We can live like Queens in areas with weaker economies like that. It's the same reason people retire to places in Mexico and the Caribbean. You see it around the world, too. You'll see people from wealthier European countries like Switzerland, Germany, or the UK retiring to more economically distressed European countries like Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece, because their money will go farther. Likewise, in Asia, a large number of Japanese people retire in Malaysia, and you'll find lots of ex-pat Australians retired in places like Thailand. When economic mismanagement has held earnings down in an area, a person can take the bankroll she built up while living in a high-productivity/high-education market, and retire in luxury in that poorer area. It works particularly well for homeowners -- for example, you can sell a fairly modest $600,000 home somewhere near a West Coast or Northeastern city, and use the money to buy a luxurious retirement home in a poorer area, with money left over for vacations, etc. Especially if you're willing to buy in a rural area, you could get a McMansion for half the money.