TaxAtlas

Best places to live · updated October 2026

Best places to retire abroad

Retirement moves are judged on healthcare first, then safety, cost and sunshine, with tax deciding how far a pension stretches. This ranking weights healthcare and safety heavily, values a warm climate, and applies regimes built for retirees, such as the 7% foreign pension regimes in Italy and Greece.

53
places ranked
8
factors, re-weightable
18
newcomer tax regimes
  1. 183live 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. 277live 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. 377live score

    Malaysia

    Kuala Lumpur · top rate 30%

    Kuala Lumpur delivers modern condos, strong private hospitals and widespread English at a fraction of Singapore prices.

    Warm climateEnglishCost of living

    Constant heat and humidity, seasonal haze and heavy traffic are the main drawbacks, and MM2H became far more expensive in 2024.

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. 1United Arab EmiratesDubai · ~$4,500/mo · Top rate 0%83score
  2. 2ThailandBangkok · ~$1,900/mo · Top rate 35%Long-Term Resident Visa · 17% on covered income77score
  3. 3MalaysiaKuala Lumpur · ~$1,800/mo · Top rate 30%76score
  4. 4BahrainManama · ~$3,000/mo · Top rate 0%76score
  5. 5MauritiusGrand Baie · ~$2,000/mo · Top rate 20%75score
  6. 6SingaporeSingapore · ~$5,500/mo · Top rate 24%75score
  7. 7OmanMuscat · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 0 (5% from 2028)75score
  8. 8QatarDoha · ~$4,000/mo · Top rate 0%75score
  9. 9MaltaSliema / St Julian's · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 35%Non-Domiciled Status · 0% on covered income74score
  10. 10CyprusLimassol · ~$3,200/mo · Top rate 35%Non-Dom Regime · 0% on covered income74score
  11. 11BruneiBandar Seri Begawan · ~$2,200/mo · Top rate 0%74score
  12. 12PanamaPanama City · ~$2,600/mo · Top rate 25%73score
  13. 13PortugalLisbon · ~$2,800/mo · Top rate 48%IFICI · 20% on covered income73score
  14. 14ParaguayAsunción · ~$1,300/mo · Top rate 10%73score
  15. 15Antigua & BarbudaSt John's · ~$3,500/mo · Top rate 0%73score

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

  • Healthcare quality and access carry the most weight
  • Safety and a warm climate are weighted above internet speed
  • Retirement and passive-income visa routes are listed where they exist
  • Pension tax treatment depends on the treaty with your home country, so confirm before moving
FactorWeight
TaxPersonal tax score, with newcomer regimes applied where you would qualify×2
Cost of livingLower everyday and rent costs score higher×2
SafetyInformed by the Global Peace Index and crime surveys×2.5
HealthcareCoverage, quality and access to private care×3
EnglishHow easy daily life and admin are in English×1
InternetMedian fixed broadband speed×0.3
Warm climateAnnual mean temperature in the main expat city×2
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

Questions

Frequently asked

Which countries do not tax foreign pensions?+

Zero-tax jurisdictions such as the UAE, Monaco and the Bahamas do not tax pensions at all. Territorial systems such as Panama, Costa Rica and Paraguay generally do not tax foreign-source pensions. Italy and Greece offer flat 7% regimes for qualifying foreign pensioners. Treaties with your home country can override any of this.

What is the cheapest good country to retire to?+

Countries that pair low living costs with decent private healthcare tend to rank well for retirees on a budget. Tune the cost weight up on this page to see the ranking shift, and check each country's watch-out note.

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