Taking the plunge and moving abroad is an exciting but nerve-wracking prospect. Perhaps you’re chasing a better quality of life, or yearn to experience different cultures and raise resilient, bilingual children. Perhaps you’ve been offered a transfer within your company, or you’re a digital nomad ready to pack in the nine-to-five and live a life others can only dream of.
Best and worst lists -can be useful if you’re deciding on where your next move will be (or wishing Google would miraculously make the decision for you). But the empirical data that informs these lists can be subjective. Keep in mind what’s important to you and your family's wellbeing as you read them, because everyone’s experience is different. You can be miserable in a country expats rave about, and you can live your best life in a country everyone else has written off. That’s the magic of living abroad, it’s what you make of it.
For this reason, we have chosen to use the Internations Expat Insider 2024 survey. It’s one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad and provides insights into expat life in 53 destinations by offering in-depth information on the respondents’ satisfaction with their respective countries in these five indices: Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, Personal Finance, and the Expat Essentials Index, which covers housing, administration, language and digital life.
Currently in its tenth year, the Expat Insider 2024 draws on the lived experience of 12,500 respondents who represent 175 nationalities and live in 174 countries or territories around the world.
Let’s dive right in. Here are the five best countries for expats:
Coming in at number one on the list of best countries for expats is Panama. With a warm climate and excellent infrastructure compared to other Central American countries, Panama is an attractive place to live for retirees, digital nomads and families.
Good infrastructure. Attractive to retirees and global nomads. Affordable housing.
Scores lower for quality of life and career prospects.
One area expats say Panama doesn’t come out on top for is the Quality of Life Index, where it ranked 16th. High poverty rates and long commute times are a part of life in Panama, especially in the cities. Panama also scores in the bottom half of the Career Prospects subcategory of the Expat Insider survey, which means the country probably appeals more to retirees and digital nomads whose clients may be international.
If you have the flexibility to live and work anywhere in the country and are relocating to take advantage of a low cost of living, immense natural beauty and live in a community of people who’ll treat you like their own, Panama may be the place for you.
Panama has a public healthcare system which is open to expats. According to Statista, Panama’s health system ranks 57th out of 167 countries surveyed, somewhat below European and US standards. Expats state long waiting times and say hospitals are short-staffed. On the other hand, private hospitals are first class, often with affiliations to US hospitals. Medical care is excellent, and the facilities are modern. For this reason, most expats moving to Panama opt to take out international health insurance.
The low cost of living is a big plus to moving to Panama. Comparing it to typical costs in fully developed countries, the cost of living is 25.9% less than the UK and 34.3% lower than in the US. In particular, housing, transportation and utilities are much cheaper, which makes up for relatively smaller savings on food and drinks. You can explore detailed costs and compare the cost of living in the capital, Panama City, with your current location her.
One area expats say Panama doesn’t come out on top for is the Quality of Life Index, where it ranked 16th. High poverty rates and long commute times are a part of life in Panama, especially in the cities. Panama also scores in the bottom half of the Career Prospects subcategory of the Expat Insider survey, which means the country probably appeals more to retirees and digital nomads whose clients may be international.
If you have the flexibility to live and work anywhere in the country and are relocating to take advantage of a low cost of living, immense natural beauty and live in a community of people who’ll treat you like their own, Panama may be the place for you
It may surprise you to learn that Mexico consistently ranks as one of the best countries to relocate to and clinches the second spot in the 2024 Internations Expat Insider survey. A welcoming culture, low cost of living and warm climate are some of its major drawcards.
A welcoming culture. Low cost of living. Warm climate.
Crime levels.
This Spanish speaking country has a population of 130 million, making it the tenth most populated country in the world. It’s a country of geographical extremes: mountainous in the centre, arid desert in the north and dense rainforest in the east and south. And we can’t forget the incredible beaches.
Expats love the work-life balance, friendly culture and affordable housing options. In 2024, Mexico ranked second in Internations’ Ease of Settling In Index, with expats saying they value the way they’re accepted by locals and how quickly they feel at home in their culture.
According to Numbeo, the cost of living in Mexico is relatively low: for example, on average it’s 33.4% lower than in the UK, with rent 48.6% cheaper. Similarly, Mexico is 40.7% cheaper than the United States, and accommodation is 61.3% lower. You can compare your own city’s cost of living with that of Mexico City here.
According to International Living, healthcare in Mexico is generally of a high standard. Citizens and legal residents have access to public healthcare, which is delivered according to a two-tier system. There’s access to basic coverage, known as Instituto de Salud para el Biernestar (INSABI), and comprehensive coverage, known as Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). IMSS began in 2022 to cover those who fall short of INSABI coverage, namely those on very low incomes or with pre-existing conditions. Theoretically, everyone should be covered by one of these two tiers.
According to the Center for Global Development (CDD), Mexico’s public health system faces challenges such as long waiting times, delays in referrals from primary care to diagnostic services and overcrowding in hospitals. Furthermore, expats who aren’t fluent in Spanish may face a language barrier. Many expats in Mexico prefer the peace of mind and convenience of international health insurance. Mexico has a reputation of being a medical destination and as such, private hospitals are excellent. Doctors are highly trained, often in the US or Europe, and speak English so there’s no language barrier.
Improving their quality of life is a major deciding factor for expats who are looking to move abroad. This is the one area where Mexico slips slightly, mostly due to the high levels of crime. Mexico ranks 45th for political stability, and 18% of expats said they feel unsafe living there. However, when weighed up against the many positives Mexico has to offer, 90% of expats said they felt an overall sense of happiness living in this vibrant and welcoming country.
If a jam-packed social life, low cost of living and a welcoming culture is what you’re after, Mexico could be the place for you.
Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, with more than 280 million people scattered across more than 17,000 islands. But it ranks one place higher, in third, on Internations’ Expat Insider survey for 2024.
Friendly locals, very low cost of living, English widely spoken.
Relatively poor healthcare system.
More than half of the population live on the island of Java, people are generally happy, warm and welcoming to others. This is just one of the selling points that makes this unique tropical nation so appealing to expats.
Indonesia benefits from a cost of living that is a fraction of the West and warm weather all year round. Add in the fact that most Indonesians also speak English and it can be a very easy and fun country for expats to settle in.
Healthcare is one of the areas where Indonesia struggles: according to Internations, it ranks 48th out of 53 countries in that metric. Most of the reason for this finding is that there’s a lack of good healthcare infrastructure and long waiting times for treatment, especially outside Jakarta.
As most expats will find themselves living in the capital or other major urban centres, the effect of this should be lessened somewhat. Nevertheless, taking out healthcare in Indonesia that allows access to private medical facilities is strongly recommended for all expats planning to move here.
Living costs are very low in Indonesia compared to most big cities in developed economies. For example, renting in the capital, Jakarta, is 81.6% cheaper than it is in London and the general cost of living, excluding rent, is 63.5% cheaper. You can compare Jakarta living costs to those in your own home city here.
More than half of the population live on the island of Java, people are generally happy, warm and welcoming to others. This is just one of the selling points that makes this unique tropical nation so appealing to expats.
Indonesia benefits from a cost of living that is a fraction of the West and warm weather all year round. Add in the fact that most Indonesians also speak English and it can be a very easy and fun country for expats to settle in.
If you’ve fallen in love with Latin culture but are put off by the political instability of Mexico, you’ll be glad to know that Spain is the second-best country to relocate to. Expats love the wide array of leisure and sporting opportunities Spain has to offer due to its warm climate, as well as its welcoming culture.
Excellent leisure opportunities. Welcoming culture.
Career prospects.
Perched on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, Spain is made up of 17 autonomous regions, each with diverse culture and geography. Mountains, beaches, history, food, it's all there to be enjoyed. The population of Spain is 47.4 million. Spanish is the predominant language; however, autonomous communities have their own languages. For example, Catalan in Catalonia and Basque in the Basque Country.
The major drawcard for expats in Spain is the quality of life. According to Expat Insider, Spain ranks 11th for Ease of Settling In and expats feel at home quickly in Spanish society and value the friendliness that infuses Spanish culture.
Healthcare in Spain is generally excellent. As a resident, you’ll have access to free public healthcare, along with 99% of the population. Working residents contribute to the healthcare system through social security contributions. Basic care and prescriptions are free, but if you require specialist medical care, you may face additional costs. For this reason, many residents also choose to top up with private health insurance.
Who doesn’t love a warm climate with a lower cost of living? According to Numbeo, Spain represents a decent saving in general living costs: for example, it’s 25.6% cheaper than the UK, and 32.1% lower than the US. Rent is substantially lower in Spain: 26.9% lower than the UK and 44.8% lower than the US. And with fresh food more affordable too, Spain definitely appeals to expats who value a healthy, outdoor lifestyle. For further information, explore these links on the typical cost of living in Madrid and Barcelona compared to your location.
Education in Spain is generally considered to be of a high standard. If you’re an expat looking for your children to become fluent in Spanish in the local public school system, you’ll be glad to know that public schools in Spain are free for everyone, including expat kids. On the other hand, if you plan to move to Spain for a shorter time, or your children are too old to switch tuition language, there are many private, semi-private and international schools that will deliver top notch education in English. These are fee-paying but cost comparatively less than many private and international schools across the rest of Europe.
The Internations Expat Insider survey indicates that expats don’t feel moving to Spain improved their career prospects – it ranks 41st out of 53 countries in that metric. Expats also don’t think the local job market is particularly buoyant. However, when weighed against the low cost of living and the overall happiness expats feel living in Spain, all indications are that a lack of career progression hasn’t put them off moving to this vibrant country.
For those chasing the sun and a laid-back lifestyle, coupled with low living costs and good education, Spain has it all. No wonder it's one of the best countries to relocate to for expats.
You might be a little surprised to see Colombia enter at number five on this list, given the well-documented issues of crime and violence in its relatively recent past. But times have changed.
Welcoming attitude to expats. Excellent healthcare by global standards.
Low-level crime. Can be challenging if you don’t speak Spanish.
Expats and tourists alike are flocking to this Latin American gem, and are finding very low living costs, excellent healthcare and a very welcoming population of around 53 million people.
Colombia is a country where expats are generally welcomed warmly by the general population and are able to integrate well. Colombia ranks in the top ten of every metric in Internations’ Ease of Settling In subcategory, while they have also found that only 14% of expats in Colombia stick with other expats in their social circles.
According to the World Health Organization, Colombia has the best healthcare system of any Latin American country. As with many lower and middle-income nations, healthcare provision is much better and easily accessible in big cities than it is in rural areas, but this should suit most expats who will naturally lean towards urban living.
Healthcare provision is affordable thanks to its national health insurance-based system. Expats are legally required to take out their own private cover, but this can give you faster and better care, and in some cases access to multilingual staff. This cover will typically cost anywhere between US$40 and US$100 a month.
Its tropical location means that most of Colombia can be affected by diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever, so vaccination and treatment against these and other health risks is advised.
Living costs in Colombia are a small fraction of what you would expect to pay in major Western cities, which works very well for expats moving on a typical Western salary.
Rental costs in the capital Bogota are 86.1% cheaper than in London and overall living costs, excluding rent, are 66.7% cheaper. You can explore comparisons between Bogota and your own city here.
While Colombia is a much safer country than it was when drug trafficking and a civil war dominated in the past, there can still be some safety risks. Internations ranks Colombia 46th out of 53 in terms of safety and security. The larger cities such as Bogota and Cartagena are generally good places to live as long as you’re sensible and aware of your surroundings, as theft and pickpocketing remains an issue, especially at night. Many governments advise their citizens against travel to some rural areas of the country, including the area near the border with Venezuela.
The five worst countries for expats are the countries that scored lowest overall on the Internations Expat Insider 2023 survey. Being relegated to the bottom five doesn’t, however, mean that these countries are a no-go for expats. In fact, there are thriving expat communities in all of them.
So, let’s take a look at the five worst countries to move to.
The worst place to move to as an expat is: Kuwait. The country is a regular feature at the bottom of the Internations Expat Insider surveys. In fact, it’s languished there for ten years. So, what makes Kuwait so challenging for expats?
Beautiful beaches. Good travel opportunities.
Affordability and access to healthcare. Challenging to settle in.
The worst place to move to as an expat is: Kuwait. The country is a regular feature at the bottom of the Internations Expat Insider surveys. In fact, it’s languished there for ten years. So, what makes Kuwait so challenging for expats?
Kuwait is a small country on the Arabian Peninsula. Wedged between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, its population stands at 4.3 million. Interestingly, a mere 1.5 million of its population are Kuwaiti citizens, the vast majority are foreign nationals.
Kuwait scores poorly across the board. It comes last for quality of life. Expats say they’re unhappy with their leisure options and the lack of freedom of expression is felt keenly. Expats say the availability, affordability and quality of healthcare falls below expected standards.
On a day-to-day level, expats say Kuwait is a less welcoming country and only 28% of expats say they have a personal support system there.
On the work front, expats feel underpaid considering how difficult it is to live in Kuwait, and this is compounded by a lack of flexibility by employers. Expats find the cost of living high, although it measures up more favourably when compared to the West: for example, it is 31.9% lower than the UK and 41.6% lower than the US.
Kuwait is said to offer some of the best healthcare in the Gulf region. Public healthcare is available, and hospitals are of a modern standard with highly trained doctors. A private healthcare system runs alongside the public, and private hospitals in Kuwait are of an excellent standard. Sometimes even better than state hospitals.
There is, however, an increasing divide between the public and private sectors. As an expat in Kuwait, you’ll technically have access to public healthcare provided you pay an annual fee – which may be why it made the best and worst healthcare systems for expats. However, the Kuwaiti government has begun actively encouraging expats to use private healthcare facilities due to an overburdened public system.
For this reason, many expats choose to invest in international health insurance for peace of mind, shorter waiting times and guaranteed access.
Despite being ranked as the worst country to move to as an expat, Kuwait actually does have many things going for it as an expat location.
The biggest draw is zero income tax. Expats often move to Kuwait with the intention of building their personal wealth and investments. The standard of living in Kuwait is extremely high. Expats enjoy having access to beautiful retail complexes and other modern comforts. Housing is easy to find, and more than half of expats in Kuwait say they can get by without speaking the local language.
Kuwait has many magnificent sandy beaches and alluring desert landscapes. Camping in the desert is a popular weekend activity in the cooler months.
In countries with limited leisure facilities such as Kuwait, the close-knit expat communities often make up for it with social gatherings at home. There are many social clubs and expats in Kuwait enjoy their social lives.
Turkey, where east meets west, a moniker the country embodies culturally and geographically. Hovering on the fringes of Europe, Turkey can be both cosmopolitan and traditional, modern and entrenched in age old ideals. It was once the pinnacle of civilisation, and a favoured expat destination. But in the Expat Insider 2024 survey, it was ranked as the second worst place for expats to move to.
A welcoming culture. Good travel opportunities.
Work-life balance. High inflation.
Turkey straddles two continents, Asia and Europe. The historic city of Istanbul is cleaved in two by the glittering Bosphorus Strait. Two thousand years ago fishing boats plied its waters. Today, fishing boats are outnumbered by container ships, navy warships, pleasure boats and the odd dolphin. Ankara is the nation’s capital. The population of Turkey is 86.2 million, 1.5 million of which are expats.
Turkey has perhaps been slightly hard done by to be ranked so poorly. Expats mostly lament the economic downturn of recent years. This, combined with poor job prospects and low comparative wages, means Turkey ranks last (53rd) in the Working Abroad Index. The work-life balance is not ideal, and expats feel like they’re working long hours with little career progression. Flexible and agile working has not been embraced as readily in Turkey and expats feel the business culture is inflexible.
Traffic in the bigger cities, especially Istanbul, is a real bugbear with locals and expats alike. A journey that would take 20 minutes without traffic could take three hours at peak times. The final concern relates to the political situation in Turkey, which is something many expats keep an eye on. Turkey currently ranks 52nd for safety and security out of the 53 countries included in the Expat Insider 2024 survey.
The standard of healthcare in Turkey varies and there’s a substantial difference between the effectiveness and comfort of public and private systems. If you’re moving to Turkey, you may register for public healthcare only once you’ve been resident for 12 months and contributed to the fund during that time. For your first year as an expat in Turkey, you’ll need international health insurance.
Like many expats, you may choose to continue with private health insurance even after you’ve lived in Turkey for a year. In comparison to many local hospitals, private medical facilities are outstanding. Medical tourism is booming and as such, Turkey has invested in state-of-the-art private medical facilities.
Besides living in a country bursting at the seams with ancient history? Yes, there are some positives to living in Turkey. Expats say they found settling into life relatively easy. Turkish culture is very welcoming and expat communities are easy to find and become a part of.
Travelling around Turkey is easy and the roads are good, which means expats can get away for the weekend or fly to one of the many beach resorts on the east coast. Turkey is a short flight away from Europe and perfectly placed for convenient travel to Africa and Asia.
No, you really are reading this right – the country that has topped the World Happiness Report every year since 2018 is the third-worst country to move to for expats.
Excellent digital lifestyle. Pleasant environment.
Difficult to make friends. Cold weather. Poor career prospects.
No, you really are reading this right – the country that has topped the World Happiness Report every year since 2018 is the third-worst country to move to for expats.
There are lots of factors behind this, such as high living costs and some linguistic barriers in this Scandinavian country of around 5.6 million people. But an insular attitude among the locals, and some very cold and dark winters, mean that incomers can find Finland a very lonely place to live.
It’s often been said that many people in Scandinavia live relatively quiet and individual lifestyles, without much need for socialising – and that’s something that hits expats in Finland particularly hard.
The country scores poorly with Internations across its Ease of Settling In parameters: sixth from bottom for Local Friendliness; third from bottom for Culture & Welcome; and second from the bottom for Finding Friends. The northerly climate doesn’t help matters, as winter can be very cold and very dark. In December, for example, Helsinki gets less than six hours of light each day.
Another commonly cited issue from the Internations report was career prospects: Finland ranked last of all for both the local job market and for personal career opportunities.
The overall standard of healthcare in Finland is reasonably good – if you can access it. As many as 80% of Finns have reported waiting times of more than two weeks to get a doctor’s appointment. The healthcare system and its management are also devolved to municipal level, meaning arrangements and treatment quality can vary substantially from one region to another.
If you are an EU or EEA citizen settling permanently in Finland, then you’ll be able to apply for a Kela card that gives you access to the healthcare system. Otherwise, you’ll be required to take out private health insurance to ensure peace of mind whilst living in Finland.
Finland is a beautiful country that is also very clean and tidy, and therefore is well-suited to those who like outdoor activities. From hiking in the summer to cross-country skiing in the winter. While many people find the language barrier difficult, as Finnish is a particularly unusual language that can be difficult to learn, around 70% of Finns speak English, which can help in the initial stages.
It may surprise you to see Germany as the fifth worst country for expats. Germany comes in 50th out of 53 countries in the Expat Insider 2024 survey. Expats in Germany seem to be among some of the unhappiest and loneliest in the world.
Good job security. Quality of life.
Slow bureaucracy. Housing shortage.
Germany is the second largest country in Europe, second only to Russia and has the second largest population of 83.2 million. Typified by mountainous regions, pristine forests and glassy lakes, it seems Germany’s natural beauty isn’t enough to offset its other shortcomings.
Expats say Germany is a difficult culture to settle into, ranking it 51st out of 53 countries. Expats express frustration at slow bureaucracy and how the lack of digitalisation makes everything from visa applications to opening a bank account an exercise in patience.
Expats lament how hard it is to make friends in Germany, and many say they’re not happy with their social life. On top of this, the housing market is going through a tough time with a shortage of apartments in most German cities, and house prices plummeting. This would be good news for buyers were it not for record level interest rates on mortgages.
Healthcare in Germany is considered to be of an excellent standard with modern facilities and highly skilled medical practitioners. In Germany, some form of medical insurance is compulsory, and residents can choose between the public health insurance scheme called the gesetzliche krankenversicherung (GKV), or private healthcare cover. Local private health insurance called PKV (private krankenversicherung).
The cost of GKV health insurance depends on your salary and employers will contribute 50%. PKV health insurance is only available if you earn over €66,600 and applications are assessed according to medical risk.
A third option, and one that many expats opt for, is private medical insurance. This ensures you have access to Germany’s quality private healthcare services and can also be used to top up your local GKV health insurance.
Expats say their quality of life is fairly good. This is due to Germany’s beautiful natural environment. Perhaps the best thing about living in Germany is its excellent travel opportunities. A few hours' drive in any direction will take you to Poland, Austria, France or the Netherlands. And in a few more, you’ll be in Spain, the second-best place in the world to live!
Canada has long been a country where many have travelled to in search of a better life, taking advantage of English being widely spoken, a modern and developed economy, and plenty of space. So, it may be somewhat of a surprise to see Canada rank so poorly among today’s expats.
Picturesque scenery. Rich and varied culture.
Overloaded healthcare system. High living costs. Cold weather.
The reasons that this nation of around 41 million scores doesn’t score so well is for a few reasons, healthcare problems and high cost of living in particular.
One of the main drivers for expats moving abroad is to enjoy a good quality of life far cheaper than they could get at home.
While quality of life can be reasonable in Canada, it ranks last with Internations when it comes to personal finance. The same report found that 53% of expats can’t live a comfortable life with their disposable income. For example, food and groceries are even more expensive in Toronto than they are in London. Canada’s northerly location means that, although it gets some warm weather in the summer, winters can be extremely cold and snowy.
Canada ranks fifth from last in healthcare in the Internations survey, largely down to hospitals and ambulance services that are struggling to cope with demand. Canada has 63% fewer hospital beds per head of population than it did in 1976, while prescription costs are also very high by global standards.
Expats are allowed to access Canada’s universal healthcare system, Medicare, as long as they are studying and/or working in Canada for at least six months. This also only kicks in after an expat has been in Canada for three months. There are also variations from one province to another. It’s strongly advised to take out private medical cover, both for the first three months of the stay and on an ongoing basis to circumvent the issues in the public healthcare system.
On the plus side, Canada is a modern country that is well known for a rich and vibrant culture. While English is the primary language in most of the country, the province of Quebec is renowned for being French in its language and cultural influence, which gives expats plenty of choice.
Canada is also known as being a very ‘outdoorsy’ country where getting exercise in the fresh air and in the picturesque countryside is extremely popular. Transport links into all the big cities of the USA and across Europe are available.
We chose to use the Internations Expat Insider survey because it reflects the empirical opinions of expats in over 174 countries. Who better to ask than expats themselves?
The survey gathers data from more than 12,500 expats worldwide, who represent 175 nationalities, live in 174 countries or territories and who all share their opinions on everyday life abroad. They rated up to 56 aspects of expat life, such as the cost of living, the availability of housing, their social life, career prospects, and the quality of medical care.
There are many other surveys out there, but they rely on statistical data and don’t paint a picture of what it’s like living in that country on a day-to-day basis.
So, there you have it! The five best and five worst countries to relocate to as an expat. The top five countries all have a few things in common: they’re friendly towards foreigners, have great weather, plenty to do and a culture that’s easy to adjust to. On the other hand, expats who live in the bottom five countries say that integration has not been as easy and they have faced challenges settling in.
No matter the location, expats value quality of life, a reasonable cost of living, and good healthcare. In countries where public healthcare is lacking or not open to foreigners, many expats choose to invest in international health insurance to ensure their medical needs are covered. At AXA - Global Healthcare, we can provide all the cover you need, wherever you’re planning to move to. To find out more, visit International Health Insurance: AXA - Global Healthcare.
Remember to use these lists as a springboard for your own research. Good luck on your next expat adventure!
Local insights have been provided by Oban International’s LIME (Local In-Market Expert) network: https://obaninternational.com/lime-network/