Malaysia has topped the list of ideal retirement destinations in Asia in 2018, according to a new Retirement Index from International Living.com.

Beach in Perhentian Island, Malaysia (Source: Shutterstock)

The index, which takes into consideration criteria such as cost of living, health care and climate, ranked Malaysia fifth globally, while Costa Rica was crowned the most preferred retirement destination in the world.

The site hailed Malaysia for its tropical climate and range of retirement locations to choose, from bustling cities to mellow towns, all of which are surrounded by nature or beaches.

It noted that retirees can live comfortably here on just 2,500 USD per month, which is just a fraction of what they would need in many other countries.

The site also placed a spotlight on Malaysia’s medical tourism industry, which offers quality health care at affordable prices, and its wide range of food and beverage (F&B) outlets.

The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme was also lauded as one of the best in the world, making it easy for foreign retirees to move here.

Besides Costa Rica and Malaysia, other countries which made it onto the annual list were Mexico at second place and Panama at third, followed by Ecuador, Colombia, Portugal, Nicaragua, Spain and Peru.

(Source: VNA)