Best Countries for Expats to Live and Work

Overview of Best Countries for Expats

Many global destinations offer excellent benefits to prospective expats. If you are looking to move overseas and are considering your options, you have numerous excellent choices to choose from. You also have many factors to consider, such as cost of living, existing expat community, quality of life, quality of healthcare, and cultural compatibility. 

Countries such as Panama, Mexico, Indonesia, Spain, the Philippines, Columbia, and Thailand are all popular choices amongst expat communities. They offer a range of warm climates, good healthcare, affordable living costs, and rich cultures. Each of these options will be explored in more detail throughout this article, in addition to a number of additional relevant criteria. 

In general, when making your decision on where to start your expat journey, you should identify the factors which are most important to you. Many countries around the globe offer rich and exciting expat experiences, but the one which is right for you will depend on your specific circumstances and criteria.

Panama: A Top Destination for Expats

Panama is a popular choice amongst many potential expats. Offering a warm climate, excellent work life balance, easy travel access, and a favourable tax situation, it is a good fit for many individuals seeking to move overseas. 

It also offers a number of visa options which are well-suited to expats. If you are a citizen of an eligible country, you may be eligible for a Friendly Country visa. Eligible countries include the US, UK, Australia, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Canada. You can access this route if you have either an employment contract with a Panamanian company or if you have invested enough in one of Panama’s national banks or in the country’s property market. 

Alternatively, the country also offers a Retirement visa, for which you will need to demonstrate that you have a sufficient monthly pension amount.

Mexico: Expat Delight and Affordability

Mexico is another popular option with expats. It offers a rich culture, excellent food, a range of climates, and easy travel access to Latin America and the US. As such, many expats choose it as their destination of choice, especially those with strong familial or cultural ties to North America. 

It also offers a number of visa options. For example, its Temporary Resident visa typically allows stays of 1 year and can be renewed upon expiry. After 4 years, you can then apply for a Permanent Resident visa, which allows indefinite settlement in Mexico and provides a route to citizenship. 

Alternatively, if you only wish to spend part of the year in Mexico, the country offers Tourist visas of up to 180 days, meaning you could split your time between 2 locations. 

Indonesia: Expat Haven in Southeast Asia

Indonesia is a strong choice when considering your expat destination. The country is known for a strong sense of community, thriving traditions, and excellent food. If you are looking for a country which offers a warm climate, a rich culture, a low cost of living, and a strong sense of family, this may be the choice for you. 

Indonesia also has a number of visa options for expats. For example, the Limited Stay permit allows stays of up to a year and can then be extended, eventually leading to a Permanent Stay permit, which allows for permanent settlement in the country. Alternatively, Indonesia also offers a Second Home option, allowing initial stays of 5-10 years with a route to permanent residence for individuals who either own eligible real estate in Indonesia or deposit a sufficient amount in an Indonesian bank. 

Spain: European Charm and Quality of Life

Spain is a very popular choice amongst expats. It provides access to a European lifestyle, strong economy, warm climate, work life balance, beautiful beaches, easy access to other European countries, and a lively culture. The country offers many popular destinations, such as Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. It is a popular choice amongst those with strong cultural or familial ties to Europe or who wish to experience the European way of living. Additionally, it already offers established expat communities, making it easier for you to connect with other expats upon arrival.

Spain also offers a number of appropriate visa options for expats, such as the Non-Lucrative Residence visa. This allows the holder to live in Spain, provided that they have sufficient financial means and do not need to work during their stay. This is a good fit for expats who already have a sufficient income, such as retirees. 

If you become eligible for Spanish citizenship, this will also grant you the ability to live and work in the rest of the European Union, an appealing option for many potential expats.

Philippines: Popular Expat Southeast Asian Destination

The Philippines is a country which offers a strong sense of community, excellent hospitality, and a rich and thriving culture. It also offers easy travel access to other exciting travel destinations like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. Additionally, the country has strong ties to places like Spain and the US.

The country offers numerous visa options for expats, such as the Pre-Arranged Employment visa (where you have an offer of employment from a Filipino company) or the Special Resident Retiree visa, for those who invest sufficiently in the Filipino economy. This visa option also provides a route with reduced eligibility criteria for former Filipino citizens. 

Colombia: South American Expat Experience 

Colombia is a country in South America which offers numerous exciting benefits to expats. Boasting a rich culture, thriving music scene, varied climate, and range of landscapes, it is a popular choice amongst expats looking for a change. The country offers numerous areas of natural beauty as well as exciting urban locations. Additionally, it offers strong travel connections to much of Latin America. 

Colombia also offers a range of visa routes which are good choices for expats. For example, it offers a Digital Nomad visa for remote workers, a Rentista visa for individuals who have sufficient passive income, and an Investment visa for those who invest sufficiently in the Colombian economy. If you are looking for a change and meet the criteria for one of the available visas, this may well be the choice for you.

Thailand: Rich Cultural Southeast Asian Experience

Thailand is a very popular choice amongst expats. It offers an affordable cost of living, a rich and thriving culture, warm climate, strong sense of community, world-famous major cities like Bangkok, and beautiful coastal destinations like Phuket. Whether you are looking for a lively city or a relaxing beach destination, Thailand is likely to have a match for your preferences. 

Thailand also offers a number of possible visa routes for expats. For example, it offers a Destination Thailand visa for digital nomads and a Long-Term Resident visa for individuals with sufficient financial resources. 

Best Countries for Quality of Life 

Quality of life is an important consideration for potential expats choosing between locations. It is one of the main factors that tends to be considered before making the final decision. Your quality of life in your new destination can make or break your move and so it is essential to keep it at the centre of your decision process.

Numerous global destinations offer an excellent quality of life for expats from around the world. However, according to Numbeo’s mid-2025 Quality of Life index, the following 10 countries rank top globally: 

1. Luxembourg 
2. Netherlands 
3. Denmark 
4. Oman 
5. Switzerland 
6. Finland 
7. Norway 
8. Iceland 
9. Austria 
10. Germany 

When measuring quality of life in different global destinations, Numbeo uses the following factors: 

• Purchasing Power Index 
• Pollution Index 
• House Price to Income Ratio 
• Cost of Living Index 
• Safety Index 
• Health Care Index 
• Traffic Commute Time Index
• Climate Index

Note that, when looking at quality of life indexes, you should pay attention to the criteria which the index uses and how those criteria are measured. The same country may rank differently based on how the different criteria are measured, for example. Additionally, the criteria used in one index may not be the criteria which are essential to your own quality of life, based on your particular preferences. Quality of life is subjective based on what is important to you and you should make sure to pay attention to a country’s specific offerings when making your final decision. Factors like work life balance, quality of healthcare, environment, culture, and cost of living are all likely to go into your decision.

Best Countries for Healthcare 

For many individuals looking to move abroad, high quality healthcare is a top priority. This is likely to be especially true in the case of expats moving overseas with dependents or in order to retire. 

If healthcare is a priority for you, you have numerous countries to choose from, depending on your specific health needs and on your budget. 

According to Numbeo’s 2025 Healthcare Index, the following 10 countries rank top globally: 

1. Taiwan 
2. South Korea 
3. Japan 
4. Netherlands 
5. Denmark 
6. Austria 
7. France 
8. Finland 
9. Thailand 
10. Spain 

The list includes countries from a wide range of global regions, showing that different cultural approaches to healthcare can still have excellent results. Countries like Japan and South Korea invest heavily in their healthcare system, and many of the countries on this list offer public health services or affordable private insurance.

No matter which global region you are considering relocating to, it is likely you can find a destination which meets your healthcare needs. When making your choice, you should consider your specific budget, the health services which are locally and nationally available in your country of choice, whether a national healthcare service is important to you, and your different private insurance options. Numerous factors go into healthcare quality and, even if the country you are considering ranks highly in healthcare indexes, you should still make sure that they offer the local services which meet your healthcare needs.

Best Countries for Education 

If you are looking to pursue higher education upon moving abroad or have dependants who are still in school, the education ranking of your destination of choice or of the international schools you have in mind may be an important factor for you. Many global destinations offer world-class education options for international students and it is possible to receive an excellent education in any global region. However, as of 2025, the World Population Review ranks the following 10 countries as taking the top global slots: 

1. Australia 
2. Iceland 
3. New Zealand 
4. Germany 
5. Denmark 
6. Finland 
7. Norway 
8. United Kingdom 
9. Netherlands 
10. Belgium 

This index takes into account a number of factors, such as accessibility of education, cultural importance of education, and level of educational investment. 

If you or your children are interested in pursuing higher education upon arrival in your new home, you may be more interested in university rankings. On this front, the world’s top 10 countries for studying abroad in 2024 were as follows, according to US News: 

1. United States 
2. United Kingdom 
3. Spain 
4. France 
5. Italy 
6. Japan 
7. Australia 
8. Brazil 
9. Canada 
10. Turkey 

This index is based on the survey responses of individuals from around the world and takes into account a number of factors, including respondent views on: 

• Cultural accessibility 
• Reputation for being fun 
• Cultural attractions 
• Whether the respondent would themselves consider studying in that country 
• Whether the respondent believes that the universities in that country are of high quality 

When deciding what county is right for you in terms of education quality, it is important to consider the particular factors which are most important to you. Learning culture, international reputation, level of study, and preferred geographic region are all likely to play an important role. It is possible to receive an excellent education in any global region, but it is important to pick the educational context which is right for you.

Conclusion

Life abroad can offer a change from your norm and access to a new way of life. When deciding which relocation destination is best for you, there are numerous variables to consider. Your decision should factor in things like cost of living, quality of life, healthcare, culture, and travel options. There are numerous locations from which to choose which offer a positive expat experience. Choices like Mexico, Panama, Thailand, and Spain are popular amongst many expats, especially those who prioritise warm climate, affordable cost of living, and rich culture. However, many other countries also offer similar benefits, meaning it is often difficult to choose your new location. 

As such, navigating the process of relocating to a new global destination can often be complicated. At IAS, we can help you identify which location is right for you and assist you with every step of the move. Contact us today on +44 (0)333 414 9244 to learn more about our full range of services and to receive advice which is tailored to your unique preferences and situation.