The cheapest countries to live that speak English well are Malaysia and the Philippines. World Bank figures put consumer prices there at 33% and 36% of US levels in 2025. On the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, they rank 24th and 28th of 123 countries. In the Philippines, English is also an official language, and its retiree visa takes an $800 monthly pension and a $15,000 deposit.
After those two, the list thins out fast.
Most places where English is everyday, like Ireland or the UK, cost about what the US does. Most places that are cheap don’t run on English. The overlap is small, and each country in it asks for something different at the border. Figures below are as of October 2026, with foreign currencies converted at the Federal Reserve’s October 2 rates.
Cheapest countries to live that speak English, compared
“Prices vs US” is the World Bank’s 2025 price level for household consumption: what $100 of US spending costs there. “EF rank” is the 2025 English Proficiency Index, out of 123.
| Country | Prices vs US | EF rank (score) | English status | Retiree route and what it asks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 33% | 24 (581) | Widely used, not official | MM2H special zones, 50+: $32,000 deposit |
| Philippines | 36% | 28 (569) | Official, with Filipino | SRRV, 50+: $800 pension ($1,000 family) and a $15,000 deposit |
| South Africa | 43% | 13 (602) | One of the official languages | Retired person visa: R37,000 a month (about $2,220) |
| Belize | 54% | Not ranked | The official language | QRP, 40+: $2,000 a month from outside Belize |
| Portugal | 65% | 6 (612) | Not official; widely spoken | D7: €920 a month (about $1,036), +50% for a spouse |
| Ireland | 102% | Not ranked | Main language | Expensive; included for scale |
| United Kingdom | 92% | Not ranked | Main language | Expensive; included for scale |
The EF index tests people learning English as another language, so countries where it’s the main language, like Ireland, the UK or Belize, aren’t on it.
The Philippines: the cheapest door
Article XIV, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution makes Filipino and English the official languages for communication and instruction. That’s the difference from most of Asia. English isn’t a tourist-zone extra here. It’s a language of teaching and official business.
The visa is the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa. The Philippine Retirement Authority’s current rules ask a pensioner 50 or over for $800 a month ($1,000 with family) and a $15,000 deposit. Without a pension, the deposit is $30,000. Between 40 and 49, it’s $25,000 with a pension and $50,000 without. The annual fee is $360.
The catch is health. The World Bank counts 44.4% of Philippine health spending as paid out of pocket in 2023, against 10.9% in the US. Cheap care, until the year it isn’t.
Malaysia: cheaper, but the door costs more
Malaysia’s EF score, 581, is the highest of the cheap Asian options, and its prices sit at a third of US levels. English is widely used, though the official language is Malay.
Getting in is a capital test, not an income test. The MM2H program runs from a $150,000 deposit (Silver) up to $1,000,000 (Platinum), each with a compulsory property purchase. The cheapest version is in the special economic zones: $32,000 for applicants 50 and over, on a 10-year renewable pass. Check the property rule for the zone you pick. Fine if you have savings. Hard on a pension alone.
South Africa and Belize: English by law, a higher floor
South Africa lists English among its official languages, and ranks 13th on the EF index. Prices were 43% of US levels in 2025. The retired person’s visa asks for R37,000 a month from a pension, annuity or retirement account, about $2,220 at the October 2 rate. The rand moves, so that dollar number does too.
Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. Its Qualified Retired Persons program asks for $2,000 a month, or $24,000 a year, from outside Belize, from age 40. You must spend at least 30 consecutive days a year there. Fees: $150 for the program, $1,000 per applicant, $200 for the card. Prices were 54% of US levels, so Belize is cheap next to the US. It isn’t cheap next to the Philippines.
Portugal and Eastern Europe: high English, euro prices
Europe has the best English scores outside native-speaking countries. On the 2025 index, Croatia is 2nd, Portugal 6th, Romania 11th and Bulgaria 18th, all in EF’s top band. Prices vary a lot. Bulgaria came in at 24% of US levels in 2025, Romania at 49%, Croatia at 59%, Portugal at 65%.
Portugal is the one with a well-worn route for Americans. Its D7 visa counts means against the 2026 minimum wage of €920, about $1,036 a month, plus 50% for a second adult. That’s a lower floor than Belize’s or South Africa’s.
This page doesn’t cover residence routes for Croatia, Romania or Bulgaria. If one of them is on your list, start with that country’s immigration office, not a relocation site.
What an English ranking can’t tell you
The sample. EF’s own report says its test takers are self-selected and the population “not guaranteed to be representative.” The index is built from 2.2 million people who chose to take a free online test. It compares countries well. It won’t tell you about one town.
The offices that matter. Ordering coffee in English and getting through immigration, a lease and a hospital admission in English are different things. Even in Portugal, the official paperwork is Portuguese. Language requirements for residency and citizenship covers where a language test becomes a legal requirement.
The currency. None of these countries uses the US dollar. A fall in the dollar is a pay cut, wherever English is spoken.
If price matters more than language, best countries to live on a budget runs the same visa test on Latin America and Thailand. Southeast Asia on $1,500 a month goes deeper on the Philippines and Malaysia.