Best Countries to Retire in Europe (2025 Rankings & Costs)
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Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser, and this content is for informational and educational purposes only. Please consult a qualified financial adviser for personalized advice tailored to your situation.
Interested in finding the best location to retire abroad? Also check out our ranking of the top 3 affordable countries to retire in Asia and our ranking of the top 5 countries to retire in Latin America.
Best Places to Retire in Europe in 2025: Top 5 Countries Ranked
How to Choose the Best Retirement Destination in Europe
In today’s post, we reveal the 5 best places to retire in Europe in 2025—including what may be the easiest country to retire to in Europe based on healthcare access, welcoming culture, English proficiency, quality of life, and other factors. Whether you're searching for the best country to retire in Europe overall or the safest, lowest-cost options, this guide has you covered. We’ll start out by describing briefly our methodological approach before presenting our top ranking. We will then examine the pros and cons of retiring in the different top countries identified.
In a previous post, we introduced our interactive Retirement Relocation Tool, which helps users find their ideal retirement destination by filtering key factors like cost of living, healthcare, climate, and more. The tool is presented as a dashboard, where users can set different filter settings to identify optimal retirement locations depending on their particular preferences. For some would-be-retirees, safety and the quality of the healthcare system may be a top priority, while for others it may be finding a country with astounding natural scenery and a great climate. Others yet may value the openness of local population or their degree of English proficiency. Whatever you value, our tool has you covered!
How Our Retirement Relocation Tool Helps You Find the Best European Destinations
Our interactive Retirement Relocation Tool helps prospective retirees compare the best places to retire in Europe by evaluating cost of living, healthcare, safety, and more. The retirement suitability score calculated represents an average of 9 different variables that are relevant to selecting a country to retire to. Key retirement factors include:
Safety
Healthcare quality
Political stability
Pollution levels
Climate
English proficiency
Openness
Natural scenery and
Natural disaster risk
These 9 factors were further described in a detailed post introducing the tool’s methodology.
Figure 1 below shows a screenshot of the interactive Retirement Relocation Tool. The sliders next to the variables on the left-hand side of the dashboard allow the user to remove countries from the analysis that don’t perform well for a given factor, e.g., moving the safety slider from 5 to 4 would drop the bottom 20% performing countries for this variable. If we move it all the way to 1, the interactive plot would show only the top 20% safest countries. The tool allows as well to consider only certain continents and also whether to exclude from the analysis countries with more than 2 missing variables.
The graph maps countries according to cost (y axis) and retirement suitability (x axis). The retirement suitability score is the average score across the variables considered by the user, while the cost of living is based on 2025 Numbeo data. Ideally, we want to consider counties appearing in the bottom right—it means they have a good balance between retirement suitability score and a reasonable cost of living.
Figure 1. Screenshot of the Retirement Relocation Tool (at the moment available for PC only).
Try Our Retirement Relocation Tool—Find Your Ideal Destination Now!
Top 5 European Countries for Retirement in 2025—Ranked by Cost, Healthcare, Climate, and more.
To arrive at today’s ranking, we drop all countries performing in the bottom 20% globally for any of the nine variables. As mentioned above, the tool allows individual users to determine their own preferences. However, for the purposes of today’s ranking, we decide to exclude any country that performs very poorly for any of the variables considered.
The top 5 countries for a comfortable retirement in 2025—Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Greece, and Cyprus—stand out for their strong balance of affordability, healthcare access, safety, and overall quality of life. These destinations are ideal for retirees looking to stretch their budgets without sacrificing comfort or essential services.
For expats especially, these are among the best countries to retire in Europe. And if you're wondering what is the best European country to retire as an expat, Portugal continues to lead the pack in 2025 thanks to its welcoming culture, mild climate, and well-established expat communities.
As observed in Figure 2, these countries stand out for having a good Retirement Suitability score and for presenting a reasonable cost of living (COL). Of course, there are European countries with more preferable COL in the dataset, but the tradeoff is that they don’t perform consistently so well across the 9 retirement variables considered (e.g., Poland—see Figure 2). On the other hand, we have countries which have high scores of Retirement Suitability, yet are relatively expensive (e.g., Netherlands or Luxembourg—see Figure 2). Again, the best performing countries will appear on the bottom right of the plot with a nice balance between suitable retirement conditions and an affordable cost of living.
Figure 2. Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Greece, and Cyprus make up the top 5 European countries for retirement. The countries shown in the plot are the ones remaining after filtering out the bottom 20% performing countries across all 9 variables making up the Retirement Suitability score. The x axis depicts retirement suitability score as the average across 9 different variables, while the y axis assesses cost of living. For an ideal retirement destination, we want to score high on the Retirement Suitability score and low on the cost of living. If you are interested, check out our ranking for the best countries to retire to in Latin America and the top affordable retirement destinations in Asia.
retire in europe: top countries in 2025
Below we discuss in more detail the findings across each of these top 5 retirement hotspots in Europe. How did they score across each of the variables compared to the other 40 countries in our dataset?
Nissi Avenue, Ayia Napa, Cyprus. Photo by Secret Travel Guide on Unsplash.
#5 🇨🇾 Cyprus: High scores for climate and welcoming culture
Located at the crossroads of Europe and the Middle East, Cyprus offers an excellent climate (3rd-best in Europe—out of 40 countries considered in our dataset—see Figure 3 at the end of the article), serving up to 320+ rain-free days a year. Cyprus also ranks 4th for openness, making it one of the continent’s most welcoming cultures. While the island’s overall English proficiency is a middling 24th, decades of tourism and a lingering British presence mean you can rent an apartment, register with a doctor, or order meze in fluent English along the coastal arc from Paphos to Larnaca.
Healthcare is the island’s weak spot, ranking 25th out of 40 countries. The new national system (GeSY) is improving wait times, but most retirees still take out private cover (€80–€150 per month) to access English-speaking specialists and faster diagnostics. Pollution shares the same low rank (25th), thanks to traffic emissions, ageing oil-fired power stations, and Saharan dust that drifts over in early summer. Political stability sits mid-pack at 19th; the long-standing north–south partition seldom affects daily life in the Republic, yet it does keep Cyprus on the EU’s “frozen conflict” watch-list.
Not everything is extreme—Cyprus posts middle-of-the-road marks in safety (14th, for low petty crime), natural scenery (15th—think sea caves, cedar forests, and flamingo-filled salt lakes), and natural disaster risk (18th, mainly minor earthquakes). What the rankings don’t capture, though, is the island’s lifestyle split: sun-seeker coastal cities with cosmopolitan malls and marinas in the south versus Troodos mountain villages in the north, where July highs are 8 °C cooler and boutique wineries pour Cyprus’ ancient Commandaria dessert wine.
According to the data handled by the tool—sourced from Numbeo (2025), Cyprus has a cost of living index of 38.20, compared to the US average of 54.30. This means the cost of living in Cyprus is approximately 29.6% lower than in the United States. Of course, this number can vary significantly depending on where you choose to live within the country (or where in the US you are currently based). The Numbeo source also provides city-level global COL data, which may offer more tailored insights based on your specific situation. Also, if you live outside the US and you are interested in assessing how the COL in Cyprus compares to your home country, you can figure it out in our tool—just hover over the countries of interest and you can see their score across different variables.
Can a view get any more better? Santorini, Greece. Photo by orva studio on Unsplash.
#4 🇬🇷 Greece: High scores for welcoming culture, natural scenery, English Proficiency
Greece ranks 1st in Europe for openness—locals are famously warm towards outsiders—and natural scenery. From the volcanic cliffs of Santorini to the fir-covered peaks of Mount Pindos, Greece is remarkably diverse and stunning. Like other countries in this top 5, Greece offers a remarkable climate (ranks 4th) and delivers 300+ sunny days in areas like Crete and Rhodes. English proficiency also ranks well (9th)—high in tourist belts, fair in provincial towns—so most retirees can handle groceries and doctor visits without mastering Greek on day one.
Where the data wave a cautionary flag is on safety (23rd) and pollution (23rd). This category refers mostly to petty crime in major cities—overall, Greece is a very safe country. Athens’ basin does trap smog, though, and summer wildfires in Greece are increasingly becoming an annual headline. Natural-disaster risk clocks in at 28th because Greece sits on the same Alpine–Hellenic fault line that rattles Turkey; mild quakes are routine, vigorous building codes limit damage. February 2024 saw earthquake activity near Santorini, which has since affected the local tourism industry.
Healthcare quality shows up as 21st overall, but the picture is two-tiered. University hospitals in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Heraklion rival their EU peers, while small-island clinics may lack specialists and English-speaking staff. Many expats buy supplemental evacuation cover for peace of mind—about €80–€120 per month.
Greece’s cost of living is, on average, 42.7% lower than in the United States. Of course, this number can vary significantly depending on where you choose to live within the country (or where in the US you are currently based). Again, the Numbeo source also provides city-level global COL data, which may offer more tailored insights based on your specific situation.
Cavtat, Croatia. Photo by Conor Rees on Unsplash.
#3 🇭🇷 Croatia: High scores for English Proficiency, safety, and climate
Looking for the cheapest and safest country to live in Europe? When balancing these two conditions, Croatia comes remarkably close, offering both affordability and one of the safest countries in Europe—2nd in our dataset after Switzerland. Strolling Split’s Riva promenade after midnight feels as worry-free as it looks in postcards. With a great climate (7th), the Dalmatian Coast enjoys warm summers and mild, citrus-scented winters, while snow lovers can drive 90 minutes inland to ski resorts in Gorski Kotar. Although natural scenery sits mid-pack at 14th in the dataset, this country average hides pockets of jaw-dropping beauty: Plitvice’s 16 turquoise lakes, Istria’s hill-town vineyards, and more than a thousand islands along the Adriatic.
Language is an unexpected plus. Croatia ranks 6th in English-proficiency, the highest in the Balkans. Expect polished English in coffee bars, ferry offices, even public hospitals in Zagreb. Healthcare overall ranks 19th—big-city clinics meet EU standards, but island facilities can be basic, so most expats add private cover (about €60–€120 per month) for same-day specialists and medical evacuation. Both Political stability and natural-disaster risk rank 23rd, reflecting periodic government reshuffles and the country’s moderate seismic zone.
Pollution lands at a middle-of-the-road 13th: coastal breezes keep air clear, but inland coal plants nudge winter PM2.5 upward.
Finally, the cost of living in Croatia is approximately 43.8% lower than in the United States. As mentioned earlier, these numbers represent country-level averages, and you should seek to further tailor this calculation based on your current location and the exact place you intend to retire to (e.g., by using city-level COL data).
Alicante, Spain. Photo by Dean Milenkovic on Unsplash.
#2 🇪🇸 Spain: High scores for climate, welcoming culture, natural scenery, and healthcare
Sun worshippers will likely gravitate to Spain’s #2 climate score—over 300 cloudless days in some regions like Costa del Sol—and an impressive #6 healthcare ranking means you’re never far from a world-class healthcare service or dental clinic. Add a #4 scenery rank (think, Atlantic cliffs, Mediterranean coves, Pyrenean peaks) and #2 openness, and you start to understand Spain’s perennial pull on retirees from all over the world.
Yet the dataset uncovers a few Achilles’ heels. First, English proficiency ranks 27th, so beyond tourist zones expect paperwork, pharmacists, and neighbourly chats to unfold in Spanish or other regional languages. Second, Spain posts a very high natural-disaster risk (ranks 29th)—think of the deadly flooding disaster that took place in Valencia in late 2024. Also, Andalusia and Murcia sit on the Baetic fault, while the Canary Islands are volcanic hotspots. Safety ranks a middling 19th—Barcelona is notorious for pick-pocketing despite its city’s beauty—and pollution ranks 16th, affecting large cities like Madrid.
Politically, Spain scores 18th for stability: hung parliaments and Catalan independence flare-ups create headline noise but rarely touch day-to-day life. Recently, a strong anti-tourist movement has taken hold in some regions, specially in Barcelona and the island of Mallorca.
Finally, the cost of living in Spain is approximately 38.1% lower than in the United States. Again, these numbers represent country-level averages, and you should seek to further tailor this calculation based on your current location and the exact place you intend to retire to (e.g., by using city-level COL data).
Praia da Bordeira, Algarve, Portugal. Photo by Diego Gennaro on Unsplash.
#1 🇵🇹 Portugal: High scores for climate, welcoming culture, english proficiency, and natural scenery
Portugal reigns supreme in the weather stakes—ranks 1st in Europe—and may well be the best country in Europe to retire to, especially if you value mild winters, a welcoming culture, and access to coastal living. The country pairs that sunshine with 11th-best safety—petty theft in Lisbon aside, violent crime is very rare—and a respectable #8 scenery rank, which offers substantial variety from Douro Valley vineyards to surf beaches and UNESCO-listed hill towns.
Social integration is comparatively easy, with openness ranking #3 and English proficiency #7 across European countries. Healthcare lands mid-table at 14th; public SNS hospitals earned plaudits during the pandemic, but wait times nudge retirees toward private policies (about €70–€110 per month).
Pollution ranks 11th in our dataset, while political stability (17th) hovers around EU averages. Talk-show politics generate headlines, yet the lived reality—like Spain—remains relatively calm. The only true low mark is natural-disaster risk (#24)—Portugal sits on the Azores-Gibraltar fracture zone that unleashed the 1755 Lisbon quake, though strict building codes now mitigate danger. Like other Mediterranean countries in this list, forest fires are increasingly present and represent a relevant risk in Portugal, albeit affecting disproportionally forested rural regions.
This cost of living in Portugal is approximately 39.6% lower than in the United States. These numbers represent country-level averages, and you should seek to further tailor this calculation based on your current location and the exact place you intend to retire to (e.g., by using city-level COL data).
Figure 3. Heatmap of 9 retirement-related variables for all European countries (x axis). Values have been normalized (0-1), green color is for top performers, and dark red for worst performers. Blue arrows on the left help identify the differences across retirement variables for the top 5 countries in Europe for retirement we discuss in this post: Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Greece, and Cyprus.
Choosing Your Ideal European Retirement Haven: Key Takeaways & Next Steps
While data can spotlight top contenders for retirement, choosing a new country to call home is never just about scores and rankings. Cultural fit, language comfort, access to healthcare, and even how a place feels when you stroll the streets or chat with locals—all of these matter deeply and aren’t always captured in charts.
That’s why it’s crucial to treat this list as a launchpad, not a blueprint. The countries that rise to the top—Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Greece, and Cyprus—rank well across key retirement indicators like affordability, healthcare access, safety, and climate. But every retiree’s needs are different.
If you’re planning to retire abroad in Europe from the US or elsewhere, this data-driven ranking offers a good starting point—but nothing replaces first-hand experience. If any of these destinations interests you, why not test the waters first by taking one or multiple extended stays—or even take a “mini-retirement” there—before committing to a permanent move. Rent an apartment, live like a local, and evaluate things like healthcare access, pace of life, and climate in both summer and winter.
Don’t forget to:
Consult legal and tax advisors who are familiar with cross-border retirement relevant to your situation
Talk to expats already living in your country of interest
Use our Retirement Relocation Tool to match your personal priorities with the right destination
What’s Your Ideal Retirement Destination? Share Your Thoughts!
Do you agree with our list of the best retirement destinations in Europe? Which country would you add, and what factors matter most to you? Please let us know below in the comments!
Interested in finding the best location to retire abroad? Also check out our ranking of the top 3 affordable countries to retire in Asia and our ranking of the top 5 countries to retire in Latin America. Didn’t find what you where looking for? Check out our most recent articles further below (after the FAQs section)
Try Our Retirement Relocation Tool—Find Your Ideal Destination Now!
Fig.5. Lisbon, Portugal. Portugal is a popular destination for retirees and scores very highly on our Retirement Relocation Tool. Photo by Vita Marija Murenaite on Unsplash.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Portugal tops the list in 2025, offering an excellent climate, high English proficiency, affordable healthcare, and a welcoming culture—making it the overall best choice for retirees.
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According to 2025 data, Croatia, Greece, and Portugal all offer a cost of living over 35% lower than in the U.S., making them some of the most affordable options in Europe.
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Croatia ranks #2 in Europe for safety (after Switzerland), with low crime rates and peaceful cities. Portugal and Cyprus also offer relatively high safety rankings for retirees.
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Not necessarily. Countries like Portugal, Croatia, and Cyprus have high English proficiency in urban and tourist areas, making it easier for expats to settle without fluent local language skills.
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Spain and Portugal rank highest for healthcare among the top 5. Private insurance is recommended in Greece, Croatia, and Cyprus for faster access and English-speaking doctors.
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Absolutely—and it's highly recommended. Consider taking a mini-retirement or extended stay to experience daily life, weather, and local infrastructure before making the big move.
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se our Retirement Relocation Tool, which lets you filter countries by safety, cost, climate, healthcare, English proficiency, and more to find your ideal match.
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Yes, U.S. citizens can retire in Europe, though requirements vary by country. Most nations offer long-term residence visas (or retirement visas) that require proof of income, health insurance, and sometimes local housing. Popular options like Portugal, Spain, and Greece have well-established visa routes for non-EU retirees. Always check the latest consulate rules and consult an immigration adviser to navigate paperwork.
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Some of the most English-friendly countries in Europe for retirees include Portugal, Croatia, and Cyprus. These countries have large expat populations, widespread English usage in cities and tourist zones, and accessible services in English—making them ideal for those who don’t speak the local language fluently.
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