The Best Places in the World
To Buy Real Estate in 2025
by Ronan McMahon
When you look everywhere, youโll always find opportunity somewhere.
Thatโs the beauty of being an international real estate scout, and something I learned years ago when I first started out on my overseas adventures.
Thatโs why I spend so much time on the road. Itโs why my team and I spend over $1 million a year on travel and research.
Because thereโs no magic trick to finding profitable real estate opportunitiesโฆ
It takes resources, it takes a network of contacts, and it takes vast amounts of boots-on-the-ground research.
My team and I do it all so you donโt have toโฆ
And this special reportโThe Best Places in the World to Buy Real Estate in 2025โis designed to be the perfect place for you to start your research.
From the Caribbean coast of Mexico to the historic seaside towns in Portugal, my team and I have dug deep to find places where savvy real estate investors like us can unlock untold opportunities in the next 12 months and beyond.
In 2025, this research has never been more importantโฆ
Two years ago, I stood on a golden-sand beach in Los Cabos, Mexico, and announced the start of a special mission for me and my teamโฆ
We were going to fan out across the globe and find the โnext places.โ
In the wake of the pandemic, many of the worldโs most popular and desirable destinationsโfrom Cabo to the Costa del Sol in Spain, from Portugalโs Algarve region to Mexicoโs Caribbean coastโwere seeing huge influxes of not just vacationers, but also digital nomads, snowbirds, young families, part- and full-time remote workersโฆ
As more and more people came and demand for real estate soared, I knew the opportunity would start to spread to new destinationsโฆplaces off the typical tourist and expat paths.
Across the world, people are looking beyond the obvious and hunting for destinations that offer better-value real estate opportunities. As a result, a whole host of lesser-known towns and cities are on the cusp of exploding into the mainstream.
Youโll see this reflected throughout this special reportโThe Best Places in the World to Buy Real Estate in 2025.
And whether youโre a complete beginner or an investor with some real estate experience under your belt, finding the right place to buy real estate is the first step in what could be a life-changing journey.
Itโs also an opportunity to re-examine your lifestyle and think about how and where you want to live.
Myself, I use my real estate overseas to ensure that I live a life of comfort, where I never need to worry about heating or air conditioning. Where winter is a thing of the past and excellent golf is always nearby.
Thatโs why, in this report on The Best Places in the World to Buy Real Estate in 2025, Iโve included two types of โreal estate play.โ
The โinvestment playโ is a pure profit play, where I believe you can earn capital appreciation and/or strong rental yields on the right real estate.
The โlifestyle playโ is one where a real estate buy can land you an enviable lifestyle of beautiful weather, leisure, and luxury for incredible valueโeven if it doesnโt deliver strong returns.
However, our top five places combine the potential for strong investment returns with enviable lifestyle opportunitiesโฆperfect.
These are my gold-star locations, and the ones where I consistently find the best deals in terms of profit and pleasure.
Read on for my list of the top 5 best places to buy in 2025โฆ
Wishing you good real estate investing,
Ronan McMahon
What Makes a Place Good for Real Estate Investing?
When you Google the best places in the world to buy real estate, more often than not youโll get a generic and entirely predictable list of the worldโs most expensive destinations.
Think New YorkโฆTokyoโฆParisโฆLondonโฆ
Not only are these lists uninformative, I believe they are wholly inaccurate.
Prices for best-in-class real estate in global cities like London and New York are often enormous. And thatโs before you consider the massive holding costs due to things like high property taxes and homeowners association fees.
Moreover, because these are highly developed markets, the potential to generate rapid capital appreciation and strong rental yields is typically limited.
In other words, most โbest ofโ lists equate best with most expensiveโฆand therefore fail to answer the question.
So, before we go any further, let me explain how I compiled my list and what I mean by โbestโโฆ
To select the best destinations in the world to buy real estate for 2025, I considered places that excel in one or more of the following categories:
Relative Value: This can be summarized as โbang for your buck,โ or what does your money buy you in this market relative to back home. Most destinations listed here offer excellent value when compared to major markets in the U.S. and Canada. In some, the value is truly exceptional.
Climate: Weather preferences are subjective. Some of us love to experience four seasons every year, while others prefer a climate that remains hot year-round. For this report, higher-scoring destinations are warm and sunny, but not humid. We also made allowances for destinations with temperate climates, since theyโre growing in popularity.
International Appeal: This category is a measure of how well-known and popular a destination is with foreign tourists, expats, and the work-from-anywhere, digital nomad crowd. This category also considers how internationalized a market is, covering such factors as flight connections, internet connectivity, and whether visas are required to stay short or long-term and how easy they are to obtain. Most of the destinations in this report scored highly in this category.
Path of Progress Indicator: A โPath of Progressโ is anything that makes a place easier to get to (like new roads, airports, or bridges) or more desirable (say, a 5-star resort in a place that previously only had cheap hostels). It can also indicate an influx of people to a destination and the resulting rejuvenation of that place, as weโre seeing in the far north of Portugal. If a Path of Progress is moving toward or through a market, itโs a strong indicator of future growth potential. Buy at the right point in a Path of Progress and youโll do very well.
Income Potential: This is the amount you can expect to earn from renting out a property short or long-term, relative to the amount invested. Los Cabos and Playa del Carmen on Mexicoโs Riviera Maya score very highly here as high-end rentals are in huge demand in these markets.
Quality of Life: This category considers the availability of dining, shopping, transportation, healthcare, and entertainment options. Also factored in are natural attractions such as beaches and hiking trails as well as the public infrastructure. For instance, are public spaces and facilities safe, visually appealing, and well-maintained?
Ease and Cost of Transaction: This measures how difficult, time-consuming, and expensive the process of purchasing a property is for overseas buyers.
Stability: This covers political, economic, and social risk. Is the political environment stable and is it likely to remain so? Is the economy strengthening or weakening? Are crime, corruption, or fraud prevalent? Note that scores in this category reflect the particular destination in question, not the country where it is located. Thatโs because factors like crime levels and economic performance can vary widely within countries.
Availability of Finance: This considers whether it is possible for foreign buyers to borrow against their purchase, and if so, how difficult accessing this credit is, and how favorable the terms are.
Holding Costs: This judges all the costs associated with owning a property in this destination such as local or national property taxes, typical insurance prices, and common ranges for homeowners association fees. For instance, my property tax bill for my new home in Portugalโa 5,000-square-foot historic mansionโwill be no more than โฌ320 per year.
Iโve applied these criteria to destinations across my global beat.
My goal: To identify places where youโll find excellent value and incredible weather and attractionsโฆyet can still earn a lot of money from owning there, in terms of rapid capital appreciation, strong rental income, or both.
The Best Places to Buy Real Estate in 2025
#1: Caminha and the โUndiscovered Northโ of Portugal
#2: Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
#5: Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Mexico
No. 1: Caminha and the โUndiscovered Northโ of Portugal
The top-ranked destination in my 2025 index is the small town of Caminha in the far north of Portugal.
Located at the mouth of the Minho River that separates Portugal from Spain, this picturesque town has a long and rich history. Walk its cobblestoned lanes and alleys and youโll see constant reminders of this heritage, from the 15th-century Igreja Matriz de Caminha church to the 13th-century Torre do Relogio clocktower, which stands watch over the townโs main plaza.
And yet despite this abundant history, Caminha today feels modern and upmarket. There are art galleries and boutique hotels, fine-dining restaurants and wine bars. Then just outside town you have a lagoon and Atlantic beaches, bucolic countryside, and excellent hiking.
Caminha has so much to offer, but like other towns and cities in the far north of Portugal, itโs overlooked and undervaluedโฆ
Over the past five to 10 years, Portugal has become one of the worldโs most popular destinations for vacationers and expats. From Lisbon to the Algarve, from the Silver Coast to Porto, towns and cities across the country are inundated by tourists for long stretches of the year. Real estate prices in the best-known destinations have soared.
But head 30 minutes or so north of Porto, outside the reaches of its extended metropolitan area, and all that fades.
Here, in what I call the โundiscovered north,โ youโll find all the elements that make destinations to the south so appealingโincredible foodโฆsoft-sand beachesโฆrich history and culture. Plus, you have amazing, temperate weather.
But these destinations are virtually unknown to foreign tourists, expats, and second homeowners. And because of this, real estate prices there are astonishingly low in comparison to popular coastal destinations to the south.
Very soon, this region will be discovered. This is the region where tourists and expats will go next in Portugal. And when that happens, I anticipate prices will soar.
But for right now, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Itโs as though we have a time machine and can step back to the Algarve region 30 years agoโฆor the Silver Coast region between Lisbon and Porto 20 years agoโฆbefore the explosion in tourist numbers and real estate prices.
Here Iโve zeroed in on Caminha. But there are other destinations in this northern region that similarly have amazing potential, like the coastal city of Viana do Castelo and the river town of Ponte de Lima.
Iโve been singing the praises of this region ever since I first scouted it in summer 2023. Now Iโm putting my money where my mouth is.
As I write, Iโve just bought a home in Caminha. This is a stunning, historic mansion. I have a garden where I can see waves crashing on two beaches, one in Portugal, and another in Spain. Inside, this historic home is immaculate, furnished with original pieces that came from Brazil with the first owners at the end of the 1800s. In total, the home spans around 5,000 square feet. But I got it for around โฌ410,000. Thatโs just $90 per square foot! This demonstrates the insane value you can find here.
There were other advantages to buying here too. Financing is readily available to non-resident foreign buyers in Portugal. For this home, I got a 25-year mortgage with a five-year fixed rate of just 2.9%. Also, as I say, my annual property tax bill for this property will be no more than โฌ320 per yearโฆa tiny number for such a large property.
This undiscovered north of Portugal represents the best real estate investment opportunity in the world today. And the moment is now!
No. 2: Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
Iโve long kept a close eye on the Dominican Republic. After Mexicoโs Riviera Maya, this Caribbean destination gets the most tourists in the entire region. And just like Mexicoโs Riviera Maya, this country is smashing tourist records.
In 2023, it welcomed more than 10 million travelersโฆa first for the Dominican Republic. Itโs expected to see 11.5 million by the end of 2024. Thatโs astonishing growth.
Most of these arrivals go to Punta Cana, easily the countryโs biggest destination.
Development is tearing ahead in the Punta Cana area now. And this is where youโll find the vast master-planned coastal community of Cap Canaโฆ
At 30,000 acres, Cap Cana is twice the size of Manhattan. And itโs just 10 minutes from the Dominican Republicโs Punta Cana International Airport, with regular flights across Canada and the American Northeast.
Everything in Cap Cana screams luxury.
Itโs home to 5-star resortsโฆthe largest inland marina in the Caribbeanโฆworld-class golfโฆincredible fine-diningโฆstate-of-the-art equestrian facilitiesโฆ
The biggest water park in the Caribbean opened here in 2024, its amphitheater inaugurated by Elton John. Thereโs also a university campus, convention centers, a fire station, medical and veterinary clinics, high-speed internet, and over 62 miles of paved roads. And the setting is unrivaled.
Iโve never seen sands so white, or waters so quintessentially Caribbean, as at the Juanillo Beach Club in the heart of Cap Cana.
This description โmaster-planned communityโ doesnโt do Cap Cana justice. This is a vast semi-autonomous city-state of luxury.
Already, billions of dollars have been spent to build the incredible resorts and facilities in Cap Cana. But this is just the first phase. The plan is to spend billions more.
A highlight of the near future is the $500-million Juanillo Village. This is a lavish project with a Barcelona-inspired shopping street leading down to Juanillo Beach. My team has been told the plan is for art galleries, boutiques, cafรฉsโฆ
Cap Cana is a new city rising in the Caribbean. And for a limited time, thereโs an incredible opportunity to own on the ground floor hereโฆ
No. 3: Los Cabos, Mexico
Set at the base of the Baja California peninsula, Los Cabos is a thriving boom town of 350,000 people.
This is one of the worldโs most popular and desirable destinations. You have the natural beauty of the desert and mountains meeting the sea in dramatic fashion, the perpetually sunny weather, the stunning beaches. Then, lining its shores are luxury resorts and residential communities, world-class golf courses, glistening marinas, high-end malls, and fine-dining restaurants.
Since the pandemic, Cabo has seen a massive influx of people. In 2023, it welcomed a record 3.86 million air passengers. Itโs on track to exceed that figure in 2024. Crucially, many of those who are coming are staying longerโfor months or even to live permanently.
The kinds of folks coming to Cabo have also been changingโฆ
While Cabo has long been a haven of celebrities and the ultra-wealthy, more recently it has evolved to also attract what I call the โordinary richโโฆthink well-heeled vacationers, executives with work-from-anywhere jobs, wealthy snowbirds, and self-made entrepreneurs.
This group doesnโt want to pay millions for homes or thousands per night for a hotel stay, but they want incredible amenities in perfect locations. The arrival of this group has led to a big explosion in demand for good-value real estate in amenity-rich communities in Cabo.
I spend time in Cabo every winter. Iโve invested in six properties here. I live and breathe this real estate market like almost no other, and Iโve observed firsthand as Cabo has hit a whole new level. There are all sorts of restrictions on building here, yet people just keep coming to stay and to live.
I have a club of like-minded investors called Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) and I specialize in finding exclusive, off-market deals for our members. More on that group at the end of this report. But first, Iโll give you an example of the kind of deals we getโฆ
By leveraging RETAโs group buying power, Iโve been able to bring our members many amazing opportunities in Cabo. For instance, the first RETA deal we had in Cabo was in 2015 in the 5-star Quivira resort. Our RETA-only price on a two-bed ocean-view condo in the best-in-class Copala community was $336,156. I bought one. An identical condo to mine two floors above me later listed for $725,000. Thatโs $388,844 more.
More examplesโฆ
Thatโs just one example of an incredible run of deals here. But even with our insider connections, deals like these are increasingly hard to findโฆ
Cabo is a destination with immense potential for future growth. But prices have been rising so quickly that we need to be highly selectiveโฆfind just the right deal at just the right entry price.
No. 4: Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Way back before Costa Ricaโs tourist boom, the sunny northwestern province of Guanacaste was a sleepy region of cattle farms, empty beaches, and good surf breaks.
It was also hard to get to. The road from the capital city was in bad shape. It was a bumpy ride that took four or five hours. The alternative was to take a prop plane. Whichever option you took, it set you up for the lack of frills when you arrived.
But a savvy group of hotel and real estate developers could see the appeal of this stunning, endless-summer location. The Four Seasons pumped more than $200 million into carving out a top-quality golf course, rooms and suites, and hillside villas with private plunge pools.
They needed tourists to fill their luxury rooms and pay their premium rates. A bumpy dirt track or a prop plane simply wouldnโt cut it. The road from the capital San Josรฉ was soon paved, and the airport at Liberiaโthe provincial capital of Guanacaste just 30 minutes from the coastโwas expanded and upgraded. In 2002, regular direct flights to the U.S. started.
This kick-started a stunning transformation on this coastโฆ
In 2003, Liberia airport saw 50,000 passenger arrivals. Last year, the number hit a record 1.65 million. Along the way, the Pacific coast of Guanacaste earned the nickname the โGold Coast.โ
Today, this is one of the worldโs true up-and-coming high-end havens. After the Four Seasons came resorts like The Westin at Reserva Conchal, the JW Marriott at Hacienda Pinilla, and Secrets Papagayo. A single night at these resorts can cost thousands of dollars. And new residential communities here, like the Waldorf Astoria, are selling branded residences for millions and even tens of millions of dollars.
In other words, this is no longer a low-cost destination, whether you are buying a home or heading out for dinner.
That said, there is an incredible opportunity here. Demand on the Gold Coast is huge, but development cannot keep up.
Costa Rica is the originator of eco-tourism. It has set aside vast swathes of land as national parks. There are lots of restrictions on development. Permitting is tight.
As a result, supply of best-in-class real estate is low, and short-term rentals are thin on the ground. So by owning the right condo or home here, you can do very well.
In March 2024, I was able to bring RETA members an off-market deal in the beach and marina town of Playa Flamingo. This was our chance to own incredible luxury homes a short walk to two beaches and the brand-new marina that anchors the town.
I bought alongside other RETA members.
In October 2024, the developer told me that two-bed homes similar to those that RETA members could buy for an off-market price of $286,800 were listing for $339,000โฆan uplift of $52,200 in six months!
No. 5: Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Mexico
For many decades, Playa del Carmen was mostly known as the place to catch the ferry to Cozumel, an island 45 minutes offshore thatโs long been popular with scuba divers and snorkelers.
The town of Playa del Carmen itself was little more than a few dusty dirt roads, with rustic accommodations and eateries by the ferry terminal for the few people who decided to stay the night. Think palapas and even livestock roaming around. It was, as one visitor commented, a โone burro (donkey) town.โ
But Playa has innate appeal. It boasts glorious white-sand beachesโฆstunning azure Pacific watersโฆperfect weatherโฆ
As the years passed and the resort destination of Cancรบn, located an hour north, became busier, tourists started to look for quieter alternatives on Mexicoโs Caribbean coast. Services and little businesses began to crop up in Playa del Carmen. A restaurant hereโฆa little tienda there. Playa del Carmen began to transform. Mexicans from other parts of the country and expats from farther afield started to move here.
Over time, the sandy streets gradually got paved. Small boutique hotels opened, as did trendy restaurants, and organic cafรฉs. Development spread quickly along 5th Avenue, which today is the cityโs main drag, a miles-long pedestrian street lined with cafรฉs, stores, restaurants, bars, nightclubsโฆ
Like Cancรบn before it, this sleepy seaside village was transformed into a world-class tourist destination in a matter of decades. But it also followed a different path than Cancรบn. Instead of most tourists staying in huge resorts on the beachโwhich they likely never leaveโPlaya del Carmen is a true, living, breathing city.
Itโs the type of place where you can grab an espresso and croissant at a co-working cafeฬ in the morningโฆenjoy a lunch of fresh seafood on the beach with your toes in the sandโฆand have your choice of any number of gourmet options for dinnerโฆwith shopping for high-end fashions and artisan creations mixed inโnot to mention relaxing spa treatments.
Playa del Carmen is hip and chic. And itโs maturing into a sophisticated, upscale destination increasingly drawing a well-heeled clientele with money to spend.
Itโs also a favorite of Americans, Canadians, and Europeans, not to mention Latin Americans and Mexicans from other parts of the country. And it has an enduring appeal to diverse markets, from vacationing families and couples of all ages, to groups of friends, snowbirds spending the winter season south of the border, expats, remote workersโฆ
Vacation rentals are in demand pretty much year-round. As my contacts on the ground have told me: โThere just doesnโt seem to be a true low season anymore.โ
In other words, Playa del Carmen is not a second Cancรบn. Itโs something entirely different. This is a true beach city where people want to come and live year-round. That means Playa del Carmen has a very bright future. Prices will continue to push higher here. Find the right real estate at the right price in Playa del Carmen and youโll do very well.
Playa remains a key destination on my global beat. Itโs a place where Iโm constantly hunting for the right deals.
A final point on Playa del Carmenโฆ
Here, as in many places on my global beat, Holding Costs are exceptionally low by U.S. standards. Consider annual property taxes. They typically cost less than $500 per year for a primary residenceโฆa tiny fraction of what youโd pay on equivalent real estate in the U.S.
The Best Way to Get in on Incredible Real Estate Deals
For years after I began investing in overseas real estate, I searched for a group of like-minded folksโฆa club for people who, like me, understand that thereโs always opportunity somewhere, when you look everywhere.
I knew there had to be many others who would recognize a great real estate deal wherever it was in the world and act decisively. I searched in vain. For there was no such group. So in 2008, I founded my ownโฆ
I called it Real Estate Trend Alert.
Today our RETA club is bigger than I ever imagined it would be, and itโs become a unique deal machine.
Using RETAโs group buying power, Iโm able to negotiate exclusive, off-market deals for our members. For a deal to cut my muster, I have to see clear potential for us to double our money invested in five years. I particularly love deals that offer us rapid capital appreciation and enormous income potential should we choose to rent upon delivery.
This process all starts with my team and I identifying up-and-coming markets and major transformations with potential. For months or even years before I send details of a members-only deal, Iโve been researchingโฆputting boots on the groundโฆand meeting high-level contacts in the destinations where I feel there could be a hot opportunity.
Then, once Iโm confident a major transformation is underway, I use RETAโs group-buying power to negotiate a deal with a best-in-class developer.
Because of the combined group-buying power of all Real Estate Trend Alert members, Iโm able to negotiate some serious discounts on retail pricing. An off-market, RETA-only deal must see us paying much less than anyone else, which means weโre locking in significant gains from the get-go.
Why do these developers agree to offer us the unbeatable pricing they do?
Itโs a simple win-win for each side. The developer gets quick and discreet sales from our groupโฆallowing him to go to the local market with sales under his belt and the confidence to charge higher retail prices (i.e. the price everyone else pays)โฆand we get a deal at a price no one else can even dream of.
To give you just a brief snapshot of some of our RETA-only dealsโฆ
โข $250,000 Uplift in Cabo, MexicoโI first scouted Cabo in 2014 and very quickly realized it was about to hit a whole new level. In the years since, Iโve brought a run of incredible deals to RETA members there. In August 2021, RETA members could get a penthouse in a community called Cabo Costa for $249,000. I got one. Today a penthouse in Cabo Costa lists for $499,000.
โข An uplift of $100,980 on Panamaโs Pacific RivieraโIn January 2023 RETA members were able to buy ocean-view condos in the Las Olas community at Playa Caracol, on the nicest stretch of beach just an hour’s drive from Panama City, starting from $254,600. As of late 2024, similar condos were listed with the developer for $355,580. Thatโs an uplift of $100,980.
โข โฌ300,000 Gain in PortugalโPortugalโs southern Algarve region is a place of rich culture, great food, soaring cliffs, white-washed villages, stunning beaches, and 300 days of sunshine a yearโฆall of which has made it one of the most popular beach destinations in Europe. In August 2019, one RETA member bought a penthouse in a community in the Algarve that I recommended for โฌ495,000. Just over three years later, in October 2022, she sold for โฌ795,000. Thatโs a gain of โฌ300,000.
โข $309,018 More in Playa del Carmen, MexicoโI first scouted Playa way back in 2004 and in recent years, Iโve brought RETA members a host of killer deals here. In 2021, RETA members had the chance to buy two-bed condos in a community called Singular Dream in Playa from $265,304. In early 2024, a two-bed condo in Singular Dream was listing for $574,322.
Nobody I know does the kind of travel and firsthand research we do. Nobody I know has our contacts and ability to negotiate such incredible, off-market deals for members.
And nobody I know has RETAโs track record of being ahead as destinations experience major transformations.
While youโll get lots of travel and research reports in my Your Overseas Dream Home e-letterโฆthe best dealsโฆthe off-market, members-only deals are only ever found in RETA. Click this link to learn more about RETA and to join today.