If you've got a hankering to shake the dust from your feet andlook for another country in which to retire—or are consideringdoing so once you see how November turns out—Live and InvestOverseas has some suggestions for you; 10, in fact.

It's compiled a list of the 10 best places in the world toretire, and although the strong dollar isresponsible for putting some of those places on the list in thefirst place, the U.S. is not among them.

Still, if you crave exotisme and can't wait to view the sunset(or sunrise) from beaches on foreign shores, this is the list foryou.

For those who aren't quite convinced about the wisdom ofretiring outside their comfort zone—where anything from language toinsects to Internet connections may pose unexpected challenges—restassured that Live and Invest Overseas has considered all thesefactors, and many more, in arriving at its choices.

In fact, lots of other vital pieces of information informed itsselection:

• quality andaccessibility of health care
• affordabilityof real estate and the cost of living
• residencyrequirements
• taxstructures
• crime
• whetherEnglish is spoken in the region
• climate
• infrastructure
• and whetherthere's an expat community for those who'd rather fit in than blendin

And for those who might like to dip their toes into the water,so to speak, but then decide after all that there's no place likehome, it might not be quite as simple as clicking the heels of yourruby slippers together three times, but as long as you don'trelinquish U.S. citizenship, you can always change your mind andjust come back to the States.

And it's not so easy to relinquish citizenship—so it can'thappen by accident.

Here are Live and Invest Overseas' top 10 picks for placesaround the globe that could turn out to be your very own retirementShangri-La.

Seaweed dotsthe waters near a beach at Ambergris Caye, Belize, where the wateris warm and the taxes minimal.

10. Ambergris Caye, Belize

Another expat community thrives on Ambergris Caye, Belize'slargest island, where you'll also find plenty of Caribbean beachesand diving opportunities.

And Belize offers visas to Qualified Retired Persons that allowpermanent residency.

Holders of such visas can't work in the country—though you canstill work online or do international or entrepreneurial work—butyou'll find a host of advantages come with that visa: youwon't be liable for income tax, capital gains tax, estate tax orforeign-earned income tax.

And you only have to spend 30 days a year here toqualify—although, with all the perks of living on an island in theCaribbean at your fingertips, why would you want to leave?

Realestate's not cheap in Las Terrenas, in the DominicanRepublic.

9. Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

There's an established community of expat retirees here,something that can make you feel welcome when you arrive.

If you want to apply for permanent residency, you'll need toprove a minimum income of $1,500 (U.S.) per month, but with thatwill come incentives for you as both a foreign resident and as aninvestor, if you're so inclined. In addition, residents can applyfor loans and import household goods and a car tax-free.

And while real estate isn't the cheapest among top 10 countries,prices do get a grade of B.

When it comes to health care, remember that public healthservices in the Dominican Republic can be iffy: they're “extremelyaffordable, but the standard can be poor.” Las Terrenas, for itspart, has a new private hospital that “would be able to meet nearlyall medical needs locally and inexpensively, but, for specializedtreatment, you'll likely need to go to the capital or anothercountry.”

Ierapetra onthe southeast coast of the Greek island of Crete offers beach,town, and mountain scenery.

8. Crete, Greece

The largest of the Greek islands, Crete has “a huge array ofamenities and good infrastructure”—as well as beaches, mountainsand countryside.

Health care here is ranked 14th in the world by WHO—the U.S.only makes 31st place, which is a sad commentary on the state ofthings at home.

There's a large expat community and plenty of English spoken,and while you'll have to go to the mainland for such entertainmentsas the symphony, there are plenty of local festivals and otherevents to provide cultural enrichment. And the cost of living islow.

Besides itsbeach and natural beauty, Playa del Carmen has low propertytaxes.

7. Playa del Carmen, Mexico

An hour south of Cancún, on a coast known as the Riviera Maya,Playa del Carmen was near the site of a Jacques Cousteaudocumentary about the Great Mayan Reef—and gradually became knownas the gateway to Cozumel.

But now it shines in its own right, with the added bonus of astrong U.S. dollar making its market attractive for investors, with12 percent annual appreciation and rental yields between 5–10percent. Property taxes are next to nothing, at 0.1 percent peryear.

Money aside, there's plenty of English spoken here in acommunity welcoming to tourists and retirees alike, including theLGBT community. Good food, good weather and good music also add tothe attractions of this safe, pet-friendly town.

KotaKinabalu, Malaysia offers health care that's sophisticated, yetinexpensive.

6. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Kota Kinabalu, in the Sabah region on the eastern coast of EastMalaysia (Malaysian Borneo), is regarded by expats as “one of themost pleasant places in Asia to live.”

The medical care is both inexpensive and sophisticated, althoughthere's a bit less access on Malaysia Borneo, says Live and InvestOverseas, than on the mainland.

Not by much, though, with patients at the public Queen ElizabethHospital, the Sabah Medical Center, the Damai Specialist Hospitaland the Rafflesia Medical Center all reporting excellent service.In addition, the newly opened Gleneagles Hospital was built tocomply with Joint Commission International standards.

Shopping centers, taxis, and theaters offering Malaysianperformances offer their own versions of entertainment, as dofestivals and beaches. English is spoken here, along with Mandarin,Malay, Penang Hokkien and Tamil.

Slovenia'smountains, and the architecture in Ljubljana, attract tourists, aswell as retirees, to central Europe.

5. Ljubljana, Slovenia

“Slovenia,” says Live and Invest Overseas, “is nestled betweenItaly, Austria, Hungary and Croatia in central Europe, and it's thesecond richest of the 13 Slavic countries.”

It's got mountains (think ski resorts) and plenty ofMediterranean coastline (think beaches), as well as lots ofterritory that's still forested.

Diversions here include everything from the sight of farmersbringing their produce to market in wooden carts to plenty oftheaters, museums, and music festivals.

The coast is about an hour away from Ljubljana, and Venice justa couple of hours away; with olive groves to the south and castles,golf courses, spas and even a wine region close by, what's not tolike?

Airconditioning is a necessity in Cayo, Belize.

4. Cayo, Belize

You'll need both a car and air conditioning in Cayo, but theaffordability of real estate will win you over—as will the cost ofliving and recreational opportunities.

Taxes are low, too, which will leave you more money to spend onwhat you consider essential to retirement. English is spoken here,and there's a pretty strong expat community to welcome you—as wellas a very strong residency program for retirees.

It's a pretty safe place to live, as well, with a grade of B+ oncrime—not perfect, but then, where is?

That said, there are some caveats: infrastructure isn't thegreatest—it only got a grade of C—and health care did worse, makingonly a D. But Cayo, says Live and Invest Overseas, “is aleave-the-world-behind, embrace-the-simple-life, off-gridparadise.”

The beachresort city of Puerto Vallarta offers good health care for U.S.retirees but the real estate is pricey.

3. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Puerto Vallarta is a little more costly than some of the otherdestinations on the list, but it has other compensations.

Its infrastructure rated a grade of A-, health care got an A andso did cost of living, but you'll end up paying a bit more for realestate and on taxes—something you might expect in a beach resortcity.

Still, it's a safe place—it got a grade of A on crime—and has athriving expat community.

There's a good, but not great, residency program, but, hey, withthe opportunity to live so close to Pacific coast beaches, it'sobviously worthwhile to a lot of folks—hence its high standing inthe ratings.

Beautifulscenery and proximity to Europe offer fun in Malta toretirees.

2. Valletta, Malta

With English as its second language, the fifth best health carein the world and everything from dramatic, rugged scenery to wineproduction and olive groves, this tiny country has a lot more tooffer than one might think.

One can drive from Valletta, the country's capital, to theopposite side of the island takes just 45 minutes, but you won'tneed a car here; public transportation—buses for on-island traveland ferries for off-island jaunts—will do you well.

The Mediterranean climate compares with that in Italy andsouthern Spain, while the cost of living is cheap for an EU memberstate. And if you're looking for nightlife, Valletta has it in thetourist destinations of Sliema and St. Julian's Bay.

SunnyPortugal beach life, quality health care, retirees might want toexamine Algarve for their new home.

1. Algarve, Portugal

“Everything the would-be retiree could want,” says Live andInvest Overseas about this sunny haven that has taken the top spoton the list for three years running.

Great weather, a thriving expat community, high-quality medicalfacilities and health care, a cheap cost of living, “bargain-pricedproperty buys, including right on the ocean,” plenty of Englishspoken because of a longstanding British presence, and even a newretiree residency program will help you settle in to life inAlgarve.