Who writes and checks our guides
RetireCheaper was founded by Angel Lynn Salver, an international traveler and former technology company owner who has visited more than 40 countries and lived in eight. Every guide carries her byline. Her travel experience shapes what we look at (transportation, safety, fair prices, local customs), and the numbers in each guide come from the official and published sources linked in it, with the month they were checked.
1. Start with the question readers ask
We begin with what people actually search for and ask, such as "can I retire in Portugal on $2,500 a month?", and build the guide to answer it directly, near the top of the page.
2. Official sources first
Visa types, income minimums, fees and residence rules come from embassies, consulates and immigration ministries. Social Security, Medicare and US tax points come from SSA.gov, Medicare.gov and IRS.gov. When an official site can't be reached, we use the most reliable published source we can find, name it in the text, and word the claim with care.
3. Dated, named cost data
Rents and living costs come from named sources (cost-of-living databases, national statistics and dated rental listings), with the month we checked them, so you can see how fresh a number is. Currency conversions use the rate on the date shown.
4. Say who it doesn't suit
Every place has trade-offs: heat, distance from family, bureaucracy, language, healthcare gaps. Each guide says plainly who a place is wrong for, not only who it suits.
How we label guides
Guides are labeled Research review: they summarize official and published sources, linked in the text, rather than claiming hands-on testing. Nothing here is personal financial, tax, legal, immigration or medical advice.
Corrections and updates
Each guide shows its last-updated date. When a rule changes or a number goes stale, we update the guide. If you spot an error, tell us and we'll fix it.