TaxAtlas

Best places to live · updated October 2026

The best places to live, weighing tax and everything else

Low tax is worth little if the healthcare is thin, the visa is impossible or the rent eats the saving. This ranking scores every jurisdiction in the atlas on eight factors that decide whether a move actually works, with newcomer tax regimes applied where they exist. Change the weights to match your own priorities and the ranking updates instantly.

53
places ranked
8
factors, re-weightable
18
newcomer tax regimes
  1. 185live score

    United Arab Emirates

    Dubai · top rate 0%

    Dubai combines zero personal income tax with fast, purchasable residency, world-class flight connections and very fast internet, which makes it the default base for globally mobile founders.

    TaxInternetWarm climate

    Summer heat above 40°C for four months, rising rents and a car-dependent, high-spend lifestyle quickly erode the tax saving.

  2. 277live score

    Thailand

    Bangkok · top rate 35% · Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa

    Thailand offers excellent private hospitals, very fast home internet and a low cost of living, with dedicated visas for remote workers and retirees.

    Warm climateTaxInternet

    Since 2024, foreign income remitted to Thailand is taxable for residents without LTR, and Bangkok heat and air pollution are serious drawbacks.

  3. 377live score

    Malta

    Sliema / St Julian's · top rate 35% · Non-Domiciled Status

    Malta combines English as an official language, EU membership, year-round sunshine and a long-standing non-dom remittance system.

    TaxEnglishHealthcare

    The island is crowded, construction is relentless, and traffic congestion is among the worst in Europe.

Live ranking

Every place, ranked your way

Tap a dot or a row. Tune the weights and the order changes with you.

OverallRemote workersRetireesFamiliesFoundersInvestorsOn a budgetHigh tax, with breaks
The life mapTap a dot
Sweet spotPaying for qualityLow tax, trade-offs
← Heavier taxLighter tax →

Up = better quality of life (every factor except tax). Dashed lines show how far a newcomer regime moves a country.

Europe Asia Oceania Middle East Africa Caribbean North America South America
  1. 1United Arab EmiratesDubai · ~$4,500/mo · Top rate 0%85score
  2. 2ThailandBangkok · ~$1,900/mo · Top rate 35%Long-Term Resident Visa · 17% on covered income77score
  3. 3MaltaSliema / St Julian's · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 35%Non-Domiciled Status · 0% on covered income77score
  4. 4SingaporeSingapore · ~$5,500/mo · Top rate 24%77score
  5. 5QatarDoha · ~$4,000/mo · Top rate 0%76score
  6. 6BahrainManama · ~$3,000/mo · Top rate 0%75score
  7. 7Hong KongHong Kong · ~$5,500/mo · Top rate 17%75score
  8. 8PortugalLisbon · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 48%IFICI · 20% on covered income74score
  9. 9OmanMuscat · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 0 (5% from 2028)74score
  10. 10KuwaitKuwait City · ~$3,000/mo · Top rate 0%74score
  11. 11MalaysiaKuala Lumpur · ~$1,800/mo · Top rate 30%74score
  12. 12BruneiBandar Seri Begawan · ~$2,200/mo · Top rate 0%74score
  13. 13CyprusLimassol · ~$3,200/mo · Top rate 35%Non-Dom Regime · 0% on covered income74score
  14. 14Antigua & BarbudaSt John's · ~$3,500/mo · Top rate 0%73score
  15. 15PanamaPanama City · ~$2,600/mo · Top rate 25%73score

Bars, left to right: Tax · Low cost · Safety · Healthcare · English · Internet · Warmth · Visa access.

High tax, with a way in

Expensive on paper, cheaper for newcomers

Some of the best places to live have high headline rates and generous regimes for new arrivals. Here is how much a qualifying newcomer can cut.

All 14 regimes

Method

How this ranking works

  • Tax counts most, but no single factor can carry a country on its own
  • Newcomer regimes (Beckham Law, IFICI, UK FIG, the 30% ruling and similar) are applied, because they are how most people moving into high-tax countries are actually taxed
  • Safety and healthcare are weighted above lifestyle factors
  • Residency access matters: a country you cannot legally move to is not an option
FactorWeight
TaxPersonal tax score, with newcomer regimes applied where you would qualify×3
Cost of livingLower everyday and rent costs score higher×1.5
SafetyInformed by the Global Peace Index and crime surveys×2
HealthcareCoverage, quality and access to private care×2
EnglishHow easy daily life and admin are in English×1
InternetMedian fixed broadband speed×1
Warm climateAnnual mean temperature in the main expat city×1
Residency accessHow open legal residency is to a non-local applicant×1.5

Tax scores come from the Tax Atlas dataset (see methodology). Quality-of-life factors are editorial composite ratings for comparison, informed by public indices (Numbeo, the Global Peace Index, WHO service coverage, EF English Proficiency, Ookla Speedtest) and official visa pages. Regime-adjusted tax assumes you qualify. Not tax or immigration advice.

All 31 sources

Questions

Frequently asked

What is the best country to live in for low tax and a high quality of life?+

On the default weights, the countries that combine low personal tax with strong safety, healthcare and infrastructure score highest. The live ranking on this page is computed from the Tax Atlas dataset, so the order reflects current data rather than an editorial pick. Adjust the weights to see how the answer changes for you.

Can I live in a high-tax country and still pay less tax?+

Often, yes, for the first years. Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, the UK, the Netherlands and others run regimes for new residents that cut the rate on some or all income for a fixed period. Eligibility rules are strict, so the regime-adjusted score assumes you qualify. See the high-tax countries with tax breaks ranking for the details.

How is the Live Score calculated?+

Each of the eight factors is normalised to a 0-100 scale. The Live Score is the weighted average using the weights shown. Tax comes from the Tax Atlas personal tax score; the other factors are editorial composite ratings informed by public indices such as the Global Peace Index, WHO service coverage data, the EF English Proficiency Index and the Ookla Speedtest Global Index.

More rankings

Best places to live for…

Need help turning the data into a plan?

TaxAtlas covers the rates and rules. For the personal side — exit planning, residency strategy, business structure, or filings — request a response and we'll point you to relevant research or a vetted specialist.

Get help