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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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/