If you'd like to stretch your retirement dollars and live on the beach, pack up and head to Costa Rica.

That's according to International Living's Annual Global Retirement Index, a ranking of top locales for retirees who'd prefer to spend their golden years abroad.

Nine million U.S. citizens live overseas, according to the State Department.

The magazine ranked 24 retirement destinations around the world on a dozen criteria, including cost of living, climate, health care and entertainment.

Here are the top five contenders in reverse order: