Bottom line, says the magazine that has been tracking retirement abroad for 30 years: A budget-watching couple could live well on $800 a month in Ecuador and be pressed to spend more than $1,500 monthly. Other leading overall choices include Panama, Mexico, Malaysia, Colombia and New Zealand.

Of course, there are barriers such as language, cultural acclimation and distance from family. If you’re considering a move abroad, English-speaking countries such as Belize, Ireland and New Zealand may top your short list. But you can get by in your native tongue in parts of Panama, Ecuador and Mexico, says International Living.

In all 19 countries, health care in the larger cities and capitals is usually on par in quality with that in the United States, according to the survey’s findings — largely pooled from foreign-living retirees — but much less expensive: A visit to a physician (and many trained in the United States) at a modern facility costs about $30 in Panama (at low-income hospitals you’ll pay as little as $5) and only $15 in Nicaragua. Ecuador guarantees access to no-copayment or deductible health care and medication to American retirees for a low fee: A typical 60-year-old male, for example, will probably pay about $70 a month in insurance premiums. International Living has more details.

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Sid Kirchheimer writes about consumer issues for AARP.org.