TaxAtlas

Best places to live · updated October 2026

Best places to live on a budget

Cost of living leads this ranking, with tax close behind. A cheap country with a hostile tax system or no viable visa is not a bargain, so those still count. Each entry shows a realistic monthly budget for one person in the main expat city.

53
places ranked
8
factors, re-weightable
18
newcomer tax regimes
  1. 179live score

    Paraguay

    Asunción · top rate 10%

    Paraguay pairs a 10% flat rate with territorial taxation, very low living costs and one of the easiest residency processes in the world.

    Cost of livingWarm climateResidency access

    Little English is spoken, summers are very hot, healthcare outside Asunción is weak, and most people use Paraguay as a base rather than a full-time home.

  2. 278live 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. 378live score

    Georgia

    Tbilisi · top rate 20% · Small Business Status (1% regime)

    Tbilisi is cheap, welcoming and visa-free for a year, and the 1% small-business regime makes it a favourite for freelancers and small founders.

    Cost of livingTaxResidency access

    Healthcare outside private Tbilisi clinics is basic, winter air pollution is poor, and political tension with Russia is a background risk.

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. 1ParaguayAsunción · ~$1,300/mo · Top rate 10%79score
  2. 2ThailandBangkok · ~$1,900/mo · Top rate 35%Long-Term Resident Visa · 17% on covered income78score
  3. 3GeorgiaTbilisi · ~$1,500/mo · Top rate 20%Small Business Status · 1% on covered income78score
  4. 4United Arab EmiratesDubai · ~$4,500/mo · Top rate 0%75score
  5. 5MalaysiaKuala Lumpur · ~$1,800/mo · Top rate 30%74score
  6. 6BruneiBandar Seri Begawan · ~$2,200/mo · Top rate 0%73score
  7. 7BulgariaSofia · ~$1,600/mo · Top rate 10%73score
  8. 8MauritiusGrand Baie · ~$2,000/mo · Top rate 20%73score
  9. 9HungaryBudapest · ~$2,000/mo · Top rate 15%72score
  10. 10Dominican RepublicSanto Domingo · ~$1,900/mo · Top rate 25%Law 171-07 retiree / rentier regime · 0% on covered income72score
  11. 11MaltaSliema / St Julian's · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 35%Non-Domiciled Status · 0% on covered income71score
  12. 12PanamaPanama City · ~$2,600/mo · Top rate 25%71score
  13. 13BahrainManama · ~$3,000/mo · Top rate 0%70score
  14. 14Costa RicaSan José (Central Valley) · ~$2,300/mo · Top rate 25%70score
  15. 15PortugalLisbon · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 48%IFICI · 20% on covered income70score

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

  • Cost of living carries the most weight
  • Monthly budgets cover one person, a one-bed rental and normal living in the main expat city
  • Safety and healthcare are kept in so that "cheap" does not mean risky
  • Budgets move with exchange rates; treat them as a guide
FactorWeight
TaxPersonal tax score, with newcomer regimes applied where you would qualify×2
Cost of livingLower everyday and rent costs score higher×4
SafetyInformed by the Global Peace Index and crime surveys×1.5
HealthcareCoverage, quality and access to private care×1.5
EnglishHow easy daily life and admin are in English×0.5
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 cheapest country to live in with low taxes?+

Territorial-tax countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia tend to top this list: they combine low living costs with no tax on most foreign income. The live ranking shows the monthly budget beside each one.

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.

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