I hear this from most of the people I know in New York. My aunt (who lives there) once told me, "you know, once you sort out your housing issue, New York is actually a very livable city" which is probably true, but I don't see myself having that million plus for a small apartment in Manhattan. As for retiring someplace safe and warm, becoming an ex-pat is increasingly popular. When I taught English abroad, most of the long term teachers of a certain age were doing it to finance their retirement, or just to have a bit extra. Given the upcoming retirement bubble, I wonder how that trend will continue. There are a whole lot of countries investing in medical tourism that seem to service mostly older ex-pats, too.I'm a programmer located in New York City. I get paid well but the expenses here are high.