Nasdaq ranks Malaysia best place in Asia to retire, ahead of Vietnam, Indonesia
- Malaysia was the safest place to retire in Asia, based on its peace score and average monthly cost of living, according to US-based financial services corporation Nasdaq
- Mongolia, Indonesia, Vietnam as well as Cambodia and Nepal also made the list
Malaysia ranks first in a list of the 10 safest places to retire in Asia, according to US-based financial services corporation Nasdaq.
In an article in its GoBankingRates section recently, the firm said the finding was based on data from the United Nations Pacific-Asia Region Group and gross domestic product (GDP) from WorldPopulationReview.
It also obtained cost of living figures from Numbeo and the Global Peace Index (GPI) from the Institute for Economics and Peace Global Peace Index 2022 Report.
With average monthly expenses at just over US$1,000, it’s [Malaysia] an excellent place for retirees to consider
GPI measures the relative status of peaceful nations’ and regions’, and the extent to which countries are engaged in ongoing internal and international conflicts, and is designed to assess the level of harmony or discord within a nation.
Nasdaq has also set a precedent that countries need to have a global peace index of under 2.0 to qualify, Bernama reported.
Top of the list is Malaysia, with a 1.471 global peace index and a US$1,066 average monthly cost of living.
“Malaysia takes the number one spot with a cost of living index of 22.9 and a GDP of US$481.9 trillion. With average monthly expenses at just over US$1,000, it’s an excellent place for retirees to consider,” it said. Runner-up in the list is Kuwait, with a global peace index of 1.739 and an average monthly cost of living of US$1,741.
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It said Kuwait’s cost of living is not as low as some of the other countries on this list, at 37.4, but its overall cost of living combined with its global peace score make it a great place to retire.
According to Nasdaq, number three is Mongolia, with a peace index of 1.775 and an average monthly cost of living of US$940, adding that Mongolia’s cost of living is tied for the lowest on the list with Indonesia at 20.2, but its GDP is the lowest on the list, at US$21 trillion.
At number four is Vietnam, with a peace index of 1.786 and an average monthly cost of living of US$1,117, followed by Indonesia with a peace score of 1.800, and an average monthly cost of living of US$940. Cambodia and Nepal also made the top 10 list.
