Affordable Places to Retire Abroad With Good Healthcare

One of the biggest questions about retiring abroad isn't the language or the food. It's "What happens if I get sick?"

Here's the good news: good healthcare and a lower cost of living can go together. We found 59 places abroad where the health system scores well, a strong hospital is within reach, and everyday prices run below the U.S.

• Latin America: San Miguel de Allende, Playa del Carmen, Medellín, Bogotá, Quito, Atenas, Panama City, Santiago, Viña del Mar, Montevideo, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador
• Southern Europe: the Algarve, Lisbon, Porto, the Costa del Sol, Valencia, the Costa Blanca, Barcelona, Seville, Tuscany, Taormina, Ostuni, Rome, Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Malta, Athens
• Central & Northern Europe: Ljubljana, Prague, Kraków, Budapest, Zagreb, Bucharest, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Stockholm, Helsinki
• Asia-Pacific: Tokyo, Kyoto, Seoul, Singapore, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, Pattaya, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Auckland, the Gold Coast, Perth
• Middle East & Türkiye: Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi

Staying stateside? See our Affordable Places to Retire With Good Healthcare in the U.S.

How we picked them

Each place had to pass three simple tests.

1. A strong health system

We used the World Health Organization's health coverage score (0 to 100), which measures how well a country's health system covers essential care. The U.S. scores 88. We required 75 or higher.

2. A quality hospital within reach

Here we used JCI accreditation. JCI is Joint Commission International, the international arm of the group that accredits most U.S. hospitals. A JCI-accredited hospital has passed an on-site review against U.S.-style safety and quality standards.

How we applied it depends on the country:

• Middle-income countries (such as Mexico, Colombia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil and Türkiye): hospital quality can vary a lot from city to city, so we required a JCI-accredited hospital within about 75 minutes.
• Wealthy countries (most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Chile, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama): hospitals are usually accredited through national systems, so JCI is rare even at top hospitals. There, a WHO score of 80 or higher carried it. Smaller towns still needed a JCI or university hospital within about 75 minutes.

3. Everyday prices below the U.S.

We used the World Bank's price level for household spending, with the U.S. set at 100. A 50 means everyday spending (groceries, services, transportation, rent) runs about half the U.S. level. It doesn't cover buying a home.

First, a word about Medicare

Medicare usually doesn't cover health care outside the U.S., with only rare exceptions. Some Medigap plans cover emergency care while you're traveling abroad.

If you live overseas, plan on one of two routes: the local public system (in countries where legal residents can join) or private or international health insurance. Check both before you move.

Quick comparison: all 59

WHO Universal Health Coverage index, 2023. World Bank household price level, 2025 (UAE: 2024). JCI: Joint Commission International directory, checked September 2026. "—" means the place passed on its country's health score; hospitals there are generally accredited nationally. Ostuni passes on the university hospital in Bari (about 75 minutes).

Standouts

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thailand has the lowest everyday prices on our list, with a price level of 32.3, about two-thirds below the U.S. Thailand's health system scores 82, and Chiang Mai has a JCI-accredited hospital in the city. Explore Chiang Mai →

Penang, Malaysia

A price level of 33.4, and three JCI-accredited hospitals in Penang: Penang Adventist, KPJ Penang Specialist and Gleneagles Penang. Malaysia's health system scores 80. Explore Penang →

Medellín, Colombia

Colombia's price level is 41.1, and its health system scores 82. Medellín is home to Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, which is JCI-accredited. Explore Medellín →

Istanbul, Türkiye

A price level of 45.0 and several JCI-accredited hospitals across the city, including Acıbadem Altunizade and Florence Nightingale. Explore Istanbul →

Panama City, Panama

Panama's health system scores 82, and its price level is 49.7, about half the U.S. Two JCI-accredited hospitals are in the city: Pacífica Salud Hospital Punta Pacífica and Clínica Hospital San Fernando. Explore Panama City →

Atenas, Costa Rica

Costa Rica scores 84, close to the U.S. Atenas is a quiet Central Valley town about 40 minutes from San José, home to two JCI-accredited hospitals, Hospital Clínica Bíblica and Hospital CIMA. Explore Atenas →

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Mexico's price level is 58.8. The closest JCI-accredited hospital is Hospital Angeles Centro Sur in Querétaro, about 70 minutes away. Explore San Miguel de Allende →

Santiago, Chile

Chile's health system scores 84, and its price level is 51.2, about half the U.S. Santiago's Clínica Alemana is JCI-accredited. Explore Santiago →

Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal scores 83, with a price level of 64.9. Lisbon also has JCI-accredited hospitals, including Hospital da Luz Lisboa and Hospital Lusíadas Lisboa. Explore Lisbon →

Valencia, Spain

Spain's health system scores 84, and its price level is 68.7. Valencia is a major city with large public university hospitals. Explore Valencia →

Kraków, Poland

Poland scores 82, with everyday prices about 45% below the U.S. (54.9). Kraków is a major university city with a large university hospital. Explore Kraków →

Seoul, South Korea

South Korea's health system scores 88, the same as the U.S., with everyday prices about 38% lower (61.9). Explore Seoul →

Close calls and "why not here?"

• Coronado, Panama: just over an hour and a quarter from Panama City's JCI hospitals.
• Lake Chapala, Puerto Vallarta, Mérida, Cuenca, Crete, Split: all have good private hospitals, but none JCI-accredited within about an hour and a quarter.
• Tamarindo, Boquete, Queenstown, the Dordogne: strong national health systems, but no major hospital within about 75 minutes.
• Taiwan isn't a WHO member, so it has no WHO score to test. Buenos Aires: the World Bank hasn't published a current price level for Argentina.

Find the one that fits you

Healthcare is one piece. Climate, cost, being near family, and how you want to spend your days matter just as much. Our quiz weighs what matters to you and points you to places worth a closer look, at home or abroad.