# Best Countries for Expats 2026

Where the WiFi works, the locals speak English, and nobody asks why you left.

## Ranking

| # | Country | Cities covered | Avg livability | Avg safety | Avg rent (1-bed, centre) | Avg monthly cost | English | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Finland | 1 | 85/100 | 89/100 | $1,210 | $2,888 | Very High | /cities/country/finland |
| 2 | Norway | 1 | 73/100 | 91/100 | $2,004 | $4,736 | Very High | /cities/country/norway |
| 3 | Denmark | 1 | 80/100 | 90/100 | $1,970 | $4,234 | Very High | /cities/country/denmark |
| 4 | Romania | 1 | 77/100 | 73/100 | $668 | $2,059 | High | /cities/country/romania |
| 5 | Sweden | 3 | 77/100 | 85/100 | $1,329 | $3,272 | Very High | /cities/country/sweden |
| 6 | Germany | 7 | 79/100 | 86/100 | $1,296 | $3,355 | Very High | /cities/country/germany |
| 7 | Slovenia | 1 | 77/100 | 86/100 | $1,118 | $2,916 | Very High | /cities/country/slovenia |
| 8 | Netherlands | 3 | 73/100 | 89/100 | $1,985 | $4,265 | Very High | /cities/country/netherlands |
| 9 | Singapore | 1 | 71/100 | 87/100 | $2,696 | $4,847 | Very High | /cities/country/singapore |
| 10 | Taiwan | 1 | 76/100 | 91/100 | $735 | $1,954 | Moderate | /cities/country/taiwan |
| 11 | Czech Republic | 1 | 78/100 | 83/100 | $1,228 | $2,981 | High | /cities/country/czech-republic |
| 12 | South Korea | 1 | 81/100 | 82/100 | $871 | $2,386 | Moderate | /cities/country/south-korea |
| 13 | Portugal | 5 | 76/100 | 83/100 | $1,358 | $2,975 | Very High | /cities/country/portugal |
| 14 | Estonia | 1 | 77/100 | 85/100 | $816 | $2,649 | High | /cities/country/estonia |
| 15 | Greece | 1 | 74/100 | 76/100 | $737 | $2,323 | High | /cities/country/greece |
| 16 | Malaysia | 1 | 73/100 | 68/100 | $690 | $1,748 | High | /cities/country/malaysia |
| 17 | Switzerland | 7 | 75/100 | 92/100 | $2,280 | $5,272 | High | /cities/country/switzerland |
| 18 | Poland | 2 | 75/100 | 82/100 | $1,100 | $2,714 | Very High | /cities/country/poland |
| 19 | Austria | 4 | 76/100 | 88/100 | $1,204 | $3,296 | Very High | /cities/country/austria |
| 20 | Slovakia | 2 | 72/100 | 80/100 | $1,042 | $2,615 | High | /cities/country/slovakia |
| 21 | France | 5 | 73/100 | 76/100 | $1,110 | $2,977 | Moderate | /cities/country/france |
| 22 | Hungary | 1 | 74/100 | 78/100 | $918 | $2,402 | High | /cities/country/hungary |
| 23 | Croatia | 1 | 70/100 | 78/100 | $1,077 | $2,875 | Very High | /cities/country/croatia |
| 24 | Serbia | 1 | 70/100 | 74/100 | $904 | $2,405 | High | /cities/country/serbia |
| 25 | Spain | 7 | 72/100 | 86/100 | $1,355 | $3,090 | Moderate | /cities/country/spain |

## FAQ

**undefined**

undefined

**undefined**

undefined

**undefined**

undefined

## How this is ranked

Drawn from 132 cities in the Townleap dataset. Scoring methodology: /methodology

---

Source: [Townleap](https://www.townleap.com/best/best-countries-for-expats) — permanent-relocation data for people picking a country to actually live in, not visit.

Cost figures are Numbeo-derived and in USD unless labelled otherwise. Economics are World Bank. Every number on this page is also on the HTML page at the same URL — this variant exists so you do not have to parse a React app to read a rent figure.