Retire to Mijas says Forbes to Americans

With its lower cost of living, safety, better public transport and natural beauty, the South Coast of Spain is making for a popular retirement destination for Americans.

The Costa del Sol is one of the best places for US Americans to retire to according to the latest rankings by Forbes magazine. The business and finance journal specifically names Mijas as a near perfect location for US retirees citing the comparatively lower cost of living compared to the US and other places on their ranking, the high-quality and economical healthcare, and the relative ease with which visas can be obtained.

Forbes notes how beautiful Spain is away from the big cities, and the fact that Spain doesn’t tax retired expat government workers, and a tax treaty between the U.S. and Spain eliminates many double taxation issues. They also recommend Bilbao, Alicante and the Costa del Azahar.

Mijas highlighted for American retirees

The ranking comes from an extensive study of locations around the world, but highlights Mijas in particular quoting a Californian who decided to retire to Mijas saying that the cost of living is around one-third of that of living in Los Angeles. The retiree US expat also reduced her living costs by not buying a car amazed at how much better the public transport system is here. Another attraction was the lower cost of tourism and the fact that she could take high-speed trains to other cities and even other European countries.

Spain is rapidly becoming one of the most popular destinations for US citizens looking to change their surroundings and retire in the lower-cost safety. Let’s just hope the citizens of Mijas continue being so welcoming given that of its 80,000 population, 25,000 are already foreigners.