$20,000/yr
what $500,000 safely provides at the 4% rule — about $1,667/month
Yes — in much of the world. Whether $500k is "enough" depends almost entirely on where you live. At a 4% withdrawal rate it throws off about $20,000 a year. Here's how far that goes against the 59 cities we track, for one person at each lifestyle:
| Lifestyle | Cities within reach |
|---|---|
| Lean | 15 of 59 |
| Comfortable | 1 of 59 |
| Fat (roomy) | 0 of 59 |
Where $500k retires you comfortably
A comfortable life — a decent rental, eating out, some travel — in these places costs less than your $20,000 budget:
| City | Comfortable cost / yr |
|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam | $20,000 |
Just out of reach
These are the cities you're closest to affording a comfortable life in — and the portfolio each would need at 4%:
| City | Portfolio needed |
|---|---|
| Medellin Colombia | $550,000 |
| Bengaluru India | $550,000 |
| Chiang Mai Thailand | $550,000 |
| Buenos Aires Argentina | $600,000 |
See your own map
Change the lifestyle, add a pension or Social Security, or pick a more conservative withdrawal rate — the full calculator ranks all 59 cities against your numbers:
Open the Portfolio Atlas → Coast FIRE →
See more: all retirement & investing calculators.