1🇲🇺
Port Louis
Mauritius
Score5/7~$1,680
0 to 20% progressive (max 20%) · Tropical island · nomad visa
City ranking
Best cities for expats
The top expat destinations, scored on six factual attributes, with safety weighted double: cost of living, tax, remote-work visa, safety, English and climate. Cheapest ties first.
Take the 2-minute quiz →2🇭🇷
Split
Croatia
Score5/7~$2,080
Progressive 15 to 33% (municipal rates) · Mediterranean · nomad visa
3🇻🇳
Da Nang
Vietnam
Score4/7~$1,120
5 to 35% progressive · Tropical monsoon
4🇲🇾
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Score4/7~$1,160
0% on unremitted foreign income; DE Rantau nomad visa · Tropical · nomad visa
5🇲🇾
Penang
Malaysia
Score4/7~$1,200
0% on unremitted foreign income; MM2H long-stay visa · Tropical island · nomad visa
Score4/7~$1,280
5-year digital nomad visa, 0% on foreign income · Tropical · nomad visa
7🇵🇭
Manila
Philippines
Score4/7~$1,360
Progressive 0-35% · Tropical · nomad visa
8🇿🇦
Johannesburg
South Africa
Score4/7~$1,440
Progressive 18 to 45%; national rate · Subtropical highland · nomad visa
9🇿🇦
Cape Town
South Africa
Score4/7~$1,520
Progressive 18 to 45%; national rate · Mediterranean · nomad visa
Score4/7~$2,080
15%, then 23% above ~€72,000 · Continental · nomad visa
11🇱🇹
Vilnius
Lithuania
Score4/7~$2,080
Progressive tax up to 32% · Continental
12🇸🇮
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Score4/7~$2,240
Progressive tax up to 50% · Continental · nomad visa
13🇲🇹
Valletta
Malta
Score4/7~$2,320
0 to 35% progressive (Global Residence: 15%) · Mediterranean · nomad visa
14🇪🇪
Tallinn
Estonia
Score4/7~$2,560
Flat 22% · Cold continental · nomad visa
Score4/7~$2,560
0% personal income tax · Hot desert · nomad visa
Score4/7~$2,840
0 to 24% progressive (max) · Tropical
17🇺🇸
Denver
United States
Score4/7~$3,760
Colorado flat 4.4% · Semi-arid
Score4/7~$6,240
0% personal income tax (residents) · Mediterranean
Score3/7~$1,120
5 to 35% progressive (remitted foreign income taxed since 2024) · Tropical hot · nomad visa
20🇹🇭
Chiang Mai
Thailand
Score3/7~$1,120
5 to 35% progressive (remitted foreign income taxed since 2024) · Tropical mild · nomad visa
21🇹🇭
Phuket
Thailand
Score3/7~$1,120
5 to 35% progressive (remitted foreign income taxed since 2024) · Tropical · nomad visa
22🇮🇩
Jakarta
Indonesia
Score3/7~$1,200
Progressive 5 to 35% · Tropical · nomad visa
23🇰🇪
Nairobi
Kenya
Score3/7~$1,400
Progressive tax up to 35% · Temperate highland · nomad visa
24🇬🇪
Tbilisi
Georgia
Score3/7~$1,440
20% flat (1% small-business regime for some) · Continental mild · nomad visa
25🇧🇬
Sofia
Bulgaria
Score3/7~$1,600
Flat 10% · Continental · nomad visa
Scored on six factual attributes, with safety or livability weighted double (2 points) and every other worth one, each drawn from our data: affordable cost of living, low personal tax, a remote-work visa, safety, English usable, and a warm climate. Cost index is anchored to New York = 100; budgets are indicative monthly estimates for one person. This is a starting point, not a recommendation.
Browse by what matters to you
Which of these fits you?
Answer 6 questions and get your own top 3 ranked by budget, tax, climate and lifestyle.
Take the quiz →Questions
How is this ranking built?
Each city earns one point per factual attribute it carries in our data (affordable cost of living, low personal tax, a remote-work visa, English usable, a warm climate) and two points for safety or livability, which expats and families weigh most. The list is sorted by that score (out of 7), ties broken by cost of living. It is a transparent shortlist, not an editorial opinion.
What is the best city to live abroad?
It depends on your budget, tax situation, language and priorities, which is why we rank by factual attributes rather than pick one winner. Use the 2-minute quiz for a top 3 matched to your own answers.
Which are the cheapest cities for expats?
The most affordable destinations in our data sit in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. Sort any city by cost of living, or use the budget calculator to model your own numbers.
These figures are indicative and based on public datasets. They are not the opinion of a tax lawyer. Consult a tax lawyer, a chartered accountant or a licensed financial professional before making relocation or employment decisions.