TaxAtlas

Best places to live · updated October 2026

Best places to live for investors

For someone living off a portfolio, the income tax rate matters less than tax on capital gains and dividends. The tax factor here is driven by those rates, with safety, healthcare and residency access close behind.

53
places ranked
8
factors, re-weightable
18
newcomer tax regimes
  1. 189live 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. 285live 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.

    TaxInternetWarm climate

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

  3. 382live 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.

    TaxInternetWarm climate

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

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).

Europe Asia Oceania Middle East Africa Caribbean North America South America
  1. 1United Arab EmiratesDubai · ~$4,500/mo · CGT 0%89score
  2. 2SingaporeSingapore · ~$5,500/mo · CGT 0%85score
  3. 3Hong KongHong Kong · ~$5,500/mo · CGT 0%82score
  4. 4MalaysiaKuala Lumpur · ~$1,800/mo · CGT 0%81score
  5. 5QatarDoha · ~$4,000/mo · CGT 0%80score
  6. 6BahrainManama · ~$3,000/mo · CGT 0%80score
  7. 7MauritiusGrand Baie · ~$2,000/mo · CGT 0%79score
  8. 8OmanMuscat · ~$2,800/mo · CGT 0%79score
  9. 9MonacoMonaco · ~$9,000/mo · CGT 0%78score
  10. 10Antigua & BarbudaSt John's · ~$3,500/mo · CGT 0%78score
  11. 11Isle of ManDouglas · ~$3,300/mo · CGT 0%78score
  12. 12Cayman IslandsGeorge Town · ~$6,500/mo · CGT 0%78score
  13. 13ThailandBangkok · ~$1,900/mo · CGT 0%78score
  14. 14BermudaHamilton · ~$8,000/mo · CGT 0%77score
  15. 15GeorgiaTbilisi · ~$1,500/mo · CGT 0%77score

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

Method

How this ranking works

  • Tax is based on the top capital gains and dividend rates
  • Safety and healthcare outweigh cost, as this profile tends to have wealth
  • Wealth and inheritance taxes are shown on each country page
  • Exit taxes in your current country can apply on departure; check before moving
FactorWeight
TaxPersonal tax score, with newcomer regimes applied where you would qualify×4
Cost of livingLower everyday and rent costs score higher×0.5
SafetyInformed by the Global Peace Index and crime surveys×2
HealthcareCoverage, quality and access to private care×1.5
EnglishHow easy daily life and admin are in English×1
InternetMedian fixed broadband speed×0.5
Warm climateAnnual mean temperature in the main expat city×0.5
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

Which countries have no capital gains tax?+

Several jurisdictions in the atlas charge no capital gains tax for individuals, including the UAE, Monaco, the Cayman Islands and Singapore (for most non-trading gains). The ranked list on this page shows the capital gains rate for every country.

More rankings

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