Least expensive places to retire abroad in

When deciding on the best spot to retire, stretching your retirement funds is a major factor. Kathleen Peddicord, author and publisher of Live and Invest Overseas, has created a foreign retirement index that identified 21 of the world’s best places to enjoy retirement based on 12 categories that include, along with living costs, climate, English spoken, entertainment, environmental conditions, existing expat community, healthcare, infrastructure, real estate, residency options, safety and taxes.

Based on the Live and Invest Overseas retirement index, here are six cities enabling you to retire simply but comfortably on a budget of $1,250 per month:

Cebu, Philippines

“Cebu is a well-liked choice among expats,” Peddicord said. “It does not have all of the amenities and services of Manila, but it is a reasonably comfortable spot to be, with a lot of how much of an expat might hope to get in a new home away from home.” The city offers amenities that can’t be based in the smaller towns and villages, there are some universites and colleges in Cebu offering courses in English. At left, Fuente Osmena Circle in Cebu.

Medellin, Colombia

Retiring to Colombia is “not as nutty a notion as it might sound,” says Peddicord. “And, the town of Medellin has a good deal to recommend it, including: a temperate climate year-round, an excellent diversity of cultural and recreational offerings, infrastructure that actually works, along with a very affordable living costs. You can rent a comfortable apartment within this appealing city for $300 per month or less-or purchase an apartment of your for $60,000 or $70,000. At left, Botero square in Medellin, which has 23 sculptures by Fernando Botero displayed in the street.

Hoi An, Vietnam

In 1999, Unesco found that old downtown’s remarkable mixture of ancient Chinese and Japanese architecture a distinctive cultural treasure worth preservation and proclaimed Hoi An a World Heritage Site. Based on Peddicord, Hoi An might be a perfect place to go for those who are considering moving to Vietnam. The town offers retirees and families a high quality of life in a deliciously affordable price-it has among the lowest costs of living found anywhere. The growing rapidly expatriate community is dynamic and involved+one of the things that makes residing in Hoi An particularly attractive.