I couldn't afford retirement in the US on $3,000 a month, so I moved abroad. I've lived in 43 countries and am happier.

I couldn’t afford retirement in the US on $3,000 a month, so I moved abroad. I’ve lived in 43 countries and am happier.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Norman Bour, 70, who, along with his wife, left the US for Europe to live abroad in 2019. He writes about his experiences and tips for baby boomers interested in doing the same. The discussion has been edited for length and clarity. In the early 2000s, I had a good run in the real-estate industry. I was doing mortgages and had a real estate and finance radio show with a partner in Los Angeles…

I couldn't afford retirement in the US on $3,000 a month, so I moved abroad. I've lived in 43 countries and am happier.

Norman Bour (left) and his wife, Kathleen Plumley (right), enjoying a moment by the Pacific Ocean.Courtesy of Norman BourNorman Bour nearly lost everything during the 2008 recession when he was living in California.Bour, now 70, and his wife worried about affording retirement in the US and moved abroad in 2019.They choose cheaper countries, including Malaysia, for better healthcare and affordable housing.This as-told-to essay is based on a conve…