Planning for a retirement that you feel comfortable with starts with a number you understand. There’s no single magic number for a “comfortable” retirement in the U.S., but most estimates land somewhere between $1 million and $2 million. The exact amount depends on your lifestyle, where you live, and how you plan to spend your retirement years.

One common guideline is the 25× rule, which suggests saving about 25 times your expected annual retirement spending. If you think you’ll need $70,000 per year, that points to a nest egg of roughly $1.75 million. Another popular benchmark is saving 10 times your annual income by the time you retire. For someone earning $100,000, that translates to about $1 million in retirement savings.

Financial planners also often recommend planning to replace 70–80% of your pre-retirement income, since some costs like commuting disappear, while others — especially healthcare — tend to increase. Social Security, pensions, and other income sources can reduce how much you need to save on your own.

Your personal number can vary widely based on factors like housing costs, debt, health, and location. Retiring in a high-cost area usually requires significantly more savings than retiring in a lower-cost region.

Moral of the story:

Ultimately when planning for your retirement, “comfortable” means different things to different people. The best retirement plan starts with estimating your future expenses, understanding your income sources, and adjusting your savings goals accordingly — sooner rather than later.