Your Own Great Escape...
Expertly Mapped Out

How to Go, Where to Go, When to Go

Whether you like the idea of living better for less overseas... having a second home you can enjoy a few weeks or months a year... or putting a Plan B in place for your family... IL’s experts will show you how...

Dear Reader,

If you told most folks, “We spend the summers in Europe,” or “We winter over in the Caribbean,” they’d assume you were wealthy. Probably very wealthy.

But you don’t have to be in the 1% to enjoy a truly international life—full-time, part-time, or simply as a frequent traveler. You just need to know the secrets and strategies.

In the right places overseas today, you could slash your tax bill to almost nothing (legally)... cut your cost of healthcare in half... spend your days where the sky is sunny 12 months a year... relax into a community that’s safe and welcoming, in a town where you find beauty around every corner... and live better than you do now, for less than it costs you to stay home.

Like Glenda, who says, “The original plan was to be a European snowbird. I was going to spend my summers in Michigan and my winters in the Algarve [in Portugal]. But after three winters, I didn’t want to go home. I sold the boat, sold the condo, and moved to Portugal full-time. I’m going on my fourth year here, and I couldn’t be happier.

“It’s the people, the food, the weather, and the myriad of fun things to do that makes life so enjoyable... the live music, the markets, the festivals. I went to the barnacle festival this year. Who knew they were so tasty?

“Of course, VERY important to my retiring self was the cost of living. I did a comparison last year of food costs versus the Kroger app in the US (I’m a spreadsheet nerd). I spend about 50% less on food here.

“Yes, costs have gone up in Portugal, but nothing like they have in the US. And while housing costs have gone up here, you can still rent for a month near a beach for dirt cheap in the winter. We’re talking a two-bedroom apartment for around $500 a month.

“I bought a five-bedroom villa on a golf course with a pool. And it has a jaw-dropping view of rolling hills and the ocean. I pay about the same monthly payment as I did for my little condo in Michigan.

“I rent my villa in July and August, when it’s high season. The revenue I earn covers my own travel [to places like] Paris, Ireland, Thailand, Cambodia, and the US.”

The World Beyond Our Shores Is Rich
with Opportunity

Despite what the often-apocalyptic daily news might lead you to believe... the world beyond our US shores is filled with opportunity... opportunity that can allow you to live well, travel more, retire sooner, invest with an eye to profit, and enjoy a jet-set lifestyle on an everyday budget.

You just have to know where to go... and how to arrange your life so that you can turn that overseas daydream into your reality.

Our experts can help... exploring with you strategies designed to protect your freedom, grow your wealth, and deliver to you an adventure-filled life abroad. They can show you—

• Where to go for good-value living beyond our borders... in IL’s top havens abroad for 2025...
• How to use real estate overseas to potentially grow your wealth... and where to go to buy safely, with an eye to profit...
• Why diversifying outside the dollar helps protect your nest egg... and how to do it...
• The best countries for a fast visa and legal residence overseas...
• Second passport secrets to unlock greater flexibility for you in where you can travel and spend time...
• And lots more...

You’ll Find Great-Value Communities Abroad

You see, in the beach towns we know with their long expanses of sand... and in the big cities we recommend, with their sidewalk cafes and museums... and in the hilltop villages we like with their 70-degree days—all safe, warm, friendly spots abroad—a couple can live well for around $2,000 a month—even less in some places.

You have lots of great options today, like...

• An unassuming university city in France—arguably the country’s friendliest, and a great place to start your adventure if you don’t speak French. A museum here houses the second-largest collection of French art in the world (second only to the Louvre). There are lots of cafes... an opera house... a canal to stroll along... and you could own a one-bedroom condo here with a huge terrace, close to the metro and shops, from just $163,000.
• A Bohemian village in Panama that is like Hawaii—only at a small fraction of the price. On its half-moon bay with a jungle backdrop, breezes sweep through the palms, skimming over the velvety smooth carpet of bronze sand and out over the blue Pacific, where surfers wade in. Here you can live an adventure-filled life for as little as $2,950 a month, including rent.
• Costa Rica’s secret foodie escape—a town I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard of—sits where the rainforest meets the sand. Humpback whales leap just offshore along wild beaches... the green hills are full of birds and monkeys... it’s an outdoorsy-person’s dream. Only you’ll also find here—rather unexpectedly—some of the country’s very best restaurants...
• Mexico’s prosperous, genteel “pink city,” offers all the comforts of home—including easy access to stores like Costco—but in gorgeous, incredibly tidy, colonial surrounds with markets, fountains, parks, and vibrant squares. It’s an Old World feel with new world conveniences... for pennies on the dollar. A couple can live comfortably there on as little as $1,600 per month, including a nicely furnished one-bedroom house or apartment, housekeeping, and frequent meals out.
• A peaceful village in Thailand on a long, narrow, sun-bleached beach where a small, eclectic group of expats has settled. You’ll find here lots of mom-and-pop restaurants, cafés, pubs, and music bars. It feels hidden—no Starbucks or KFC in these parts—yet it’s just 30 minutes from a big city. The values are extraordinary—a three-bed pool villa close to the beach can be had for about $140,000. And you can rent a luxury one-bed, sea view condo for around $550-$900 a month.
• Europe’s last undiscovered Eden is hiding in an overlooked corner of Spain... where you can still find a two-bedroom apartment with big windows that let in lots of light—a five-minute walk to the beach—for $179,000... here you’re in the heart of a lush enclave where the mountains meet the ocean, a secret escape where cider and sardines and cheese are celebrated.
• In Portugal’s under-appreciated north, a gothic town sits tucked up against a eucalyptus and pine forest. Filled with university students, it has a young and vibrant feel—even though the buildings date to as early as the 15^th century. You get big-city amenities here, but in a small-city package (no skyscrapers) and the streets are filled with of parks, cafes, restaurants, and shops. Plus, there’s great-value living. A couple could enjoy a comfortable life here for around $3,000 a month.
• And that’s just for starters...

You Don’t Have to Leave Home to Start Putting the Pieces of a More International Life Together

We may be living in uncertain times, but when you have a clear understanding of what the live-overseas landscape really looks like... and when you go beyond the click-bait teases so often posted online...

When, instead, you get the full, accurate, and well-rounded story—complete with the pluses and minuses—from experts who have been on this beat for decades and from expats who live in the places they tell you about...

...then you’ll begin to see exactly how great the opportunities overseas are today... and how you, yourself could take advantage of them.

Consider: When you own a property outside the US, outside the dollar—you can both protect some of your funds from the specter of a downturn at home and also gain an asset you can enjoy whenever you want (a few weeks or months a year or even full-time). And, too, when you buy right, you could watch that property appreciate in value. If you rent it out when you’re not there, it could even pay for itself—and then some...

Whether it’s a little bungalow in the hills, a big-city apartment, or a condo overlooking the curve of a beach... you have wonderful options abroad today, from Europe to Latin America and beyond.

As of 2022, experts estimated that roughly 40% of Americans may qualify for a European passport—and you could be one of them. Now, you don’t need a second passport to live overseas, but having one can allow you to travel with greater flexibility and stay longer in places that limit you if you’re traveling on a US passport.

Take Europe for instance... with a US passport only, you’re restricted to three months at a time within the EU. But with a passport from a European country, you don’t have to hop in and out. You have the luxury of more control over where and when you spend time in places.

When you hold hard assets overseas in the right way—assets like real estate, as I mentioned, and physical gold or other metals—you don’t need to report that to the IRS. And that gives you a way to move funds outside the stock market, outside the dollar...

When you have a bank account abroad, you have a way to hold money outside our banking system. (And hey, that gives you a failsafe if one day you wake up and your accounts are frozen.) But beyond that, it can give you access to investment options you don’t have in the U.S.

When times get tough, governments start looking at ways to raise funds... and the obvious way is through higher taxes... yet if you have your affairs arranged the right way abroad, you can slash your tax rate overseas.

Take Panama, for instance... there you won’t pay any local tax on funds earned outside the country. What’s more, the property-tax rate, for instance, is much lower than what we’re used to paying. On a family or primary residence, for instance, you’d pay 0.5% to 0.7%--though the first $120,000 of value is exempt. So, on a property valued at, say, $250,000, you’d owe something like $650 in property tax for the year.

You Could Slash Your Health Expenses Overseas

“Even without insurance, visiting an English-speaking doctor in the private system typically costs between $65 and $145 per visit. However, with our insurance, we pay just $17.50 per appointment. For my husband and me, our private insurance costs around $550 a month, which also includes coverage for up to 60 days of travel outside Portugal. Compared to what we were paying in the U.S., this is an incredible deal..” –T.C. retired overseas

2025 Is the Time to Get Your Overseas
“Ducks in a Row”

We’ve been on this beat here at International Living since 1979, and it’s not an exaggeration to say we see more opportunity out there today than ever before.

It’s never been easier to get around this planet of ours. The physical infrastructure is more sophisticated than it has ever been. Airlines fly to more places, smooth roads take you today where no roads existed 20 years ago. Heck you can call an Uber in all kinds of places—from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to Prague in the Czech Republic—and a guy will roll up and take you exactly where you want to go.

Plus, the internet has changed everything—making a move so much less isolating that it once was. I remember when I moved to Africa in the early 90s—there was one phone in my village. I’d pre-arrange for a call from the States (via mail)... then—at the designated time—I’d show up at the Post Office, where the clerk would get the call behind the desk, and she’d point me to the booth in the corner and patch the call through to me.

Today, you can plant yourself in some far-flung spot if you want to—like a surfing beach in Panama’s Chiriqui province... or a little town nobody’s heard of in France’s Dordogne in the southwest... and dial up your grandkids on FaceTime so you can attend their piano recital via video in real time.

Online you can move money around in the blink of an eye. You can decipher foreign words by simply pointing your phone at them. It’s all rendered the world at once bigger and smaller—and altogether easier, really—when it comes to navigating new places. It’s never been easier to be an expat. If you feel the “pull” to try on a new place for size... even if only for a few months a year... do it! It’s easier than you think... when you have the right tools.

Plus, it must be said, there are “push” factors at play today as well: We are living in uncertain times. Politically, socially, economically... I think it’s safe to say we’re in for an unpredictable season. America’s debt is growing fast. Inflation looms on the horizon. There’s war in the Middle East and in Ukraine. Tensions with China are running high. Trump is ruffling international feathers... and plenty at home, too...

So, it’s a good time to explore your options beyond our borders. When you know where to look, you’ll find plenty of good-value escapes where you can improve your quality of life while you slash your cost of living.

Markets where—if it’s a second home you have in mind (a way to move some wealth outside the US and outside the dollar)—you’ll find you can buy beautiful properties, often world-class properties, for pennies on the dollar. And where the holding costs are a tiny fraction of what you’d expect to pay back home.

And ways, too, you can diversify your portfolio to ensure that—no matter what happens at home—your protected.

Now’s the time to start putting the pieces in place. Even if your overseas plan doesn’t see you making a move for another few years (if at all)... you’ll want to know what steps to take. You’ll want to be sure you’re asking the right questions and putting a plan in place to investigate your best options. It all takes a little time.

So, the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be ready to take action... and we can help.

And that’s why we’re hosting—for the very first time—a special event this February that I’d like to invite you to...

Retire Sooner... to a Life Dreams Are Made of

“The past 10 years of my life have been something that only dreams are made of. I have absolutely no regrets... if we could do it, so can you... a life of adventure, affordability, and leisure is waiting. – T.C. retired overseas

You’re Invited
Please Join Our Overseas Experts LIVE February 12
For IL’s How to Move Out of the US Seminar

On February 12, at our online How to Move Out of the US Seminar, you’ll hear from all these folks and have an opportunity to ask them questions, but please be advised that they cannot give any personalized investing advice—

Life Is Great—I Feel Stupid It Took Me Two Years to Make the Move

“Moving overseas so I could retire early still feels like some secret that ‘they’ don’t want people to know. I’m not sure why it isn’t the norm rather than the exception.

“In retrospect, I feel stupid that it took me around two years of thinking before I made the move. I think that the main thing that was holding me back was simply that moving overseas to enable an early retirement was ‘simply not done.’

“[But] when I began to do the math and worked out a way that I could live in an exotic city and never work again, I was overjoyed.

“In a blurred past, my alarm would beep me before daybreak, throwing me into a hectic work day. The winters were the worst. I hated removing ice from my car window in the freezing dark of a weekday morning.

“Now, I wake up naturally and always in a good mood. I look forward to each day. I have a new adventure daily, whether it is a drive in the mountains, a lunch at a new restaurant, or going out with my sketching group.”—R.D., retired overseas

We’ll Help You Jump-Start Your Overseas Plan—So You Can Go Abroad with Ease and Confidence

This How to Move Out of the US Seminar is our ONLY event like this we’re hosting this year. It’s a true primer for you—and the best way I know to help you get your 2025 off to a truly productive start.

We’re hosting it online February 12 from 11:00 am - 3:15 pm EST because we wanted to be sure to connect you sooner rather than later with the important—and timely—information and guidance you need to put your own go-overseas plan in place quickly and efficiently.

We’ll have three LIVE Question-and-Answer sessions during the program, with the chat open and our experts on hand so you’ll be able to connect with them and get your questions answered.

And we’ll record the whole event, too—and give you the recordings at no charge—so you can go back and watch sessions again and review the details.

That way, if you’re not available to tune in live during the day on February 12—you can access the playback and watch at your leisure. If you’re interested in access to this event, register now—and you can attend live, or after.

Our aim is to connect you with our experts and on-the-ground contacts and resources so that you can find your path abroad with ease and with confidence.

We’ll talk about how to go, where to go, and when to go.

Please understand, however, that we’re limiting attendance so that we can make sure everybody gets their questions answered. So, I encourage you to reserve your seat quickly, while I can still guarantee you a spot.

This is an excellent time to be getting your go-overseas “ducks in a row.” Even if you have no intension of going overseas this year—our experts will get you thinking about the important steps you need to take and point you to the places most worth your attention and give you the resources you’ll need to get to the spot that’s right for you.

Register Today

Given the caliber of our speakers and the collection of experts we’re bringing together, we could quite reasonably justify a price tag of $499 or more to attend this LIVE, expert-driven event. It would cost you at least that in time, effort, and funds to track down and meet with just a few of these guys on your own.

Yet we’re putting them all together in one place at one time for you so you can benefit from their insights and recommendations over one efficient, four-hour period online, from the comfort of your own home.

Only we won’t charge anywhere near $499. Because we know there’s an enthusiastic appetite for this guidance right now among our IL membership—and we want to make sure this is accessible to as many people as possible—we’re pricing this program at just $399.

What’s more, we’re adding a big collection of extras when you put your name on the attendee list today. You’ll receive...

Register Now, and We’ll Include These 6 Extras

EXTRA # 1: Slow Travel Europe Itineraries for 2025

If you've always dreamed of wintering in the sunny Mediterranean... or spending a summer in picturesque southern England... or taking six months to scope out your European options for a second home-base... then these sample Europe itineraries will show you how to do it.

The British Isles... the Iberian Peninsula... French wine country... the Balkans... and more. They’ll show you where to go, when to go, and how to arrange a trip so you can enjoy Europe the way YOU want to. They offer the best route to take in the best parts of Europe, at the best time of year, and for less than it’ll cost to stay at home.

EXTRA # 2: The Power of a Second Passport

Acquiring a second passport could be as easy as applying for a visa, booking a plane ticket, and settling into a life abroad. In fact... it could be even easier than that. You could already qualify for one and not even realize it.

A second passport—though not necessary to live abroad—can open for you more options when it comes to living and traveling where you choose... and staying as long as you like.

Inside this report, Ted Baumann walks you through the different ways to get a second passport, the places where you can do it fastest, what high-net-worth individuals understand about the power of a second passport—and why you don’t need deep pockets to get yours, and more...

EXTRA # 3: The International Real Estate Index 2025: Top 10 Places in the World to Buy Real Estate Today from Ronan McMahon

Across the world, people are beginning to hunt for quieter destinations that offer better-value real estate opportunities. As a result, a whole host of little-known towns and cities are on the cusp of exploding into the mainstream.

You’ll see this reflected in Ronan McMahon’s International Real Estate Index, which points to specific towns in places like Portugal, Panama, Costa Rica, Italy, and beyond.

He identifies places that offer both incredible lifestyles and value for money, ranking his top market picks for 2025 across 10 categories—including income potential, quality of life, ease and cost of transactions, stability, holding costs, and more.

EXTRA # 4: The World’s 20 Best Regions for Retirement Overseas in 2025 (Plus 6 Up-and-Coming Destinations)

What is it you dream about? If you had your druthers, what kind of life would you escape to? A little village home with blue shutters, down a cobbled alley from a bakery where the scent of baguettes wafts through the air at dawn? An easy, lock-and-leave condo at the beach where you can slide open the terrace door and hear the sound of the waves? A big-city pied-a-terre with high ceilings and hand-colored, hundred-year-old tiles worn to a vintage patina?

Whatever you see in your mind’s eye when you let yourself imagine that other, better life… keep that at hand. Because in this report, we’re on a mission to show you precisely where you can find it. And—if we do our job right—for less than it would cost you to stay home.

With input from on-the-ground correspondents and local expats, we’ve highlighted the neighborhoods, cities, and rural retreats that promise an unparalleled retirement experience in 2025. (Plus... six up-and-comers you should have on your radar, too...)

EXTRA # 5: My #1 Lesson About Moving Overseas (Plus Must-Know Guidance on Visas and Taxes to Know Before You Go) from Ted Baumann

One of the great benefits of moving overseas is that you can arrange your life to look the way you dream it might. But to do that... you’ve got to arrange your affairs in service of your goals.

You’ll want to consider taxes, your income in retirement, how you’ll hold your assets so that they allow you to qualify for the visa that you want and keep your tax bill low.

This report from Ted Baumann speaks to the strategies you can employ ahead of a move to ensure you’re nimble and have your finances in order so that you’re taking full advantage of the benefits offered by other countries and minimizing any liabilities.

EXTRA # 6: Our Expert Rolodex

When you register today. We’ll also include for you our Expert Rolodex with the contact information for all of our speakers so you can follow up with them after and ask any questions you might have.

It’s first-come, first-served for this Online Seminar, and we do expect all the seats to sell out. So I encourage you to reserve your place today.

Click Add to Cart to register!

Jennifer Stevens
Executive Editor, International Living
January 2025

P.S. Your ticket comes with lifetime access to the replay... so even if you can’t make it on February 12 when the event is broadcast live and our experts will be on hand to answer your questions, as soon as the event wraps up, we’ll send you access to the recording so you can watch it (or re-watch it) as often as you like. So don’t delay—grab your ticket at this special, deeply discounted price here below right now.

Here’s What to Do Now

To access all the benefits that come with this live program, click Add to Cart now.

It’s that simple.

Then make sure to check your email inbox. As soon as your order has processed, we’ll send you a confirmation letter that contains the link to attend and all the details you need.

With your registration today, you’ll receive –

• A guaranteed seat (for 50% off) at our LIVE Online Seminar: How to Move Out of the US, taking place February 12, 2025 11:00 am – 3:15 pm EST
• LIVE Question-and-Answer Sessions with the Experts—we’ll have the chat open during the Q&As so you can ask questions and dive into the subjects of most interest to you.
• Seminar Recordings, so you can watch when it’s most convenient for you and go back and review any presentations you want to revisit.
• EXTRA # 1: Slow Travel Europe Itineraries for 2025
• EXTRA # 2: The Power of a Second Passport
• EXTRA # 3: The International Real Estate Index 2025: Top 10 Places in the World to Buy Real Estate Today from Ronan McMahon
• EXTRA # 4: The World’s 20 Best Regions for Retirement Overseas in 2025 (Plus 6 Up-and-Coming Destinations)
• EXTRA # 5: My #1 Lesson About Moving Overseas (Plus Must-Know Guidance on Visas and Taxes to Know Before You Go) from Ted Baumann
• EXTRA # 6: Our Expert Rolodex

This is the ONLY online go-overseas seminar like this we plan to hold this year—one that gives you such a comprehensive sense for the lay of the land, your great options around the world, and resources you need to put your plan in place. Seats are limited, and with the number of new members we’ve seen join International Living over the last couple of months, I’d say that the sell-out risk is HIGH.

I encourage you to register now to reserve your seat while I can still guarantee you a spot. Simply click Add to Cart now.