Best Countries for Expat Quality of Life Index (2026)

Quality of life means different things to different people. For a digital nomad, it might be fast internet and low cost of living. For a retiree, it might be affordable healthcare and personal safety. For a family, it might be strong schools and clean air. Most country rankings pick one lens and call it definitive. We built something different.

The WhereNext Expat Quality of Life Index combines seven measurable dimensions into a single composite score — weighted specifically for what matters to people who are actually moving, not just visiting. Every data point comes from institutional sources: the World Bank, WHO, Global Peace Index, Numbeo, OECD, and national statistics agencies. No sponsored placements, no vibes-based assessments. Use our country finder to filter and weight these dimensions based on your personal priorities.

How We Built the Quality of Life Index

Our composite score evaluates each country across seven dimensions, each scored on a 0–100 scale and then combined using a weighted formula. The weights reflect what relocating expats consistently rank as most important in post-move surveys and satisfaction research.

• Healthcare (20% weight) — WHO system performance, universal coverage availability, doctor density, out-of-pocket costs, and healthcare access index. Countries where you can see a doctor without going bankrupt score higher.
• Safety (18% weight) — Global Peace Index, intentional homicide rates, political stability, and perceived personal safety. Low crime is non-negotiable. We penalize countries with high violent crime even if other metrics are strong.
• Cost of Living (15% weight) — Numbeo cost indices, rent levels, grocery costs, and healthcare expenses relative to global medians. Lower cost boosts the score, but only when paired with adequate infrastructure and services.
• Infrastructure (15% weight) — Internet speed and reliability, transport networks, housing quality, utilities uptime, and urban planning. This dimension captures the daily friction (or lack of it) that defines livability.
• Social Freedom (12% weight) — Press freedom index, LGBTQ+ rights protections, gender equality metrics, personal autonomy scores, and religious freedom. Countries where expats can live authentically without legal risk score higher.
• Environment (10% weight) — Air quality index, water quality, access to green space, renewable energy share, and Environmental Performance Index rankings. Clean air and drinkable water are health determinants, not luxuries.
• Immigration Friendliness (10% weight) — Visa accessibility for common profiles (retirees, remote workers, investors), path to permanent residency, citizenship timeline, and bureaucratic efficiency. A country can score perfectly on every other dimension, but if you cannot get in, it does not matter.

For the complete methodology, see how WhereNext scores countries.

Top 15 Countries for Expat Quality of Life

The countries below perform consistently well across all seven dimensions. A country can rank first in healthcare but still fall outside the top ten if it scores poorly on immigration friendliness or cost. The standouts have no critical weaknesses — they deliver strong results across the board.

A few things stand out. Portugal takes the top spot not because it is the best in any single dimension, but because it has no weak points. Excellent healthcare (SNS), high safety (7th on the Global Peace Index), genuinely affordable costs for Western Europe, solid infrastructure, strong social freedoms, and one of the most expat-friendly immigration systems on the continent (the D7 visa requires just $800/month in income). That consistency across every dimension is what separates quality of life leaders from countries that excel in one area but fall short in others.

Spain is close behind, edging Portugal on lifestyle and infrastructure but trailing on cost and immigration accessibility. New Zealand and Japan represent two very different models of excellence — New Zealand through natural beauty and progressive social policy, Japan through infrastructure precision and extraordinary safety. For deeper comparisons between any of these countries, see our Portugal vs Spain and overall quality of life rankings.

The inclusion of Thailand (7th) and Costa Rica (8th) highlights how our index differs from traditional rankings that reward only wealthy nations. Both countries score modestly on raw GDP but deliver exceptional healthcare access, strong safety records, and immigration programs designed to attract foreign residents. When you weight for what expats actually experience daily — rather than what the national economy produces — these countries punch far above their GDP weight class.

Regional Champions

Not everyone is geographically open. If you know which continent you want, here is the best quality of life pick in each region and why it wins.

Europe: Portugal

Portugal edges out Spain, Austria, and the Czech Republic by combining Western European healthcare and safety standards with costs that are 30–40% below the continental average. The D7 passive income visa requires just $800/month. Citizenship is available in five years — the fastest in the EU. Lisbon and Porto offer genuine urban culture without Northern European price tags. The Algarve delivers retirement paradise at a fraction of the French Riviera’s cost. English proficiency is high (60%+ of the population). For a complete profile, see our Portugal country page.

Asia-Pacific: Japan

Japan scores 89/100 on our composite index, driven by the highest safety rating of any major country (homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000), the world’s longest life expectancy (84.8 years), and infrastructure that operates with almost surreal precision. Healthcare through the National Health Insurance system covers 70% of all medical costs with annual out-of-pocket caps. The weak yen has made Japan meaningfully more affordable since 2022. The main knock is immigration friendliness — Japan’s visa system is less straightforward than competitors like Thailand. But for those who can navigate the process, the quality of daily life is extraordinary. Explore the Japan country page.

Americas: Costa Rica

Costa Rica takes the Americas crown at 82/100, powered by a universal healthcare system (CAJA) that ranks first in Latin America, a safety record that consistently leads Central America, and environmental quality that is genuinely world-class (5% of global biodiversity, 99% renewable electricity). The pensionado visa requires just $1,000/month in pension income. The Central Valley’s “eternal spring” climate (75–80°F year-round at elevation) is ideal for retirees. The main weaknesses are infrastructure outside the San José metro and a non-dollar currency. See the full Costa Rica profile.

Middle East & Africa: United Arab Emirates

The UAE scores highest in the MENA region, driven by world-class infrastructure, zero income tax, and a genuinely international expat community (expats make up 88% of the UAE’s population). Dubai and Abu Dhabi offer modern healthcare, excellent internet, safe streets, and an English-friendly environment. The trade-offs are social freedom restrictions (particularly around LGBTQ+ rights and press freedom), extreme summer heat, and high living costs. For expats who prioritize career and financial efficiency over social liberalism, the UAE delivers strong quality of life. Check the UAE country page.

Oceania: New Zealand

New Zealand scores 90/100 — the highest of any non-European country. The combination of personal safety (4th on the Global Peace Index), environmental quality (among the world’s cleanest air and water), progressive social freedoms, and a welcoming immigration culture creates a quality of life that is difficult to match. Healthcare is universal through the public system, and the skilled migrant visa program actively seeks foreign professionals. The trade-offs are distance from the Northern Hemisphere and a housing market that has become expensive in Auckland and Wellington. Visit the New Zealand profile.

What the Rankings Don’t Capture

Data-driven rankings are powerful tools, but they have blind spots. Our index measures systems and outcomes. It does not measure the things that often determine whether you actually enjoy living somewhere.

Culture fit is the biggest gap. Japan scores 89/100 on our index, but if you cannot handle indirect communication styles, strict social hierarchies, and a reserved public culture, you may be miserable despite world-class infrastructure. Portugal scores 94/100, but if you need fast-paced urban energy and nightlife, Lisbon’s quieter vibe may disappoint compared to Madrid or Barcelona.

Language matters enormously for social integration. Thailand scores well on our index, but building genuine local friendships requires some Thai. Japan’s language barrier is even higher. Countries like Canada and New Zealand offer the path of least resistance for English speakers, but “easy” is not the same as “fulfilling.”

Distance from home is a factor no index captures. New Zealand and Japan both rank in our top five, but they are 20+ hours of travel from North America. For retirees who want to see grandchildren regularly, Costa Rica or Portugal — each 5–7 hours from the US East Coast — may be a better practical choice despite lower composite scores.

Personal priorities shift the math. If healthcare is your non-negotiable top priority, Costa Rica’s CAJA system beats countries that outrank it on the composite. If you are LGBTQ+, the social freedom dimension should carry much more than 12% weight in your decision. If you have school-aged children, education quality swamps everything else. Rankings provide a starting point — not an answer. For a deeper look at safety specifically, see our safest countries ranking.

How to Use This Data

The Expat Quality of Life Index is designed to narrow your search, not end it. Here is how to turn these rankings into an actionable shortlist.

Step 1: Take the quiz. Our 2-minute personalized quiz asks about your budget, climate preference, healthcare needs, visa situation, and lifestyle priorities. It uses the same underlying data as this index but weights it according to your answers, generating a personalized ranking rather than a one-size-fits-all list.

Step 2: Use the country finder. The country finder tool lets you set custom filters and weights across all seven dimensions. Want to see only countries where healthcare scores above 80 and cost of living is below $2,000/month? You can do that. It is the most granular way to explore our data.

Step 3: Compare your finalists. Once you have two or three countries on your shortlist, use the comparison tool to put them head-to-head across every metric. See exactly where each country leads and trails.

Step 4: Read the country profiles. Every country in our database has a detailed profile page with city-level data, visa guides, cost breakdowns, and climate information. Data gets you to the shortlist. The profiles help you understand what daily life actually looks like.

Step 5: Visit before you commit. No amount of data replaces the experience of walking the streets, eating the food, talking to locals, and feeling the energy of a place. Spend at least two to four weeks in any country before making a relocation decision. Data tells you where to look. Experience tells you where to live.

Quality of life is personal. It is also measurable. The countries on this list have built systems that deliver excellent outcomes for the people who live there. The opportunity for expats is straightforward: you do not have to accept the quality of life that your home country offers by default. The data is clear about which countries deliver on the promise of a better daily life. The question is which one delivers it for you.