Ranking the Six Countries I've Lived in as Retirement Options

After my recent stint in Mexico, I have now lived in six countries: The U.S., Kazakhstan, China, Lesotho, Montenegro, and Mexico. Here's how I would rank them in terms of which would be best to live/retire in - all other things being equal:

1) The United States - with a qualifier.  Of the six I've lived in to date, the U.S. remains the "best" overall assuming I could afford to live in San Francisco. I could also live in Seattle or Portland, probably, as well, but there's the pesky cost factor. I could live in NYC if not for the weather (and cost), Honolulu if it wasn't so isloated (and expensive), and L.A. if not for the car culture.  There's something to be said for familiarity, choice, etc. But, again, COST.

2) Montenegro. This is a very close second and for similar reasons: I would only want to live in a few select cities (i.e., Kotor, Budva, and/or possibly Bar), but those coastal cities are already getting pricey (relatively speaking) and will probably continue to do so by the time I'm ready to settle/retire.

TIE FOR THIRD

3) China. The food! The cost! Again, I could only live in a few cities - most notably Hong Kong, but would also consider Shanghai or Guangzhou. Maybe Shenzhen  BUT there's the weather aspect and the language difficulty.  Plus, many MAINLAND Chinese are, um, "difficult" to live with.  

3) Mexico. The food! The proximity to the U.S. for visiting family. The same tine zones. But it's just too loud and too hot.  I've been to a dozen cities in Mexico, most of them 2-3 times and of course lived for 3 months each in Chapala and Oaxaca. The people are friendly. It's very chill.  But also very dusty. And I need more of a "lively" vibe. Don't get me wrong, they celebrate hard in Mexico, but the day to day uber-relaxed vibe isn't my bag.

TIE FOR FIFTH

5) Kazakhstan. I haven't been in 25 years, so it's likely much has changed.  I DID like Almaty and would be curious to see what it's like now that it's no longer the capital. But again, weather is a factor, and it's a bit hard to travel inexpensively to other nearby places.

5) Lesotho. Yes, cheap, but also still limited in a lot of stuff, and you ALWAYS have to fly to RSA before going anywhere else.  I visited a handful of cities and lived in Maseru for more than two years, but no place struck me as a cool place for ME.

Stay tuned as I incorporate Ecuador into this list after my 3-month stint here - and then next year will be able to add in/compare European coutnries. Can anyone topple the mighty United States? I'm guessing yes!  lol