Best Countries for Expats 2026
Where the WiFi works, the locals speak English, and nobody asks why you left.
Denmark
1 cityEnglish: Very High, 245 Mbps, ~$1970/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Romania
1 cityEnglish: High, 255 Mbps, ~$668/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Sweden
3 citiesEnglish: Very High, 146 Mbps, ~$1329/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Canada
3 citiesEnglish: Very High, 140 Mbps, ~$1631/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Taiwan
1 cityEnglish: Moderate, 142 Mbps, ~$735/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Portugal
5 citiesEnglish: Very High, 149 Mbps, ~$1358/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Czech Republic
1 cityEnglish: High, 137 Mbps, ~$1228/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
South Korea
1 cityEnglish: Moderate, 182 Mbps, ~$871/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Malaysia
1 cityEnglish: High, 135 Mbps, ~$690/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Netherlands
3 citiesEnglish: Very High, 120 Mbps, ~$1985/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Singapore
1 cityEnglish: Very High, 279 Mbps, ~$2696/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Austria
3 citiesEnglish: Very High, 101 Mbps, ~$1204/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Germany
4 citiesEnglish: Very High, 105 Mbps, ~$1486/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Estonia
1 cityEnglish: High, 112 Mbps, ~$816/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Greece
1 cityEnglish: High, ~$737/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Poland
2 citiesEnglish: Very High, ~$1100/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
United Kingdom
3 citiesEnglish: Very High, ~$2108/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Ireland
1 cityEnglish: Very High, ~$2522/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Hungary
1 cityEnglish: High, ~$918/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
France
5 citiesEnglish: Moderate, 162 Mbps, ~$1110/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Croatia
1 cityEnglish: Very High, ~$1077/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
United States
10 citiesEnglish: Very High, 177 Mbps, ~$2577/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Switzerland
4 citiesEnglish: High, 167 Mbps, ~$2478/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Serbia
1 cityEnglish: High, ~$904/mo rent. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Spain
7 citiesEnglish: Moderate, ~$1355/mo rent, full democracy. You'll survive your first month without a translator or a therapist.
Argentina
1 cityEnglish: High, ~$767/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Armenia
1 cityEnglish: Moderate, ~$680/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
India
2 citiesEnglish: Low, ~$246/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Italy
4 citiesEnglish: Moderate, ~$1384/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
South Africa
1 cityEnglish: Very High, ~$1026/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Georgia
2 citiesEnglish: Moderate, ~$571/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
United Arab Emirates
1 cityEnglish: Moderate, 378 Mbps, ~$2288/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Morocco
1 cityEnglish: Low, ~$495/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Costa Rica
3 citiesEnglish: Moderate, ~$866/mo rent, full democracy. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Japan
1 cityEnglish: Very Low, ~$1359/mo rent, full democracy. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
China
3 citiesEnglish: Low, 242 Mbps, ~$903/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Australia
3 cities114 Mbps, ~$2198/mo rent, full democracy. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Brazil
2 citiesEnglish: Low, 143 Mbps, ~$644/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Hong Kong
1 cityEnglish: Moderate, ~$2225/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Indonesia
1 cityEnglish: Low, ~$1082/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Vietnam
1 cityEnglish: Moderate, ~$475/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Colombia
1 cityEnglish: Low, ~$703/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Kazakhstan
1 cityEnglish: Very Low, 133 Mbps, ~$756/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Thailand
3 citiesEnglish: Very Low, 110 Mbps, ~$625/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Turkey
1 cityEnglish: Low, ~$1070/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Israel
3 citiesEnglish: Moderate, ~$1723/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Uzbekistan
1 cityEnglish: Very Low, ~$609/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Egypt
1 cityEnglish: Low, ~$215/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Panama
2 citiesEnglish: Low. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Mexico
8 citiesEnglish: Very Low, ~$1006/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
Russia
2 citiesEnglish: Moderate, ~$1203/mo rent. Bring a phrasebook and some patience.
How we score countries
Each country score is the average livability score across all cities we track there. City scores combine: affordability (25%), safety (25%), internet (15%), democracy (15%), English (10%), climate (10%), and economic stability (10%). Country-level data (democracy, peace index) is shared across cities in the same country.
Data: Numbeo · UNODC · EIU · World Bank · EF EPI · Ookla Speedtest
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best country for expats in 2026?▾
Denmark leads our rankings with a score of 84/100 — averaged across 1 cities we track. Not a vibe check, just math.
Top 5 best countries for expats?▾
#1 Denmark (84/100), #2 Romania (82/100), #3 Sweden (80/100), #4 Canada (78/100), #5 Taiwan (78/100). Each scored on cost, safety, democracy, internet, English, and climate.
Which top-ranked country is also affordable?▾
Egypt — average rent ~$215/mo across 1 cities. Cheap and livable — they exist, you just need a spreadsheet.
More ways to find your country