Study Reveals the Perfect Cities to Retire for Different Types of Retirees

With more than 28.6 million people retiring in the third quarter of 2020, some say that COVID-19 has accelerated the process of retirement for baby boomers. With more people approaching retirement age, where are the best places to live for different retirees?

Our Life Plan has conducted research that analysed different cities worldwide across various metrics such as the yearly number of sunlight hours, outdoor activities, and the average meal cost to reveal where to have fun while living a work-free life.

Five categories to find out the ideal cities to retire in for different types of retirees:

• nature lovers
• globetrotters
• foodies
• pet lovers
• introverts

Tokyo is the best city for nature lovers 

With the term ‘nature lovers’, we identify retirees who love spending time outdoors and prefer warm, sunny days over rainy weather. Famous for its cherry blossoms and boasting 657 parks and natural spots, Tokyo ranks first for the best cities for nature lovers to retire, followed by Lisbon and Rome.

Despite the average yearly number of sunlight hours (1,876.70), Japan’s capital city offers over 387 outdoor activities to its residents, making it the best option for this type of retiree.

With around 1,000 sunlight hours more than Tokyo, Lisbon ranks as the second-best city for nature lovers. Despite the low number of parks and green areas (56), Lisbon is the city that offers the highest number of outdoor activities (497) out of all the cities analysed, followed by London (433).

 10 best cities for nature lovers are:

London is the best city for globetrotters

With ‘globetrotters’, we refer to all those retirees who would love to spend their retirement years travelling and exploring different parts of the world.

London ranks first in the best cities for globetrotters with six airports and offering over 433 outdoor activities; the UK’s capital hosts millions of visitors every year and is home to people of all ages from around the world. Despite being the fourth most expensive city for the cost of living (£859.94 excluding rent), London remains one of the busiest and most exciting cities for travellers.

Lisbon and Mexico City rank second and third for best cities for globetrotters to retire in, with one and three airports. While Lisbon offers the highest number of outdoor activities and has a moderate cost of living of £503.23 excluding rent, Mexico City, on the other hand, offers a limited number of outdoor activities (192). Still, it is the third cheapest city to live in, with an average of £365.71 excluding rent.

10 best cities for globetrotters are:

Bogota is the best city for foodies

With this third category, we recognise all those retirees who love food and like to go out for meals and try new dishes regularly.

With more than 940 take-ups from restaurants and a very cheap cost of living (£295.16 excluding rent), Bogota ranks as the best city for foodies to retire. Colombia’s capital also has the lowest average meal price compared to every other country in the study.

Tokyo comes second in the ranking, with a much higher living cost than Bogota (£848.72). With a staggering amount of taking out places (5,861) and an average meal price of £6.55, Japan’s capital city is one of the destinations most sought after by foodies.

Ankara is the second cheapest cost of living, and the average meal cost out of all the countries considered in the study (£295.29 and £2.95 respectively), ranking third as the best city for foodies to retire.

Best cities for foodies to retire:

Washington is the best city for pet lovers

Pet lovers are all those retirees looking for the perfect place to retire with their cats or dogs. They are looking for cities that offer a high number of green spaces for their pets to go and have fun.

Counting over 78 parks and green spaces, the US capital city of Washington ranks first as the best city for pet lovers to retire. Over 39% of the population are cat owners, and a staggering 50% owning a dog, making it the perfect place for animal lovers to call home.

According to the study, Mexico City boasts over r 65 parks and natural spots, making it the second-best city for pet ownership. 64% of the population owns a dog, with cat ownership being lower at just 24%.

Finally, with 185 parks and green spaces, Riga ranks the third city for pet-loving retirees to move. Latvia is the second-best country for cat lovers after Washington, with over 38% of the population owning a cat and 27% owning a dog.

Best city to retire with pets is: