The best place for retirement? Malaysia

In fourth place is another ASEAN country, Vietnam, followed by Indonesia and Cambodia

By Tommaso Magrini

Malaysia tops the list of the 10 safest places to retire in Asia compiled by US financial services company Nasdaq. In an article published recently in its GoBankingRates section, the company said the ranking is based on data from the United Nations Pacific-Asia Region Group and World Population Review's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It also obtained cost of living data from Numbeo and the global peace index from the Institute for Economics and Peace Global Peace Index 2022 Report. At the top of the list is Malaysia, with a global peace index of 1.471 and an average monthly cost of living of $1,066. Malaysia ranks first with a cost of living index of 22.9 and a GDP of USD 481.9 trillion. Thanks to an average monthly expenditure of just over $1,000, it is an excellent place for retirees to consider. In second place is Kuwait, with a global peace index of 1.739 and an average monthly cost of living of $1,741. According to Nasdaq, in third place is Mongolia, with a global peace index of 1.775 and an average monthly cost of living of US$940, adding that Mongolia's cost of living index is on par with Indonesia's (20.2), but its GDP is the lowest on the list, at US$21 trillion (RM98 trillion). In fourth place is another ASEAN country, Vietnam, with an overall peace index of 1.786 and an average monthly cost of living of $1,117, followed by Indonesia and Jordan, then Cambodia.