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CC BY 4.0 modeled reference dataset
Philippines has the lowest itemized single budget of the 5 fully-itemized destinations at $1,500/mo; Philippines has the lowest itemized couple budget of the 5 fully-itemized destinations at $1,500–$2,200/mo. Headline totals are declared registry quantities, with surplus shown against a $3,000/mo US solo baseline for a single retiree and a couple benchmark modeled from BLS CE Table 1300 (1.7-person consumer unit, normalized to a 2-person couple).
5 complete countries shown; 13 registry candidates disclosed as excluded. Every displayed amount is computed from a named in-repo registry.
Quick answer
Lowest complete itemized budgets: Philippines has the lowest itemized single budget of the 5 fully-itemized destinations at $1,500/mo; Philippines has the lowest itemized couple budget of the 5 fully-itemized destinations at $1,500–$2,200/mo. Headline totals are declared registry quantities, with surplus shown against a $3,000/mo US solo baseline for a single retiree and a couple benchmark modeled from BLS CE Table 1300 (1.7-person consumer unit, normalized to a 2-person couple).
The table
Each country has one single row and one couple row. Headline totals are the registries' declared quantities. Rent, Food, Healthcare, Utilities, Transport, Insurance, and Emergency remain visible as the itemized cross-check. Surplus is benchmark less the declared total; a negative value is a shortfall.
| Country | Household | Rent | Food | Healthcare | Utilities | Transport | Insurance | Emergency | Total | Surplus vs benchmark | Provenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MexicoMXSingle #3 · Couple #2 | Single#3 | $267–$600/mo | $213–$273/mo | $147–$220/mo | $87–$127/mo | $173–$220/mo | $73–$110/mo | $227–$323/mo | $2,000/mo | +$1,000/mo | WhereNext US → Mexico budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; modeled: couple mix × the registry's single/couple ratio; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 |
| Couple#2 | $400–$900/mo | $320–$410/mo | $220–$330/mo | $130–$190/mo | $260–$330/mo | $110–$165/mo | $340–$485/mo | $1,900–$2,700/mo | +$1,380–+$3,300/mo | WhereNext US → Mexico budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 | |
| PhilippinesPHSingle #1 · Couple #1 | Single#1 | $273–$614/mo | $157–$225/mo | $191–$259/mo | $102–$150/mo | $61–$89/mo | $82–$119/mo | $102–$150/mo | $1,500/mo | +$1,500/mo | WhereNext US → Philippines budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; modeled: couple mix × the registry's single/couple ratio; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 |
| Couple#1 | $400–$900/mo | $230–$330/mo | $280–$380/mo | $150–$220/mo | $90–$130/mo | $120–$175/mo | $150–$220/mo | $1,500–$2,200/mo | +$1,880–+$3,700/mo | WhereNext US → Philippines budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 | |
| PortugalPTSingle #4 · Couple #5 | Single#4 | $616–$1,232/mo | $308–$383/mo | $68–$192/mo | $116–$144/mo | $171–$219/mo | $96–$120/mo | $541–$647/mo | $2,600/mo | +$400/mo | WhereNext US → Portugal budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; modeled: couple mix × the registry's single/couple ratio; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 |
| Couple#5 | $900–$1,800/mo | $450–$560/mo | $100–$280/mo | $170–$210/mo | $250–$320/mo | $140–$175/mo | $790–$945/mo | $2,800–$3,500/mo | +$580–+$2,400/mo | WhereNext US → Portugal budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 | |
| SpainESSingle #5 · Couple #3 | Single#5 | $532–$1,078/mo | $266–$336/mo | $119–$161/mo | $98–$126/mo | $147–$189/mo | $98–$126/mo | $392–$560/mo | $2,800/mo | +$200/mo | WhereNext US → Spain budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; modeled: couple mix × the registry's single/couple ratio; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 |
| Couple#3 | $760–$1,540/mo | $380–$480/mo | $170–$230/mo | $140–$180/mo | $210–$270/mo | $140–$180/mo | $560–$800/mo | $2,170–$3,060/mo | +$1,020–+$3,030/mo | WhereNext US → Spain budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 | |
| ThailandTHSingle #2 · Couple #4 | Single#2 | $333–$733/mo | $213–$267/mo | $213–$267/mo | $120–$153/mo | $133–$167/mo | $73–$93/mo | $293–$373/mo | $1,600/mo | +$1,400/mo | WhereNext US → Thailand budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; modeled: couple mix × the registry's single/couple ratio; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 |
| Couple#4 | $500–$1,100/mo | $320–$400/mo | $320–$400/mo | $180–$230/mo | $200–$250/mo | $110–$140/mo | $440–$560/mo | $2,200–$2,800/mo | +$1,280–+$3,000/mo | WhereNext US → Thailand budget mix registry + modeled living-budgets registry; couple mix verified 2026-05-23 |
Independent per-category ranges do not peak simultaneously; the declared total is the registry's holistic estimate. Category sums are a cross-check, never the headline.
Coverage disclosure
The exclusions below are the remainder of the unique destination-country candidates in the retire-abroad registry. They are disclosed instead of being silently dropped or padded with zeros.
Methodology & provenance
Couple line items are rendered from the corridor registry's seven-category budget mix. Single line items apply one flat ratio (0.67–0.70across the five rows) to every couple category. That split is an assumption, not category-level single-person data. Single headline totals use the modeled living-budgets registry's single figure. No partial source row is completed with zeros.
The single surplus benchmark is labeled exactly as a $3,000/mo US solo baseline. It is an assumption, not a US median. The couple benchmark is the modeled $4,080–$5,200/mo range, modeled from BLS CE Table 1300 (1.7-person consumer unit, normalized to a 2-person couple).
The modeled living-budgets table was reviewed 2026-04-27. Each corridor row carries its couple-mix verification date above. No Social Security benchmark is shown: the available average-benefit figure lacks a dedicated verification date.
These are directional modeled estimates, not a quote, guarantee, tax conclusion, healthcare forecast, or personal financial advice. Costs vary by city, housing choice, exchange rate, and care needs; verify the specific destination before acting.
WhereNext. "Retirement Budget Breakdowns 2026." https://getwherenext.com/data/retirement-budget-breakdowns-2026.
Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Free to reuse with attribution.
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