Best places to live · updated October 2026
Best places to live for founders
A founder pays tax twice: once in the company and again when profit reaches them. This ranking blends the corporate and personal tax scores for the tax factor, then weights residency access and English for the practical side of running a company.
- 186live 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.
InternetWarm climateTax
Summer heat above 40°C for four months, rising rents and a car-dependent, high-spend lifestyle quickly erode the tax saving.
- 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.
- 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.
EnglishTaxHealthcare
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.
Up = better quality of life (every factor except tax).
- 1United Arab EmiratesDubai · ~$4,500/mo · Corp 9%86score
- 2SingaporeSingapore · ~$5,500/mo · Corp 17%77score
- 3MaltaSliema / St Julian's · ~$2,800/mo · Corp 35%77score
- 4Hong KongHong Kong · ~$5,500/mo · Corp 16.5%75score
- 5HungaryBudapest · ~$2,000/mo · Corp 9%73score
- 6ThailandBangkok · ~$1,900/mo · Corp 20%73score
- 7BahrainManama · ~$3,000/mo · Corp 0%72score
- 8QatarDoha · ~$4,000/mo · Corp 10%72score
- 9CyprusLimassol · ~$3,200/mo · Corp 15%72score
- 10PanamaPanama City · ~$2,600/mo · Corp 25%72score
- 11PortugalLisbon · ~$2,800/mo · Corp 19%72score
- 12IrelandDublin · ~$4,300/mo · Corp 12.5%71score
- 13GeorgiaTbilisi · ~$1,500/mo · Corp 15%71score
- 14Cayman IslandsGeorge Town · ~$6,500/mo · Corp 0%71score
- 15UruguayMontevideo · ~$2,500/mo · Corp 25%71score
Bars, left to right: Tax · Low cost · Safety · Healthcare · English · Internet · Warmth · Visa access.
Method
How this ranking works
- Tax is the average of the personal and business tax scores
- Residency access is weighted up: founder and investor visas matter
- English is weighted for banking, contracts and hiring
- Substance rules apply: a company must be genuinely run from where it claims to be
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| TaxPersonal tax score, with newcomer regimes applied where you would qualify | ×3.5 |
| Cost of livingLower everyday and rent costs score higher | ×1 |
| SafetyInformed by the Global Peace Index and crime surveys | ×1.5 |
| HealthcareCoverage, quality and access to private care | ×1 |
| EnglishHow easy daily life and admin are in English | ×1.5 |
| InternetMedian fixed broadband speed | ×1.5 |
| Warm climateAnnual mean temperature in the main expat city | ×0.5 |
| Residency accessHow open legal residency is to a non-local applicant | ×2 |
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
- Numbeo — Cost of Living Index by Country
- Numbeo — Crime and Safety Index by Country
- Institute for Economics & Peace — Global Peace Index 2025
- WHO — UHC Service Coverage Index (Global Health Observatory)
- EF English Proficiency Index 2025
- Ookla Speedtest Global Index (fixed broadband, 2025)
- Spain — Ministerio de Inclusión, digital nomad (teletrabajo) residence
- Portugal — AIMA / Vistos, D8 and D7 visas
- Greece — Ministry of Migration, digital nomad visa
- Estonia — Police and Border Guard Board, digital nomad visa
- Malta — Residency Malta Agency, Nomad Residence Permit
- Cyprus — Civil Registry and Migration Department, digital nomad visa
- Hungary — National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing, White Card
- Bulgaria — Ministry of Foreign Affairs, digital nomad residence
- Italy — Ministero degli Affari Esteri, visa portal
- UAE — ICP / GDRFA, remote work and Golden visas
- Singapore — Ministry of Manpower, Employment Pass
- Hong Kong — Immigration Department, Top Talent Pass Scheme
- Malaysia — MM2H and DE Rantau programmes
- Thailand — Long-Term Resident visa (BOI)
- Thailand — Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Destination Thailand Visa
- Indonesia — Directorate General of Immigration, E33G remote worker visa
- Mexico — Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, temporary residence
- Costa Rica — Dirección General de Migración, digital nomad and pensionado
- Panama — Servicio Nacional de Migración
- Cayman Islands — WORC, Global Citizen Concierge Program
- Antigua and Barbuda — Nomad Digital Residence
- UK Home Office — Skilled Worker visa
- USCIS — EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
- Make it in Germany — EU Blue Card and Opportunity Card
- Mauritius — Economic Development Board, Premium Visa
Questions
Frequently asked
Where is the best place to live and run a company?+
Jurisdictions with both a low corporate rate and low tax on dividends score highest here, since founders feel both. Pillar Two only applies to groups with revenue of €750 million or more, so it rarely affects an owner-managed company.
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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.