Special Note: While Spain is currently in the midst of dealing with the coronavirus, the country will bounce back as soon as this is all over.
When it does, Spain will continue to be one of the best countries to retire to in 2020 and beyond due to the same reasons as before the crisis. If you are considering retiring there, it will probably be even cheaper (and you and your retirement income can help this amazing country recover!)
When it comes to the best countries to retire to in 2020, you cannot do much better than Spain.
Not only is it Europe’s third most affordable country, there are also so many other things that push Spain high on the list of places any retiree would love.
With millions of retirees currently living in Spain, and thousands more arriving every year, here are just some of the hundreds of reasons why Spain has been the country of choice for so many people wanting to simply settle down and enjoy life.
After all, most of them did their research, and realized most retirees longing for a place to retire that offered everything they were looking for, simply could not find anywhere better than Spain.
The cheap cost of living
If you currently spend the equivalent of $3,000 or more a month as a retired couple in the U.S., the UK, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Australia, or in many places in the Middle East or Asia, you can half that amount if you retire to Spain in 2020.
An average retired couple in Spain will usually spend between $1,500 t0 $2,000 a month. In the cheaper areas of Spain, they will often spend even less.
Don’t forget though, that is for a lifestyle that is quite luxurious compared to your retired lifestyle back home. It includes a beautiful apartment or house to live in, good healthcare, high quality groceries, numerous meals out, a bottle (or a few!) of wine or beer, multiple coffees at a beachside restaurant and even a weekend away a month if you want to see more of the beautiful spots Spain has to offer.
Superb Spanish medical care
The World Health Organization ranks Spain as having one of the world’s best and most affordable healthcare systems. As a legally registered retiree in Spain, you will be eligible to participate in it.
Expect to have most of your medical costs covered under the public healthcare system. Retirees in Spain also get 90% of their prescription costs covered — in a country where medication is already around 1/10th the cost of the United States.
If you need dental treatment or medical treatment above the basic care covered, you will also find the cost is about 20% of what you would expect to pay in a country like the U.S.
As retirees often worry about the cost of medical care as they age, is it any wonder millions consider Spain one of the best countries to retire to in 2020 and beyond?
The gorgeous Spanish beaches
Personally, I am not a beach person. In that, I am perfectly happy to walk on the beach or on the promenade next to it while enjoying the ocean views. I don’t lie on the beach, however, as it bores me to tears.
Many retirees love the beach life though, and are perfectly content spending hours sunbathing, swimming or sat in a beach-side cafe enjoying a cafe con leche or a beer.
If this is you, you will adore retiring in Spain. Especially if you choose an area close to one of the country’s many beautiful beaches.
Just take your time choosing one though, so that the area you end up in is perfect for you in other ways as well.
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A Spanish climate for everyone
With southern areas of Spain being dry and hot, northern areas cool and mild, the Atlantic coast being cool, humid and rainy, and the central plain arid and hot, there is a climate in Spain for everyone.
The easiest way to start your retirement in Spain is to research the types of weather you can expect in various areas of the country, then expand your search from there.
Related reading: How to choose the best place to retire to in Spain for your specific needs
You can find a huge amount of information about Spain’s climate on Climates to Travel, along with what type of weather you can expect for specific Spanish cities during specific times of year.
Cheap Spanish groceries
I have lived all over the world, but rarely found supermarkets cheaper than here in Spain (Mercadona is my all-time favorite supermarket with its superb fruit and vegetables, and cheap meat, cheese, packaged and fresh foods).
Much of this is due to Spain’s warm climate and the country’s ability to grow many of the basic food items most of us enjoy. If you love fruit and vegetables especially, you will find some of the tastiest you have ever eaten, and many as cheap as under a euro a kilo.
You will even find fruit and vegetables grown in Spain that you would pay a fortune for at home — padron peppers, canary bananas, persimmons, quince and custard apples come to mind.
If you are a retiree in the UK, Germany, the U.S., Sweden or Austria, for instance, you will find fruit, veg and other groceries quite a bit cheaper in Spain than back home.
On a typical pension, that can make a difference to how much more of your monthly pension you will now have available for other things, while still being able to afford to make healthy and delicious meals.
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Public transportation in Spain
One of the best and cheapest public transportation systems in the world, Spain’s public transportation system is superb for retirees in 2020.
This is because, not only is it cheap to start with, but retirees can also get access to special bus and train passes that make traveling in the city you live in by bus or train, or by train around Spain, much cheaper than your home country.
It is not only the cost that makes public transportation in Spain so useful for retirees, but also that it goes just about everywhere.
I have lost track of the number of retirees in Spain I know who either brought a car with them or bought one when they got here then, within a few months, sold it.
After all, when you can travel on the bus or train anywhere you need to go for a fraction of the monthly cost of running a car, why on earth would most pensioners bother owning one?
Especially as you can always rent one for a day or two at an affordable price if you ever need to move things from one place to another, or want to visit an area of Spain that would take too long to get to by train or bus.
Eating out with Spain’s Menu del Dia
The menu del dia in Spain makes eating out for retirees much cheaper than in their home countries. Particularly when you can get a three-course meal plus wine or coffee for less than 10 euros.
The Spanish menu del dia is a mainly lunch special (although some restaurants do offer them at dinner), which is available at many of Spain’s restaurants.
It consists of three courses — el primer plato (a choice of two or three dishes including bread), el segundo plato (two or three more dishes) and el postre (a choice of two or three desserts). Beer or wine is also included in the price, or coffee if you do not want an alcoholic drink.
Throw in a euro for a tip, and you can still walk away having eaten an amazing meal for between 10-15 euros all-inclusive.
When you think about how much you would spend on a similar meal in your own country (probably at least double the price), and you should begin to understand why so many retirees live in Spain.
Spain’s open-minded culture
One of the most open-minded cultures in Europe, Spain was the third country in the world to make same-sex marriages legal (2005). It has also legalized adoption by gay parents, and was the second country in Europe to do so.
The country also recognizes civil unions, and holds one of Europe’s biggest gay prides every year.
That means, if you are a same-sex retiree or a retired couple, you will be welcomed and legally protected in Spain just like any heterosexual couple. You are also unlikely to experience any animosity from Spaniards if you hold hands or show any other form of affection to your partner.
More reading for retirees in Spain: How to get retiree discounts in Spain on transportation, national museums, restaurant discounts and popular tourist spots and cultural destinations