Regional RoundupsUpdated 2026-07-20

Best Places to Retire in Europe

Every European country in the RetireSpots directory, ranked by RetireScore. Honest cost, visa, and healthcare comparisons.

Europe offers the world's most diverse retirement landscape in a single compact continent. From the Algarve to the Alpine valleys, from the Aegean islands to the Baltic coast, the range of climates, cultures, costs, and visa regimes is enormous. Here are the European countries ranked.

The RetireScore advantages European countries on several axes: healthcare quality is consistently high, safety is excellent across the board, and infrastructure is reliable. The main differentiators are cost and visa accessibility. EU citizens have freedom of movement: retire to any EU country without a visa.

The ranking

View of Portugal

#1

Portugal

Europe

86score

Portugal

86/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa92
Affordability78
Safety95
Climate88
Expat community90

Explore Portugal

View of Cyprus

#2

Cyprus

Europe

79score

Cyprus

79/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa92
Affordability78
Safety52
Climate88
Expat community90

Explore Cyprus

View of Albania

#3

Albania

Europe

77score

Albania

77/100

Healthcare50
Retiree visa92
Affordability95
Safety76
Climate88
Expat community65

Some axes rest on partial data

Explore Albania

View of Italy

#4

Italy

Europe

77score

Italy

77/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa72
Affordability78
Safety76
Climate88
Expat community78

Explore Italy

View of Spain

#5

Spain

Europe

77score

Spain

77/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa72
Affordability78
Safety76
Climate88
Expat community78

Explore Spain

View of Malta

#6

Malta

Europe

74score

Malta

74/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa50
Affordability78
Safety76
Climate88
Expat community90

Explore Malta

View of Greece

#7

Greece

Europe

73score

Greece

73/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa50
Affordability78
Safety76
Climate88
Expat community78

Explore Greece

View of Croatia

#8

Croatia

Europe

70score

Croatia

70/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa22
Affordability78
Safety95
Climate88
Expat community78

Explore Croatia

View of Ireland

#9

Ireland

Europe

70score

Ireland

70/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa50
Affordability55
Safety95
Climate80
Expat community70

Some axes rest on partial data

Explore Ireland

View of Slovenia

#10

Slovenia

Europe

70score

Slovenia

70/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa22
Affordability78
Safety95
Climate88
Expat community70

Some axes rest on partial data

Explore Slovenia

View of Estonia

#11

Estonia

Europe

68score

Estonia

68/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa22
Affordability78
Safety95
Climate80
Expat community65

Explore Estonia

View of France

#12

France

Europe

68score

France

68/100

Healthcare95
Retiree visa22
Affordability78
Safety52
Climate88
Expat community78

Explore France

View of Slovakia

#13

Slovakia

Europe

68score

Slovakia

68/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa22
Affordability95
Safety76
Climate62
Expat community70

Some axes rest on partial data

Explore Slovakia

View of Bulgaria

#14

Bulgaria

Europe

67score

Bulgaria

67/100

Healthcare55
Retiree visa22
Affordability95
Safety95
Climate88
Expat community65

Explore Bulgaria

View of Montenegro

#15

Montenegro

Europe

65score

Montenegro

65/100

Healthcare55
Retiree visa22
Affordability95
Safety95
Climate88
Expat community53

Explore Montenegro

View of Czechia

#16

Czechia

Europe

63score

Czechia

63/100

Healthcare78
Retiree visa22
Affordability50
Safety95
Climate80
Expat community70

Some axes rest on partial data

Explore Czechia

View of Hungary

#17

Hungary

Europe

56score

Hungary

56/100

Healthcare55
Retiree visa22
Affordability50
Safety95
Climate62
Expat community70

Some axes rest on partial data

Explore Hungary

View of Poland

#18

Poland

Europe

55score

Poland

55/100

Healthcare55
Retiree visa22
Affordability50
Safety76
Climate80
Expat community70

Some axes rest on partial data

Explore Poland