Costa Rica took first place this year in the International Living Magazine Annual Global Retirement Index, as the best place for expats to retire and now, based on this same report, editors of International Living have chosen some of the most affordable beach towns to live abroad, among them Tamarindo in Guanacaste.

The article describes this popular beach town as follows:

“The Pacific-coast beach town of Tamarindo is a place of natural abundance, offering fresh produce and seafood, clean air, and more than two miles of golden sand.

Tamarindo is situated within one of the world’s “Blue Zones”—areas where people regularly reach the age of 100 in good health. And, expats report, it’s a surf town that values fitness and embraces an outdoorsy culture. “It gave me the impression of a ’60s California beach town with surf shops and the waves,” says Bill Sherman of what drew him and his wife Pokey to the town. “We both felt very comfortable. There are no high-rises on the beach. You just see trees.”

The couple lives in a fifth-floor condo, on a hill that overlooks the beach town as well as the forest along the gold-sand beach and out over the deep blue of the Pacific.

“It’s a real joy to wake up and come out here and realize what we’ve done,” says Pokey.

Tamarindo is accessible for a couple on $2,500 a month (housing included), and in addition, Costa Rica offers high-quality but low-cost medical care, good-value real estate, established expat communities, and welcoming locals.”

Along with Tamarindo, other beach towns included in the list are: Pedasi in Panama; Salinas in Ecuador; Penang in Malaysia and Cascais in Portugal.

Other preferred beach towns for expats in Costa Rica include, Hermosa in Garabito, Playas del Coco and Nosara in Guanacaste.