TaxAtlas

Best places to live · updated October 2026

Best places to live in Europe

EU and non-EU Europe, where most of the newcomer tax regimes are. Ranked on tax plus seven quality-of-life factors, with newcomer tax regimes applied.

22
places ranked
8
factors, re-weightable
18
newcomer tax regimes
  1. 177live 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.

  2. 274live score

    Portugal

    Lisbon · top rate 48% · IFICI ("NHR 2.0")

    Portugal is safe, sunny, English-friendly and open to remote workers, with the IFICI regime for qualifying tech and research professionals.

    TaxSafetyHealthcare

    Lisbon rents have outpaced local wages, AIMA immigration processing is slow, and IFICI is far narrower than the old NHR.

  3. 374live score

    Cyprus

    Limassol · top rate 35% · Non-Dom Regime

    Limassol offers English-friendly EU residency, a sunny climate and a non-dom regime that makes dividends from a holding company tax-efficient.

    TaxEnglishSafety

    Limassol rents rose sharply after 2022, summers are very hot, and internet is slower than most EU capitals.

Live ranking

All of Europe, 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.

Europe
  1. 1MaltaSliema / St Julian's · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 35%Non-Domiciled Status · 0% on covered income77score
  2. 2PortugalLisbon · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 48%IFICI · 20% on covered income74score
  3. 3CyprusLimassol · ~$3,200/mo · Top rate 35%Non-Dom Regime · 0% on covered income74score
  4. 4GeorgiaTbilisi · ~$1,500/mo · Top rate 20%Small Business Status · 1% on covered income73score
  5. 5MonacoMonaco · ~$9,000/mo · Top rate 0%72score
  6. 6HungaryBudapest · ~$2,000/mo · Top rate 15%71score
  7. 7Isle of ManDouglas · ~$3,300/mo · Top rate 21%Tax Cap Election70score
  8. 8SpainMadrid · ~$2,900/mo · Top rate 47-54%Beckham Law · 24% on covered income70score
  9. 9IrelandDublin · ~$4,300/mo · Top rate 40%Remittance Basis · 0% on covered income70score
  10. 10GreeceAthens · ~$2,000/mo · Top rate 44%50% Income Tax Reduction · 22% on covered income69score
  11. 11AndorraAndorra la Vella · ~$3,200/mo · Top rate 10%69score
  12. 12GibraltarGibraltar · ~$4,000/mo · Top rate 25%Category 2 Status69score
  13. 13SwitzerlandZurich · ~$6,500/mo · Top rate 11.5-36%Lump-Sum Taxation68score
  14. 14BulgariaSofia · ~$1,600/mo · Top rate 10%67score
  15. 15JerseySt Helier · ~$5,000/mo · Top rate 20%65score

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 Europe for tax and quality of life?+

On the Tax Atlas default weights, Malta ranks first in Europe, followed by Portugal and Cyprus. 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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