Why a Comfortable Retirement in Australia Is Becoming Impossible — And the Smarter Path Most Australians Haven’t Considered
After 25 years advising Australians on retirement, I can say something with complete honesty:
Many Australians are heading toward a retirement crisis — and they can feel it.
Not because they didn’t work hard.
Not because they didn’t save.
But because the world changed around them.
Life happens:
- Divorce
- Rising mortgage payments
- Supporting adult children
- Investment setbacks
- Super balances not growing as planned
The result?
Thousands of Aussies reach their 60s with good intentions…
but with a financial picture that simply doesn’t support a 20–30 year retirement in Australia.
And deep down, they know it.
💰 The Harsh Truth: Retirement in Australia Now Costs Around $70,000 a Year
According to industry guidelines, a “comfortable retirement” for a couple costs around $70,000 per year, and rising.
But here’s the problem:
The full Age Pension only pays around $42,000 per year.
And many couples don’t qualify for the full pension because they own a home or have modest assets.
So the gap between:
- what retirees need, and
- what retirees receive
is growing wider every single year.
And that gap must be filled with super.
The issue?
Many older Australians simply don’t have enough super to make this last.
📉 A Typical Real-Life Scenario (That’s More Common Than You Think)
Let’s look at a couple, both aged 60.
This is the exact scenario many Australians face today:
- Home value: $1.1 million
- Mortgage: $700,000
- Combined super: $360,000
- Small amount of cash: $50,000
They want to retire at 67.
But here’s where everything starts to unravel.
To downsize in Australia, they need to sell their home.
But you cannot buy a suitable property for $800,000 anymore — not without making serious compromises.
So what do they do?
They take $250,000 out of their super to afford the new home.
Now they enter retirement with:
- $328,081 in super left
- A part pension
- A rising cost of living
- And a large financial gap to fill
And then the numbers turn frightening.
Their super runs out at around age 77–78.
That’s only 10 years into retirement.
After that?
They rely solely on the part pension.
They reduce their lifestyle dramatically.
Or they are forced to sell their home or take a reverse mortgage.
This is not a comfortable retirement.
It’s survival.
🌏 But What If There’s Another Way?
A smarter, safer, more affordable way to retire…
A way where:
- You don’t drain your super
- You don’t carry mortgage stress
- You don’t fear running out of money
- You don’t sacrifice lifestyle
This is where Thailand presents a completely different — and incredibly powerful — retirement strategy.
🇹🇭 The New Opportunity: Retiring Comfortably in Thailand
This isn’t the Thailand of 20 years ago.
This is modern, safe, high-quality Thailand with:
- World-class private hospitals
- Modern infrastructure
- High-end condominiums
- Strong expat communities
- Great food and culture
- Beautiful beaches and warm weather
- Some of the best golf courses in Asia
And here’s the real key:
The cost of living is roughly 40–60% lower than Australia.
For many Australians, this single factor changes everything.
🧮 The Same Couple — But Choosing Thailand Instead
Let’s take the exact same couple and change just one thing:
Instead of buying a home in Australia, they move to Thailand.
Here’s how their financial picture transforms.
At age 67, they:
- Sell their Australian home
- Clear the mortgage
- Walk away with approx. $830,000
- Buy a premium $700,000 condo in Thailand
- Keep $100,000 as a cash buffer
- Keep their entire $578,081 in super
- Continue receiving a part Age Pension (estimated ~$30,000/year)
- And lower their cost of living dramatically
Their Thailand condo becomes their principal residence — and just like in Australia, it is NOT counted in the assets test.
Only their super + cash are counted.
This keeps them well within the part-pension zone.
💵 Estimated Age Pension Outcome in Thailand
Because their Thai home isn’t asset-tested, their assessable assets are:
- $578k super
- $100k cash
- About $30k contents
Total assessable assets: ~$708,000
Result?
⭐ Approx ~$30,000 per year in combined part pension
⭐ Indexed every year
⭐ Pension increases as super declines
⭐ Pension eventually approaches the full rate over time
This is a much stronger pension position than they’d have in Australia.
⏳ And Here’s the Big Difference…
In Australia
Super runs out by age 77–78.
After that, panic.
In Thailand
Super lasts until age ~86 — using the same Australian spending assumption of $70k/year.
And if they live like normal expats and only spend $45k–$55k per year, their super can last 30+ years — effectively for life.
🧘 Why Thailand Works Financially
- Lower living costs
- No mortgage
- Pension goes further
- Super lasts longer
- Healthcare is world-class
- Property is high quality and affordable
- Lifestyle is relaxed and healthy
- Expat communities offer support
- Flights home are easy
It’s not about “escaping to live cheap.”
It’s about choosing a smarter retirement that offers:
✔ More comfort
✔ More security
✔ More lifestyle
✔ Less stress
with the resources people already have.
🏡 And What If They Want to Return to Australia Later?
This is the part that reassures nearly everyone:
Retiring in Thailand does NOT lock you out of coming home.
Because they fully own their Thai condo:
- It rises in value over time
- It can be sold later
- The equity can be brought back to Australia
- They can buy again — debt-free
This means:
✔ Thailand becomes a chapter
✔ Not a one-way door
✔ And not a permanent decision
For many couples, the plan becomes:
Retire in Thailand for the lifestyle and financial comfort →
Return to Australia later if and when needed.
It’s flexible.
It’s practical.
And it removes the fear of getting “stuck”.
🌟 A New Retirement Path for Australians Who Feel Stuck
The traditional Australian retirement plan is breaking:
- Higher costs
- Lower super
- Bigger mortgages
- Longer lifespans
- Smaller pensions
But the dream isn’t gone.
It’s simply moved.
Thailand offers a retirement that is:
- Affordable
- Secure
- Luxurious
- Healthy
- Community-focused
- Debt-free
And most importantly:
⭐ A retirement where you don’t run out of money.
It’s the option most Australians have never considered —
but for many, it’s the most realistic and rewarding path forward.