This Underrated European Nation Was Just Named the Best Place to Retire for Cost of Living, Safety, and Health Care

Travel + Leisure

6 hours ago

Retiring abroad requires a lot of planning. That begins by choosing where you want to live in those post-working years. And, according to a new study, that choice can make or break your entire retirement.
In late July, Everly Life, a life insurance company, released a report on the best places to retire around the globe. The study evaluated 137 countries using six indicators: cost of living, health care quality, safety, air quality, elderly population percentage, and retirement visa availability. Every factor was given a score on a scale of 0 to 100 and then averaged to provide each destination with a final score. And once the numbers were crunched, Estonia outranked the rest.
"Estonia's top ranking, with a score of 79.41, demonstrates how balanced excellence trumps single-category dominance," the report stated. "The Baltic nation combines reasonable living costs (55.9 cost index) with strong health care (77.7 index) and impressive safety levels (76.5 index)."
The company noted that Estonia's 20.91 percent elderly population signals "a retirement-friendly society," which also happens to live in one of the most pristine natural environments on Earth.
'Estonia represents the sweet spot many retirees are seeking,' Mariah Bliss, the spokesperson for Everly Life, shared. 'You're getting Northern European health care standards and safety without the crushing costs of places like Switzerland or Denmark.'
The country has a fantastic digital infrastructure, ensuring its residents stay connected, and an e-residency program to make relocating a little easier.
Joining Estonia at the top of the list is Norway in second place, with 77.30 points, largely thanks to its exceptional health care that outweighs its high cost of living, according to Everly Life.
'Norway illustrates a key principle in retirement planning,' Bliss added. 'Sometimes accepting higher daily living expenses for superior health care systems and social infrastructure delivers better long-term value than chasing rock-bottom costs in countries with weaker support systems.'
Other top spots include Portugal, which came in at No. 3, followed by Spain (No. 4), Australia (No. 5), Canada (No. 6), Latvia (No. 7), Hungary (No. 8), Malta (No. 9), and Italy (No. 10).
Although the destinations are ranked, Bliss encourages all upcoming retirees to consider each one closely to ensure it meets their personal needs.
'When evaluating retirement destinations, think beyond the initial sticker shock of living costs. Start with non-negotiables: healthcare quality and visa accessibility can make or break your plans, regardless of how affordable a place seems on paper," Bliss said. 'Countries like Portugal prove you can find European-standard healthcare without Nordic prices, while places like Estonia show that emerging markets can offer developed-world amenities."
Finally, she said, always factor in currency stability and political climate. "A country might check every box today," Bliss said, "but retirement spans decades, and you need destinations that will remain viable throughout your golden years.'