Croatia ranks 14th in Top Retirement Destinations for 2009

In his July article 'Retirement: Best Overseas Locations', Frederik Balfour, the Asia correspondent for respected American business journal 'BusinessWeek', takes a look at retirement options for the over 50's, and the pros of opting to take one's retirement in sun soaked locations, sometimes several hundred miles away from what we currently call home. He takes a look at how because of the internet, budget airlines, and rapid improvements in infrastructure and health care services in many tropical destinations, "the dream of spending one's latter years in an exotic locale is easier than ever, and surprisingly affordable". And it is do-able he says, quite comfortably at an income of around €1700 / month. Within his list of 22 ideal destinations he recommends Croatia, and puts it's stunning natural landscapes on par with those found much farther afield in South Africa and New Zealand.

Based on a cost-of-living index including housing, Barfour then divides up his list of the 22 Best Retirement Destinations, in order of the cheapest ranking first and so on. Croatia comes in 14th place on a global scale, with a cost of living index of €60/day (€1800/month) including housing. Furthermore, it ranks as the 4th cheapest European Retirement Destination on the list! Croatia's close geographic proximity (relative to many competing destinations that made the cut, including South Africa, Costa rica, Mexico, Panama, Indonesia, Thailand & the Philippines) should then make it far more favorable to European retirees in search of that luxurious yet affordable home in the sun, one that is in an exotic location without being on the other side of the planet, and that is only ever a brief and inexpensive flight away from family and friends reluctantly left behind.

See BusinessWeek's July article "Retirement: Best Overseas Locations" by Hong Kong correspondent Frederik Balfour. See also BusinessWeek's June Slideshow "Best Overseas Retirement Spots" by Frederik Balfour & Miguella Lam.