Best Countries to Live In 2026
Every country scored on cost, safety, democracy, internet, and climate. The spreadsheet your gut feeling was too proud to make.
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Finland
1 city~$1210/mo rent, 227 Mbps, full democracy. The data says yes.
South Korea
1 city~$871/mo rent, 182 Mbps, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Denmark
1 city~$1970/mo rent, 245 Mbps, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Germany
7 cities~$1296/mo rent, 157 Mbps, full democracy. The data says yes.
Czech Republic
1 city~$1228/mo rent, 137 Mbps, full democracy. The data says yes.
Estonia
1 city~$816/mo rent, 112 Mbps, full democracy. The data says yes.
Romania
1 city~$668/mo rent, 255 Mbps. The data says yes.
Sweden
3 cities~$1329/mo rent, 146 Mbps, full democracy. The data says yes.
Slovenia
1 city~$1118/mo rent, 130 Mbps, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Austria
3 cities~$1204/mo rent, 101 Mbps, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Canada
3 cities~$1631/mo rent, 140 Mbps, full democracy. The data says yes.
Portugal
5 cities~$1358/mo rent, 149 Mbps, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Poland
2 cities~$1100/mo rent, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Switzerland
7 cities~$2280/mo rent, 303 Mbps, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Greece
1 city~$737/mo rent, full democracy. The data says yes.
Hungary
1 city~$918/mo rent, extremely safe. The data says yes.
France
5 cities~$1110/mo rent, 162 Mbps. The data says yes.
Malaysia
1 city~$690/mo rent, 135 Mbps, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Netherlands
3 cities~$1985/mo rent, 120 Mbps, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Taiwan
1 city~$735/mo rent, 142 Mbps, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Slovakia
2 cities~$1042/mo rent. The data says yes.
Spain
7 cities~$1355/mo rent, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Japan
1 city~$1359/mo rent, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Norway
1 city~$2004/mo rent, 258 Mbps, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Singapore
1 city~$2696/mo rent, 279 Mbps, extremely safe. The data says yes.
New Zealand
1 city~$991/mo rent, full democracy. The data says yes.
Serbia
1 city~$904/mo rent. The data says yes.
Ireland
2 cities~$2264/mo rent, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Italy
4 cities~$1384/mo rent, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Croatia
1 city~$1077/mo rent, extremely safe. The data says yes.
Armenia
1 city~$680/mo rent. The data says yes.
Australia
3 cities~$2198/mo rent, 114 Mbps, full democracy, extremely safe. The data says yes.
United Kingdom
4 cities~$2054/mo rent, full democracy. The data says yes.
Georgia
2 cities~$571/mo rent. The data says yes.
India
2 cities~$246/mo rent. The data says yes.
Vietnam
1 city~$475/mo rent, 245 Mbps. The data says yes.
China
3 cities~$903/mo rent, 242 Mbps, extremely safe. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Indonesia
1 city~$1082/mo rent, extremely safe. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Costa Rica
3 cities~$866/mo rent, 134 Mbps, full democracy. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Israel
3 cities~$1723/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Morocco
1 city~$495/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Argentina
1 city~$767/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Thailand
3 cities~$625/mo rent, 110 Mbps. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
United Arab Emirates
1 city~$2288/mo rent, 378 Mbps, extremely safe. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Kazakhstan
1 city~$756/mo rent, 133 Mbps. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Brazil
2 cities~$644/mo rent, 143 Mbps. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Hong Kong
1 city~$2225/mo rent, extremely safe. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Uzbekistan
1 city~$609/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Turkey
1 city~$1070/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
United States
11 cities~$2470/mo rent, 177 Mbps. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Panama
2 cities2 cities tracked. A solid all-rounder.
Egypt
1 city~$215/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Colombia
1 city~$703/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
South Africa
1 city~$1026/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Mexico
8 cities~$1006/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
Russia
2 cities~$1203/mo rent. Not perfect, but the bones are good.
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 to live in in 2026?▾
Finland leads our rankings with a score of 85/100 — averaged across 1 cities we track. Not a vibe check, just math.
Top 5 best countries to live in?▾
#1 Finland (85/100), #2 South Korea (81/100), #3 Denmark (80/100), #4 Germany (79/100), #5 Czech Republic (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.
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