After decades spent working, many Brits dream of retiring to sunnier climes, swapping the daily grind for a more relaxed pace of life in their golden years.
Spain is a popular choice, offering almost year-round sunshine and affordable property, with homes available for around £130,000 in some areas.
Meanwhile, in Portugal, Brits could find a home in a small town for as little as £160,000.
With warmer weather, coastal views and a lower cost of living than the UK, there are plenty of European destinations for retirees looking to make their money go further.
Jonny Christie, co-founder of The Property Buying Company, reveals four countries where British pensioners could enjoy a more affordable retirement.
Here, we take a look at these sunny spots that offer a little more bang for your buck.
Spain
British retirees could bag a property in Murcia, Spain, for around £130,000
A popular holiday destination for Brits, Spain also offers a great lifestyle for those wanting to retire there permanently.
The cost of living in Spain is 26.4 per cent lower than in the UK, according to Numbeo, and the pace is much more relaxed.
The country is 'one of the strongest all-round options for British retirees', says Mr Christie.
He adds: 'It has an established British expat community, good infrastructure and healthcare, and there are still parts of the country where property is considerably more affordable than at home.'
House prices are more affordable too. Mr Christie highlights Murcia, Alicante and Almería as regions with 'particularly good value'.
'Murcia, for example, has properties available from around the £130,000 mark, which is less than half the current UK average house price of roughly £271,000,' he explains.
Portugal
In Lousã, Portugal, houses average around €190,000 (£160,000)
For Mr Christie, Portugal is 'another obvious choice' for British retirees seeking good-value sunshine.
On average, the cost of living here works out to be 30.4 per cent cheaper than the UK.
However, he warns that people should be 'slightly more selective than they might have been ten years ago', due to rising costs in places like Lisbon and parts of the Algarve.
'Looking towards smaller cities, inland areas and less tourist-heavy parts of the country can make a pension stretch much further while still providing the climate and lifestyle people are moving there for,' the expert says.
In the small and scenic town of Lousã, located in the Coimbra District in central Portugal, houses average around €190,000 (£160,000), according to Portuguese property site Explorador.
Mr Christie says: 'One thing I would caution against is choosing a country based purely on its national average property price.
'There can be enormous differences within the same country. Retiring to central Lisbon, Palma or the Costa del Sol is a completely different financial proposition to choosing a smaller town 30 or 40 minutes away.'
Bulgaria
Bulgaria has a lower cost of living compared to the UK, and one couple managed to buy a house for just £8,000 there
With beautiful mountainous landscapes, gorgeous coastal spots and affordability, Bulgaria is often 'overlooked', according to Mr Christie.
But for Brits after a good-value retirement destination, Bulgaria is well worth keeping on your radar.
The cost of living in the UK is 66.7 per cent higher than in Bulgaria, and the property and rental costs make it deserving of 'consideration'.
Welsh couple Maxwell and Leah Jones made the move to Popovo, Bulgaria in 2025 and bagged an abandoned home there for just £8,000 – a relative bargain compared to similar-sized properties in their home town of Prestatyn, Wales, which have a market value of around £300,000.
The pair estimated it would cost between £15,000 and £20,000 to bring the home up to scratch.
However, Mr Christie warns there are other aspects to think about and says: 'The trade-off is that it doesn't have quite the same established British retirement infrastructure as Spain or Portugal, so affordability shouldn't be the only consideration.'
Greece
Greece offers good value for money if you stick to the mainland and some of the less touristy islands
Many Brits jet off to a dreamy Greek island for a holiday, but retiring there is a real possibility too.
The cost of living is 30.7 per cent higher in the UK compared to Greece, and your money can go even further if you venture out to the less touristy areas.
'Greece can offer even more property for your money outside Athens and the best-known islands,' Mr Christie explains.
'Mainland Greece and some of the less tourist-driven islands can provide a much lower entry point into the property market, and that can make an enormous difference to somebody retiring on a fixed income.'