Ocean or cooler mountainous retreats in Quito or Baños if you prefer. Indeed, Ecuador offers some of the most diverse landscapes in Latin America. 

Useful benefits available to older people in Ecuador include a 50% discount on some utility bills, airfares and public transport. Foreign residents have the same rights as Ecuadorian citizens, and the country is welcoming to expats.  

You’ll only need to demonstrate a retirement income of US$1,410 per month to qualify for the temporary Pensionado visa. 

After 21 months of continuous temporary residency, you’re free to apply for permanent residence. After three years of permanent residency, you can apply for citizenship.   

Best Countries to Retire in Europe

Ireland

Ireland is a fantastic retirement spot for wealthy expats, particularly if you speak English and have no desire to learn a new language.

You can expect friendly communities and stunning areas of natural beauty throughout the country, although the weather there can be on the cooler, wetter side. 

Your route into Ireland as a retiree is most likely to be through its Stamp 0 passive income program, which requires applicants to demonstrate €50,000 of annual income plus a lump-sum of at least €100,000 to cover unforeseen expenses. 

Ireland has a non-dom taxation program, so any income generated outside of Ireland won’t be subject to tax unless it’s remitted into the country.  

Greece

Greece has some of the best weather and friendliest locals in Europe. Its islands offer beautiful surroundings, while its capital city, Athens, is a fascinating place to live.  

You can get Greek residency via the Golden Visa program or by demonstrating passive income of at least €2,000 per month. 

Pensioners pay a flat tax rate of just 7% on all income. 

Wealthier retirees might prefer the lump-sum tax scheme, which would see them pay €100,000 in income tax regardless of how much money they’re generating. 

You’ll meet plenty of English-speaking expats in the most popular Greek islands and in Athens. If you prefer to be left alone, you can choose to live on one of the smaller, less touristy islands.

Monaco

If you can afford it, Monaco could be the retirement destination of your dreams. 

To gain residency, you’d have to buy or rent a property in Monaco and demonstrate sufficient means to live there. 

This would typically involve transferring at least €500,000 into a local bank account, although some banks may only accept minimum deposits of between €1 million and €2 million. 

Monaco’s 0% income tax policy is the biggest draw for wealthy expats.  

Best Countries to Retire in Asia

Malaysia

Malaysia offers both an exotic allure and modern comforts for retirees. Whether you want tropical islands or bustling cities, there’s somewhere for everyone here, and you may be surprised by the quality of its infrastructure. 

The main path to residency is through the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program, which requires you to buy a property and deposit some money in a local bank.

As with all Southeast Asian countries, you can expect a warm welcome, with English proficiency high in popular tourist destinations.  

Malaysia has a territorial tax system, so you won’t have to pay tax on your foreign-sourced retirement income unless it’s remitted into the country.  

Thailand

Thailand is a popular retirement destination with a warm climate, tropical islands, a low cost of living and a welcoming local population. Indeed, the nation is nicknamed the ‘Land of Smiles’.

There are several routes to long-term residency, including the Retirement Visa or its Long-term Residence Visa for Wealthy Pensioners. 

However you get in, you’ll be able to enjoy fascinating culture, delicious cuisine and a vibrant lifestyle. 

The Thai healthcare system has a fantastic reputation, and there’s a diversity of places to live,  whether you prefer the city, mountain towns in the north or the surrounding islands.   

Thailand has a territorial tax system, so you’ll only be taxed on foreign-sourced income remitted into the country.

The Philippines

The Philippines Special Resident Retirement Visa (SRRV) is affordable and available to those 50 and older. It requires a deposit of US$10,000 in a Filipino bank or US$20,000 if you don’t have a pension worth at least US$800 per month.

You can withdraw your deposit if you buy some Filipino real estate, and your money will go further than in most other countries. 

Resident aliens are only taxed on income generated inside the Philippines.

Most wealthy expats choose to live around the high-end neighbourhoods of Bonifacio Global City, although there’s a healthy expat presence in Cebu, Dumaguete and Davao.

Either way, the English proficiency throughout the country is exceptional, so you should have no problems making friends.

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Each year, large numbers of expats looking for a life of luxury are drawn to the United Arab Emirates. Around 80% of its population are foreigners, many of whom are wealthy investors, business owners or pensioners.  

The days of 0% tax for everyone are gone, but there’s still no personal income tax, so the UAE still suits wealthy retirees down to the ground. 

The infrastructure is world-class, crime levels are incredibly low, and there’s much to see and enjoy.

Residence in the UAE is available by purchasing real estate or launching a business. Retirees are likely to choose the former. There’s a renewable 5-year retirement visa available for those who buy a property worth at least AED1 million (around US$270,000).

Best Place to Retire for Wealthy Individuals: FAQs 

Where to Retire if You’re Wealthy 

There’s no one-size-fits-all destination for retirement – not even for the super rich keen to spend their golden years.

For some, staying close to family and friends far outweighs any tax break, climate upswing or lifestyle upgrade. It’s simply a cost they’re not willing to pay and that’s a perfectly valid point of view. But often it also means settling for a location that offers little else in terms of quality of life, affordability or personal freedom.

For others, it means better weather, lower taxes, greater privacy, a slower pace of life, easier access to healthcare or a completely new adventure.

Wherever you personally land on that spectrum of desire, we recommend doing some due diligence on the options out there. Spend some time in your preferred location as a tourist or short-term resident.

But just spend all your time being a tourist. Test the infrastructure, meet the locals, understand the bureacracy, or check out if safety is going to be a concern. Find out how it actually feels to live there before making a permanent move.

Retirement should be the reward for a busy life. Choosing the right place to enjoy it deserves the same level of effort and strategy you brought to building your wealth in the first place.

Nomad Capitalist can help – we have direct experience across multiple jurisdictions and can help you weigh up the pros and cons of each.

So, remove all the guesswork, skip past the gatekeepers and speed up the entire process by reaching out.