Every week someone in our comments says the same thing: "Thailand's great, but have you seen Portugal?" Or Spain. Or Costa Rica. Fair enough. These are four of the most popular places to retire abroad right now, and they're surprisingly different deals.
So we did the homework. Here's the honest version: Thailand is the cheapest place to live and the easiest door to walk through. But it's also the only one of the four that will never let you stay permanently, no matter how many years you renew. Whether that matters depends entirely on you.
The 30-second version
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 🇵🇹 Portugal (D7) | 🇪🇸 Spain (Non-Lucrative) | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica (Pensionado) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age rule | 50+ | None | None | None |
| Money test | ฿800,000 (~$23,800) in a Thai bank, or ฿65,000/month (~$1,935) | €920/month passive income + €11,040 savings in Portugal | €2,400/month (€28,800/year) | $1,000/month lifetime pension |
| First permit | 1 year (after a 90-day entry visa) | 2 years | 1 year | 2 years |
| Renewals | Every year | Every 3 years | 2 years, then 2 | Every 2 years |
| Permanent residency | Never | After 5 years | After 5 years | After 3 years |
| Minimum stay | None | Max 6 months away in a row | ~183 days a year | ~4 months a year (reported) |
| Couple's month (example city) | Bangkok ~$1,740 | Lisbon ~$2,870 | Madrid ~$2,990 | San José ~$2,760 |
Sources: Thai Immigration Bureau; Portugalist and Global Citizen Solutions (Oct 2026); Vamos Spanish and CostaLuz Lawyers (Oct 2026); Expat Den and Golden Harbors (2026); Numbeo (Oct 2026; San José Jun 2026).
1. The visas, without the jargon
Thailand: easy in, never permanent
Thailand's retirement route starts at 50. Most people arrive on a 90-day Non-Immigrant O visa and then extend it a year at a time without leaving the country. The money test: ฿800,000 (about $23,800) in a Thai bank, ฿65,000 a month (about $1,935) in income, or a mix of both. The deposit needs to sit there for about two months before you apply and three months after, and never drop below ฿400,000 for the rest of the year. The yearly fee is a modest ฿1,900.
What we love: no minimum stay, a low bar, and a renewal you can do in a morning if your paperwork's in order. What stings: you're re-qualifying every single year, it's at the officer's discretion, and it never turns into permanent residency.
If you want every Thai long-stay route laid out side by side (retirement, marriage, DTV, LTR, Privilege), that's exactly what our Thailand Visa Breakdown is for.
Sources: Thai Immigration retirement rules, as summarised by Visa Manager and Thai Law Online (Oct 2026).
Portugal: modest income, real roots
Portugal's D7 is the one that tempts a lot of our readers, and it's easy to see why. You need passive income of at least €920 a month (Portugal's 2026 minimum wage) plus €11,040 in a Portuguese bank account, health insurance and somewhere to live. You start with a two-year permit, renew for three, and can apply for permanent residency after five years. Citizenship now takes ten, after the law changed in May 2026.
The catch? Portugal wants you to actually live there. Leave for more than six months in a row and you put your residency at risk.
Sources: Portugalist (Oct 2026); Global Citizen Solutions (Oct 2026); Harper Greene (2026).
Spain: the high bar
Spain's non-lucrative visa is the priciest ticket of the four: €2,400 a month (€28,800 a year) in passive income or savings, plus €600 a month for each dependant, private health insurance and a clean record. It runs one year, then two, then two, with permanent residency after five. You're expected to spend around 183 days a year in Spain, and you can't work. One thing people miss: renewals ask for roughly double the first-year amount, because they cover two years at a time.
Sources: Vamos Spanish (Oct 2026); CostaLuz Lawyers (Oct 2026); Lexidy (2026).
Costa Rica: the pensioner's shortcut
If you have a lifetime pension, Costa Rica is hard to beat on paper. The pensionado programme asks for at least $1,000 a month from a pension, Social Security or a qualifying annuity. You get two-year temporary residency, renewable, and can go for permanent residency after three years, the fastest of the four. Every resident has to join the public health system, the CAJA, paying roughly 7 to 11% of declared income (about $85 to $150 a month at the minimum). Renewals reportedly require living there at least four months a year. No pension? The rentista route asks for $2,500 a month or a $60,000 deposit.
Sources: Expat Den (Oct 2026); Golden Harbors (2026); StartAbroad (2026); Costa Rica's General Migration Law 8764.
2. Which is easiest to qualify for?
On the monthly income test alone:
- Costa Rica: $1,000/month, but it has to be a lifetime pension.
- Portugal: €920/month (about $1,030), plus €11,040 in savings.
- Thailand: ฿65,000/month (about $1,935), or a ฿800,000 deposit instead.
- Spain: €2,400/month (about $2,690).
Here's the twist: if you don't have a pension, Thailand's deposit option (about $23,800) is often the simplest way in of all four. Park the money, keep it seasoned, renew.
3. What life actually costs
We used the same method for every city: Numbeo's living costs for two people plus a one-bedroom apartment outside the centre.
| City | Couple's month | In baht |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | ~$1,740 | ~฿58,400 |
| San José | ~$2,760 | ~฿92,700 |
| Lisbon | ~$2,870 | ~฿96,500 |
| Madrid | ~$2,990 | ~฿100,500 |
That's Bangkok roughly 40% cheaper, and rent does most of the work: a one-bedroom outside the centre in Lisbon or Madrid now costs more than €1,000 a month. Your own number will depend on how you live, of course. If you want the real breakdown of a month in Thailand, line by line, our Thailand Cost of Living Breakdown goes through it category by category.
Sources: Numbeo city data for Bangkok, Lisbon and Madrid (Oct 2026) and San José (Jun 2026); our calculation. USD at ฿33.6; EUR at about $1.12.
4. Healthcare: where Thailand quietly shines
Thailand has some of Asia's best private hospitals, and a typical private GP visit costs around $25 to $45. The thing to plan for is insurance: most retirees go private, and many insurers stop accepting new customers somewhere in their 60s or early 70s. Leave it too late and the good options disappear. Our Thailand Health Insurance Guide explains entry ages, exclusions and how to compare plans before that door closes.
Portugal and Spain give legal residents access to public healthcare (although Spain's visa still requires private cover), and a private GP visit usually runs $40 to $90.
Costa Rica makes everyone pay into the CAJA, and private consultations typically cost $30 to $60.
Sources: WhereNext healthcare dataset (2026); Insurance Thailand (Oct 2026); Golden Harbors on the CAJA (2026).
5. Want to test-drive first?
Our honest advice: visit for a season before you sell anything. Here's how long you can stay without a visa:
- Costa Rica: up to 180 days for US, UK, EU and Australian passports (the officer decides).
- Portugal and Spain (Schengen): 90 days in any 180, counted across all Schengen countries together.
- Thailand: 30 days for tourism, plus one 30-day extension. A tourist visa gets you 60 + 30.
Sources: Costa Rica migration rules via The Tico Times (2026); EU Schengen guidance (2026); Thai Royal Gazette (Aug 31, 2026).
So, which one?
Thailand, if you want the lowest costs, excellent private healthcare and the freedom to come and go, and you're fine renewing every year without ever becoming a permanent resident.
Portugal, if you want EU residence and real roots on a modest income, and you're happy to live there most of the year.
Spain, if your passive income comfortably clears €2,400 a month and you want a five-year path to permanence in a big, well-connected country.
Costa Rica, if you have a lifetime pension of $1,000 or more and want the fastest route to permanent residency.
And if Thailand's the one, our Complete Thailand Relocation Bundle brings the visa, cost-of-living, housing and insurance guides together, so you can plan the whole move in one go. [Relocation Bundle link]
FAQ
Is it cheaper to retire in Thailand or Portugal? On Numbeo averages, a couple's month costs about $1,740 in Bangkok and about $2,870 in Lisbon, roughly 40% less in Thailand, mostly because of rent.
Which country has the lowest income requirement for retirees? Costa Rica, at $1,000 a month, but only from a lifetime pension. Portugal's D7 asks for €920 a month plus savings, Thailand ฿65,000 a month (or a ฿800,000 deposit), and Spain €2,400 a month.
Can I get permanent residency by retiring in Thailand? No. Thailand's retirement extension can be renewed for as long as you qualify, but it never leads to permanent residency. Portugal and Spain offer it after five years, Costa Rica after three.
Do I have to live in the country full-time? Spain expects around 183 days a year, Portugal limits absences to six months in a row, Costa Rica reportedly requires about four months a year, and Thailand has no minimum stay at all.
Is there an age limit? Only in Thailand, where the retirement route starts at 50. Portugal, Spain and Costa Rica set no minimum age.