I'm pretty sure it is assumed you've paid off your house as part of this plan, and housing is by far the main distinguishing factor in cost of living between di

I'm pretty sure it is assumed you've paid off your house as part of this plan, and housing is by far the main distinguishing factor in cost of living between different cities. So I don't think location would matter quite as much as you're making it seem. If we assume that the $25k is net, not gross, then I can see how it could be reasonably comfortable for one person with no rent or mortgage. You'd really want to go to a place with cheap property taxes to minimize unavoidable recurring housing costs. But anyway, you'd have roughly $2k to spend each month, which seems like it could comfortably cover utilities, food, transportation, and some entertainment, even in a non-shitty place. Keep in mind you wouldn't have to save money because you're retired--this is supposed to be solid and stable revenue for the remainder of your life (but only time will tell if that holds true). Of course, throw in other people to support on that income, like kids, and it definitely gets tighter, but I don't think this number is at all unreasonable for a single person supporting only themselves with no debt and complete ownership of a home.