Authority Data · 2026
FIRE Numbers by Country 2026
The portfolio size required to retire in 87 countries under Bengen's 4% safe withdrawal rule. Shown both at 25× (4% standard) and 30× (3.3% conservative for 40+ year horizons).
TL;DR
Country FIRE numbers are derived: median city cost × 12 × 25 (4% rule) or × 30 (3.3% for 40+ year horizons). Cheapest country in this index: India at $240,000 (25×). Methodology and per-row source transparency below. Last updated 2026-04-18.
Methodology
The 4% rule: from William Bengen (1994) and the Trinity Study (1998) — a retiree who withdraws 4% of their initial portfolio, adjusted annually for inflation, had a 95–100% success rate over 30-year historical periods. 25× annual spending = FIRE number at 4% withdrawal.
Country-level cost: median monthly cost of living across all cities we track in each country (our 2026 Cost of Living Index). Median — not average, not cheapest — because it represents a realistic middle-of-the-road city rather than the most budget-friendly outlier.
Two multipliers: 25× (4%) for 30-year retirements; 30× (3.3%) for 40+ year horizons per Pfau/Kitces research. Early retirees (age 40–55) should use the 30× column. Traditional retirees (65+) can use either.
What's NOT included: tax drag (varies enormously by country — territorial systems net ~0% on foreign portfolio income; worldwide-tax countries often 15–25% effective), healthcare insurance variance, currency risk. For territorial-tax countries (Panama, UAE, Malaysia, etc.), the stated number is close to net. For worldwide-tax countries, plan for higher withdrawals to cover tax.
Attribution: free to cite with credit to "Enough Money, 2026 FIRE Numbers by Country".
The full ranking
| # | Country | Median cost/mo | FIRE # (25×) | FIRE # (30×) | Tax system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇮🇳India | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 2 | 🇰🇬Kyrgyzstan | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 3 | 🇷🇺Russia | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 4 | 🇧🇩Bangladesh | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 5 | 🇸🇾Syria | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 6 | 🇹🇯Tajikistan | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 7 | 🇪🇬Egypt | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 8 | 🇵🇰Pakistan | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 9 | 🇹🇳Tunisia | $800 | $240,000 | $288,000 | worldwide |
| 10 | 🇷🇸Serbia | $1,000 | $300,000 | $360,000 | worldwide |
| 11 | 🇽🇰Kosovo (Disputed Territory) | $1,100 | $330,000 | $396,000 | worldwide |
| 12 | 🇪🇹Ethiopia | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 13 | 🇲🇦Morocco | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 14 | 🇩🇿Algeria | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 15 | 🇹🇷Turkey | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 16 | 🇵🇾Paraguay | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | territorial |
| 17 | 🇮🇩Indonesia | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 18 | 🇨🇴Colombia | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 19 | 🇷🇴Romania | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 20 | 🇭🇺Hungary | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 21 | 🇧🇬Bulgaria | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 22 | 🇪🇨Ecuador | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 23 | 🇧🇷Brazil | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 24 | 🇻🇳Vietnam | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 25 | 🇹🇿Tanzania | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 26 | 🇵🇭Philippines | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 27 | 🇿🇼Zimbabwe | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 28 | 🇺🇬Uganda | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 29 | 🇷🇼Rwanda | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 30 | 🇺🇦Ukraine | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 31 | 🇰🇭Cambodia | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 32 | 🇲🇪Montenegro | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 33 | 🇧🇴Bolivia | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | territorial |
| 34 | 🇺🇿Uzbekistan | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 35 | 🇦🇱Albania | $1,200 | $360,000 | $432,000 | worldwide |
| 36 | 🇸🇰Slovakia | $1,397 | $419,100 | $502,920 | worldwide |
| 37 | 🇨🇿Czech Republic | $1,400 | $420,000 | $504,000 | worldwide |
| 38 | 🇵🇱Poland | $1,400 | $420,000 | $504,000 | worldwide |
| 39 | 🇸🇻El Salvador | $1,400 | $420,000 | $504,000 | territorial |
| 40 | 🇲🇾Malaysia | $1,500 | $450,000 | $540,000 | worldwide |
| 41 | 🇲🇽Mexico | $1,620 | $486,000 | $583,200 | worldwide |
| 42 | 🇮🇸Iceland | $1,620 | $486,000 | $583,200 | worldwide |
| 43 | 🇬🇭Ghana | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 44 | 🇬🇷Greece | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 45 | 🇮🇶Iraq | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 46 | 🇹🇭Thailand | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 47 | 🇬🇪Georgia | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | territorial |
| 48 | 🇨🇳China | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 49 | 🇦🇷Argentina | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 50 | 🇿🇦South Africa | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 51 | 🇹🇼Taiwan | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 52 | 🇱🇹Lithuania | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 53 | 🇵🇪Peru | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 54 | 🇪🇪Estonia | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 55 | 🇲🇳Mongolia | $1,800 | $540,000 | $648,000 | worldwide |
| 56 | 🇪🇸Spain | $2,200 | $660,000 | $792,000 | worldwide |
| 57 | 🇵🇹Portugal | $2,200 | $660,000 | $792,000 | worldwide |
| 58 | 🇸🇮Slovenia | $2,200 | $660,000 | $792,000 | worldwide |
| 59 | 🇺🇾Uruguay | $2,200 | $660,000 | $792,000 | territorial |
| 60 | 🇨🇮Ivory Coast | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | worldwide |
| 61 | 🇸🇦Saudi Arabia | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | territorial |
| 62 | 🇳🇱Netherlands | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | worldwide |
| 63 | 🇩🇪Germany | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | worldwide |
| 64 | 🇭🇷Croatia | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | worldwide |
| 65 | 🇧🇪Belgium | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | worldwide |
| 66 | 🇸🇪Sweden | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | worldwide |
| 67 | 🇦🇹Austria | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | worldwide |
| 68 | 🇧🇭Bahrain | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | territorial |
| 69 | 🇲🇺Mauritius | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | territorial |
| 70 | 🇴🇲Oman | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | territorial |
| 71 | 🇵🇦Panama | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | territorial |
| 72 | 🇰🇷South Korea | $2,500 | $750,000 | $900,000 | worldwide |
| 73 | 🇬🇧United Kingdom | $2,517 | $755,100 | $906,120 | worldwide |
| 74 | 🇨🇦Canada | $2,668 | $800,400 | $960,480 | worldwide |
| 75 | 🇮🇹Italy | $2,800 | $840,000 | $1,008,000 | worldwide |
| 76 | 🇦🇪UAE | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | territorial |
| 77 | 🇦🇺Australia | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | worldwide |
| 78 | 🇳🇿New Zealand | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | worldwide |
| 79 | 🇺🇸United States | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | worldwide |
| 80 | 🇩🇰Denmark | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | worldwide |
| 81 | 🇶🇦Qatar | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | territorial |
| 82 | 🇮🇪Ireland | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | worldwide |
| 83 | 🇫🇮Finland | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | worldwide |
| 84 | 🇱🇺Luxembourg | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | worldwide |
| 85 | 🇯🇵Japan | $3,500 | $1,050,000 | $1,260,000 | worldwide |
| 86 | 🇳🇴Norway | $3,614 | $1,084,200 | $1,301,040 | worldwide |
| 87 | 🇨🇭Switzerland | $3,633 | $1,089,900 | $1,307,880 | worldwide |
Frequently asked questions
What's a FIRE number?
Your FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) number is the portfolio size required to sustainably fund your desired lifestyle indefinitely. Under the 4% safe withdrawal rule (Bengen 1994, Trinity Study 1998), it's 25 times your annual spending. For a 40–50 year early-retirement horizon, 30× (3.3% withdrawal) is more conservative per Pfau/Kitces research.
How is the country-level FIRE number calculated?
Median monthly cost of living across all cities we track in each country, × 12 to annualize, × 25 to apply the 4% rule (or × 30 for 40-year horizons). We use median rather than cheapest city so the number represents a realistic middle-of-the-road location. For specific-city FIRE numbers, use the per-city retire-on calculator.
What assumptions does this use?
Key assumptions: (1) 4% safe withdrawal rate based on Bengen's 1994 paper validated by Trinity Study; (2) median city cost of living as a proxy for typical expat lifestyle in that country; (3) 30-year retirement horizon for the 25× multiplier, 40+ years if using the 30× adjustment; (4) comfortable solo-person budget (couples typically 1.5×, families 2–2.5×); (5) local purchasing power in USD terms, not adjusted for FX volatility.
Is the 4% rule still safe in 2026?
Contested. Bengen's original 1994 research used 30-year horizons; early retirees with 40–50 year horizons should use closer to 3.25–3.5% (Pfau/Kitces). Current high CAPE ratios suggest lower forward returns than historical; Wade Pfau's valuation-adjusted framework suggests ~3.25% as a starting rate for 2020s retirees. Our FIRE numbers show both 4% (25×) and 3.3% (30×) columns so you can see both.
What about taxes on withdrawals?
The FIRE numbers here do not adjust for tax drag on portfolio income. In territorial-tax countries (Panama, UAE, Paraguay, Malaysia, Georgia), US retirees can effectively pay 0% on foreign-source portfolio income — making the stated FIRE number close to net. In worldwide-tax countries (most of Europe), effective withdrawals need to be 15–25% higher to account for local tax. See our Global Tax Regime Map for the country-specific treatment.
Related data
FIRE numbers are derived metrics under stated assumptions. Individual circumstances (tax residency, healthcare, inflation, FX, family size) materially change the number. Use our FIRE calculator for personalized modeling.