What do you think?
Rate this book
International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget: How to Live Well on $25,000 a Year
Achieve your dream of retiring abroad while on a budget"The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget" provides a detailed guide to one of the least-known but most effective retirement strategies in today's chaotic economic environment: retiring abroad. The premise is simple: Enjoy a happier, healthier, more fulfilling retirement than you could possibly afford in the U.S. or Canada by finding the right overseas retirement haven. The book reveals those affordable havens and the strategies for successfully making the move that could save your retirement. Aimed at retirees and near-retirees in the U.S. and Canada, this book's strategies apply just as well to younger people and people with families who are looking for ways to improve their quality of life while at the same time lowering their cost of living. It includes solutions for the challenges of continuing to work and earn money abroad, too.As long-time contributors to the acknowledged leader in the field, "International Living," authors Suzan Haskins and DanPrescher have at their disposal more than thirty years of International Living experience and expertise in the topic. They've been writing about living overseas for more than 12 years and have created their own broad and deep body of work, including regular blogs on the topic for Huffington Post and AARP. The authors include information and strategies that can be successfully applied by anyone regardless of their political or economic opinions. For anyone who wants a happier, healthier, more affordable life, "The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget" shows you how to enjoy the romance and excitement of living abroad on an affordable budget.
274 pages, ebook
First published February 20, 2014
86 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 11, 2017
As many reviews have said, this book is absolutely a starting point, not a reference -- and it is a starting point that delivers *exactly* what the title promises: a guide to where you can live well on $25,000 a year (that's mostly Latin America, folks, so the information leans heavily there) post-retirement.
This is not a book for people looking to work overseas, or start a business overseas, or move with children overseas; it's a book about asking yourself tough questions about what you want in life, including how much you want to spend to live that life, and giving some guidance about how you might get there.
While any book based on a financial number will quickly grow outdated, and some of the places mentioned may no longer be so affordable, the authors here stress the work people need to do to discover what might be a good fit as well as practical advice (such as living somewhere truly temperate will mean almost non-existent utility bills).
This is not a book for people looking to work overseas, or start a business overseas, or move with children overseas; it's a book about asking yourself tough questions about what you want in life, including how much you want to spend to live that life, and giving some guidance about how you might get there.
While any book based on a financial number will quickly grow outdated, and some of the places mentioned may no longer be so affordable, the authors here stress the work people need to do to discover what might be a good fit as well as practical advice (such as living somewhere truly temperate will mean almost non-existent utility bills).
October 16, 2016
Somewhat helpful in an area that is constantly in motion. Anything that seems a "take home message" really should be checked out online to see if rules, laws, reality may have changed since this book has been published. The bits about self assessment are fairly good - it is true that starting your life in a totally foreign place is an adventure - to say the least - and one needs to be able to roll with the unexpected. We just had 3 days with no electricity (and one day with no water) so no phone, internet, warmth (except the fireplace). Day 1 - kind of fun, day 2 cold and a tad worried about all the food going bad, whatever business or family online...forget about it, day three...you have to REALLY like your partner, or be happy with yourself because everybody is cranky. They do a fairly good job of explaining this. A good starter book for folks thinking about escaping to elsewhere; a consideration that may be more and more important as the US debt and leadership becomes increasingly out of control.
February 19, 2015
Meh. I think you can learn as much or more from the website. As many reviewers say, this is a good "starter" book, especially for anyone who has not lived overseas. If you are a seasoned ex-pat, probably not so much. It did give me ideas for places I should look into, but, as I said, the website would do that as well. In fact, the book repeatedly says "for more information, go to the International Living website."
I will defend it from all the detractors saying, "It should talk more about Europe." Did they read the sub-title: Living WELL on $25,000 a year? As someone who's been an ex-pat for 17 years, I doubt that can be done in Europe. Living yes, not living WELL, with all that implies. They did mention a few places, but pointed out that one could live on 25,000 only if you don't include housing in the equation.
I will defend it from all the detractors saying, "It should talk more about Europe." Did they read the sub-title: Living WELL on $25,000 a year? As someone who's been an ex-pat for 17 years, I doubt that can be done in Europe. Living yes, not living WELL, with all that implies. They did mention a few places, but pointed out that one could live on 25,000 only if you don't include housing in the equation.
October 31, 2014
I was hoping for more references on emigration, starting a foreign business, purchasing real estate abroad, etc. This was mainly people's experiences. It is more for people who are deciding whether or not they want to retire abroad. If you've already made the decision, this book isn't going to tell you much.
July 15, 2014
This book provides information and advice for successfully retiring overseas. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the top countries to retire and the pros and cons of each country. I learned more about Central and South America and while I didn't identify a place to retire I did find many places that I wanted to visit. This is a good reference book for travelers and for retirees considering retiring overseas.
May 19, 2021
This book has some great tips, although it occasionally comes across as a bit tone-deaf when it comes to recognizing the poverty of the countries it features. For example, the book talks about how cheap it is to live in Ecuador and how amazing it is without even mentioning that it’s a third-world country. Yes, it’s cheap to live there as a retired American, but it would be nice for them to recognize why it’s so cheap in the first place. Otherwise, the book is solid.
April 28, 2014
This had a lot of good advice for people considering moving overseas in retirement, and gave a lot of information on different areas to help in deciding where to go. There were also interviews with people living in different countries with samples of their budgets. Very encouraging for those of us considering such a move.
January 25, 2015
Just ok. Not for anyone who has lived abroad. Just basic stuff. Wished there was more on places to live in the EU and how to prepare for it earlier in life.
October 12, 2020
A cute series of blog posts of random quality: from so and so to strange. Say you take the chapter of retiring to Europe. The last country is Portugal. The last paragraph is:
> If there’s a downside to Portugal it’s that the official language is Portuguese, a language that most Americans and Canadians don’t speak
Right. Unlike countries mentioned just above, like Greece or Croatia which are mutually intelligible with the Canadian language.
Also beware of the many traps laid down by the author who can't tell propaganda from experience. Sure, any Health Care system is better than the one back home as long as you don't need it. And a headache can be sometimes cured simply by a friendly person telling you in a reassuring tone "I'm a doctor". Once it gets to surgery or long term illness things change a lot.
> If there’s a downside to Portugal it’s that the official language is Portuguese, a language that most Americans and Canadians don’t speak
Right. Unlike countries mentioned just above, like Greece or Croatia which are mutually intelligible with the Canadian language.
Also beware of the many traps laid down by the author who can't tell propaganda from experience. Sure, any Health Care system is better than the one back home as long as you don't need it. And a headache can be sometimes cured simply by a friendly person telling you in a reassuring tone "I'm a doctor". Once it gets to surgery or long term illness things change a lot.
August 3, 2020
Naive, insipid, and completely out of touch with reality, this guide is dangerous for rookies.
Keeping in mind the book was out-of-date the minute it was published in 2014, I'm still appalled at how it completely evades the truth. Under the "Index" I checked to see if the authors mentioned political unrest, drug cartels, massive crime, extreme poverty, health issues, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, inadequate public services, enormous language barriers, etc. Nada, niente, zip.
Keeping in mind the book was out-of-date the minute it was published in 2014, I'm still appalled at how it completely evades the truth. Under the "Index" I checked to see if the authors mentioned political unrest, drug cartels, massive crime, extreme poverty, health issues, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, inadequate public services, enormous language barriers, etc. Nada, niente, zip.
October 29, 2017
Good enough information but poorly designed as an ebook
WTF! An index in the back with no page or location numbers and worse even, NO links back to the content. C’mon this is 2017.... this nonsense was understandable when the first Kindles came out TEN years ago.... but not acceptable for any reason today
WTF! An index in the back with no page or location numbers and worse even, NO links back to the content. C’mon this is 2017.... this nonsense was understandable when the first Kindles came out TEN years ago.... but not acceptable for any reason today
August 5, 2021
Easy to read guide that provides practical advice when prepping for/carrying out a move overseas. I am glad I read it---lots to consider. The authors do a good job describing all the many facets of making the decision to live in another country.
June 29, 2019
A bit dated, but thought provoking
January 5, 2020
Really good book on the basics of what to consider when deciding to retire overseas.
January 18, 2020
Some ok info.
Heavy South American reference. Not my area, but still some good points for the beginner considering living in SA. Just ok
Heavy South American reference. Not my area, but still some good points for the beginner considering living in SA. Just ok
May 9, 2025
Excellent and practical book for retiring overseas. i’m getting ready for the next stage in life, and frankly had about enough of living in the USA.
November 13, 2022
A good primer and high-level overview of becoming an expat.
Short on details with a heavy focus on Latin America. Just one chapter each on Europe and Asia.
Overall, a good introduction for those contemplating retirement outside of the USA.
Short on details with a heavy focus on Latin America. Just one chapter each on Europe and Asia.
Overall, a good introduction for those contemplating retirement outside of the USA.
January 19, 2015
A decent starter on the topic. I found the section on countries to be very Latin America-focused. Almost 95 pages on that region and 5 on Europe. While I understand that Europe is more expensive, it should not be that distant of second place. The authors' personal experience appears to weigh too heavily in the book.
There is some information that is simply incorrect--e.g. credit cards that do not charge exchange fees (many of the issuers listed do charge fees--read your fine print carefully).
I certainly want to research this topic more and need more than this to adequately do that. This book assumes for most of the book that people can simply fund a retirement in cash and not have to work--the chapter on working is almost an afterthought.
There is some information that is simply incorrect--e.g. credit cards that do not charge exchange fees (many of the issuers listed do charge fees--read your fine print carefully).
I certainly want to research this topic more and need more than this to adequately do that. This book assumes for most of the book that people can simply fund a retirement in cash and not have to work--the chapter on working is almost an afterthought.
February 15, 2015
Heavily slanted towards expat life in Latin America, Central America, Mexico, South America. Not much in the book for us budding European expats. The entire book was like a pep-talk for moving overseas - rah, rah, rah. The stories of actual expat life did not seem relevant enough for me - something was missing - a human connection? more detail? If you are just starting the process of planning to move overseas, this might be a better book. But at this juncture I am looking for solid advice and information for living in Europe. There are other books out there and sources on line that are more relevant than this one especially for a European adventure.
March 16, 2016
Haskins' book gave me lots to think about. I still have questions about health insurance (Do I need to buy health insurance while I'm living in Scotland or am I covered by the NHS? If I need to buy health insurance, how much does it cost?) and Scotland isn't a "budget" retirement destination, but Haskins reinforced my idea that an important aspect of an enjoyable retirement is a sense of adventure!
July 10, 2014
Well written and positive about the whole process. A prior book I read on the subject had more of a fugitive mentality. They focus on their area of expertise, Central and South America and only briefly explore Europe and SE Asia. Well worth it though and a recommended read to get the ball rolling.
July 7, 2016
Somewhat useful. I skimmed through the 100+ pages covering various destinations. The book seems to focus disproportionately on South America. When it generalizes about North America vs "the rest of the world," as it often does, it seems to be talking about that continent.
April 11, 2014
Interesting and informative if you are considering moving abroad. While the focus is retiring, a lot of the information would apply to anyone thinking about moving abroad.
March 2, 2015
Good info - interesting to read.
March 31, 2016
Good book. I liked the organization and premise
October 21, 2015
Interesting read, but too focused on Latin America.
May 1, 2017
Quick morning read, too many personal experiences and not enough diversity of perspective, especially along class boundaries.
Some resources I'll check out. Hey, we all can dream.
Some resources I'll check out. Hey, we all can dream.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews