Retirees Can Live On Social Security Alone In A Southeast Asian City Known For Beautiful Beaches

According to a 2024 National Council on Aging (NCOA) survey, 17 million Americans 65 years of age and older economically insecure, even though 92% of retirees in that age cohort claimed Social Security was their main source of income in 2023. The gap between Social Security income and expenses is quite striking. As of 2025, the benefit at full retirement age is $48,216, or $61,296 per year if you wait until 70 to stop working. At the same time, nursing home care can cost almost $128,00, while in-home care and community living cost up to $78,000 and $71,000 per year, respectively. It's not surprising that 42% of Americans who have yet to retire don't believe they're as set up for retirement as their parents. Also unsurprisingly, finding an American city where you can live on Social Security alone is a challenge. Fortunately, plenty of locations abroad can serve as excellent retirement spots without the high cost of living we face in the United States. 

Situated in Southeast Asia on the shores of the Andaman Sea, Phuket, Thailand, is one such example. There, your money will go further across all cost-of-living verticals, including food, housing, transportation, and healthcare. In fact, you should be able to cover your lifestyle abroad with your Social Security benefits alone. Better yet, you'd live in relative comfort and in close proximity to world-class beaches. 

Thailand — alongside this cultured European country — is one of the best countries in the world to retire in due to its low cost of living of $1,500 to $2,000 per month on average. This translates to $18,000 to $24,000 per year, which is significantly below the Social Security retirement benefit. Considering that Americans spend roughly $77,280 per year, the cost of living is around 69% lower in Thailand than in the U.S.

Healthcare costs are an important concern for retirees, and Thailand offers excellent, yet affordable private healthcare. For example, medical procedures costing $10,000 or more in the U.S. cost about $3,000 in Thailand, and they're performed by Western-trained practitioners in internationally accredited hospitals. You'll just need insurance, which costs between $1,500 and $3,000 for inpatient coverage. Meanwhile, the Peterson G. Peterson Foundation found that annual individual healthcare spending in the U.S. added up to $14,570 on average. In Phuket, you'll find three hospitals covering medical check-ups and surgical procedures, as well as physiotherapy and dentistry.

Siam Real Estate suggests that housing follows the same pattern, with the rent for a one bedroom apartment in the heart of Phuket averaging just $500 per month. Utilities in the city run cost between $50 to $100 per month. Compare that to the $360 or more most of pay every month in the U.S. Renting a motorbike to get around costs $50 to $100 per month. Street food meals require a budget of one to three dollars, or you can dine out for $10 to $30 per meal. 

Here's how to take advantage of your Social Security benefits abroad in Phuket. Getting a Thai visa — specifically the Non-Immigrant Retirement (O-A) Long Stay visa — is a necessity. You must be at least 50 years old at the time of your application and not have a criminal record in the country you were born, where you reside, or in Thailand. You must be a citizen or resident in the country in which you apply for the visa, and you should be ready to provide a passport and passport photos. 

Per Thailand's Department of Consular Affairs, you need a medical certificate issued within three months of application to prove you don't have leprosy, elephantiasis, tuberculosis, drug addiction, or third-stage syphilis, and Thai medical insurance with around $1,300 worth of coverage for outpatient care and $13,000 coverage for inpatient care. You must open a bank account in Thailand — you're required to show evidence of this with a certificate of deposit — and deposit around $57,000. The money has to stay in this account untouched for a year. Afterward, you'll need to show earnings of at least $38,000 USD per year, or about $3,200 USD per month. With Social Security providing full retirement benefits of $4,018 to $5,108 per month, this should be easy. Just try to keep your Social Security benefits from being suspended abroad.