TaxAtlas

Best places to live · updated October 2026

Best places to live in Asia-Pacific

Territorial systems, city-states and long-stay visa programmes. Ranked on tax plus seven quality-of-life factors, with newcomer tax regimes applied.

9
places ranked
8
factors, re-weightable
18
newcomer tax regimes
  1. 177live 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.

  2. 277live score

    Singapore

    Singapore · top rate 24%

    Singapore pairs a 24% top rate and territorial taxation with top-tier safety, healthcare, schools and the fastest internet in the world.

    InternetWarm climateEnglish

    Rents and car ownership are extremely expensive, and residency is almost entirely tied to high-salary employment or very large investments.

  3. 375live score

    Hong Kong

    Hong Kong · top rate 17%

    Hong Kong keeps a low, territorial salaries tax, excellent public transport and dense connections to mainland China and Asia.

    InternetTaxWarm climate

    Apartments are tiny and very expensive, and the post-2020 political climate is a material consideration for some residents.

Live ranking

All of Asia-Pacific, ranked

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.

Asia Oceania
  1. 1ThailandBangkok · ~$1,900/mo · Top rate 35%Long-Term Resident Visa · 17% on covered income77score
  2. 2SingaporeSingapore · ~$5,500/mo · Top rate 24%77score
  3. 3Hong KongHong Kong · ~$5,500/mo · Top rate 17%75score
  4. 4MalaysiaKuala Lumpur · ~$1,800/mo · Top rate 30%74score
  5. 5BruneiBandar Seri Begawan · ~$2,200/mo · Top rate 0%74score
  6. 6PhilippinesManila (Makati / BGC) · ~$1,700/mo · Top rate 35%67score
  7. 7VanuatuPort Vila · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 0%66score
  8. 8AustraliaSydney · ~$4,500/mo · Top rate 45%Temporary Resident · 0% on covered income65score
  9. 9IndonesiaBali (Canggu / Denpasar) · ~$1,800/mo · Top rate 35%4-year territorial election · 0% on covered income65score

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 Asia-Pacific for tax and quality of life?+

On the Tax Atlas default weights, Thailand ranks first in Asia-Pacific, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong. The ranking blends tax with cost of living, safety, healthcare, English, internet, climate and residency access, and can be re-weighted on this page.

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.

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