For Journalists & Bloggers
WhereNext Data & Press Resources
Free data for anyone covering relocation, expat life, global mobility, or international tax. All datasets are CC BY 4.0 — cite with attribution, no permission needed.
Data use and attribution
WhereNext is an open, data-driven relocation decision platform. We publish composite indices built from institutional data and source-cited mobility and school registries so readers can inspect the underlying method.
Journalists and researchers may cite WhereNext data with attribution to WhereNext and a link to the source page; our logo may be used in data-credit contexts. Our open datasets are released under CC BY 4.0; please retain the attribution and check each source page for its methodology and update date.
Open Datasets
Every dataset below has a public data page, a JSON API, a methodology link, and a one-line “what is unique here” framing for journalists deciding whether to cite. All released under CC BY 4.0.
Global Relocation Index 2026
95 countries ranked across 7 dimensions (cost, safety, healthcare, education, career, lifestyle, infrastructure). institutional public-domain datasets.
Why this is unique: Only composite cross-dimension index using OECD + WHO + World Bank in lockstep.
Cost of Living Index 2026
95 countries with granular cost breakdown by category. Monthly estimates calibrated against PPP data.
Why this is unique: Calibrated against PPP, not just nominal exchange rates.
Digital Infrastructure & Remote-Work Reliability Index 2026
95 countries scored on World Bank internet-use + fixed-broadband adoption, plus a remote-work reliability layer for 49: peak-hour video-call quality, power outages, and where you need a backup eSIM.
Why this is unique: The only cross-country dataset of lived remote-work reliability — whether video calls survive peak hours — not just headline speed.
Retirement & Passive-Income Visa Requirements 2026
Minimum income and proof-of-funds for 16 retirement / passive-income / non-lucrative visas (Portugal D7, Spain NLV, Costa Rica, Thailand LTR). Each figure carries its official source and a confidence level.
Why this is unique: The only sourced, confidence-labelled comparison of retirement-visa income requirements — flagging which of the most-quoted thresholds (Italy, France, Portugal D7) aren't actually fixed in law.
Expat Tax Rates by Country 2026
Effective income tax + social contribution rates for 20 popular expat destinations at $50K/$100K/$200K income. Special regime notes.
Why this is unique: Includes Beckham Law, IFICI, Impatriate, NHR2, Lump-Sum, and 15 other special regimes.
Property Buying Costs by Country 2026
Closing costs, mortgage access, rental yields, and tax rates for foreign buyers in 20 countries. The only open dataset comparing property acquisition costs across destinations.
Why this is unique: Foreign-buyer specific — covers ABSD, IMT, NIE costs that local buyers never see.
City-Level Item Prices 2026
50+ cities with individual item prices (bread, milk, rent, transport, etc.) in local currency and USD.
Why this is unique: Item-level granularity in USD AND local currency simultaneously.
Visa Requirements Matrix
95 passports × 95 destinations. Access levels, stay durations, work permissions.
Why this is unique: Full bidirectional 9,025-cell matrix queryable by passport.
Median Salaries by Country 2026
National median annual salary in USD for 43 countries — gross, after-tax net, and PPP-adjusted purchasing power. Data vintage 2022–2024 from OECD, Eurostat, ILO, and national statistical offices.
Why this is unique: Only open dataset combining gross, net, and PPP-adjusted salary in a single row with months-of-local-cost-of-living covered.
Digital Nomad Visa Index 2026
WhereNext's digital-nomad registry covers 42 countries: 39 dedicated-visa programmes, 2 alternative remote-work routes and 1 record with no dedicated programme. Cost, income requirements, duration, tax treatment and processing time.
Why this is unique: Tracks tax-treatment column most other DN-visa lists ignore.
International School Cost Index 2026
Median tuition by city for 4,149 schools across 342 cities and 78 countries. City rankings, curriculum comparisons (IB, British, American, French, German), fee ranges (P25-P75). The definitive open dataset for international school costs.
Why this is unique: Only open dataset that includes hidden-fee analysis (registration, transport, uniforms, activities) on top of published tuition.
International School Affordability Map 2026
Schools-per-budget tiers across 342 cities for 4,149 international schools. Headline finding: Dubai has more international schools under $15K than any other city.
Why this is unique: Only resource that answers “which cities give me the most school options at my actual budget?”
International School Class Sizes 2026
Average class sizes for 4,149 international schools across 342 cities. Plus a unique tuition-vs-class-size scatter analysis answering 'do you get smaller classes for more money?'
Why this is unique: First open dataset cross-referencing class size with tuition tier.
International School Diversity Index 2026
Student nationality counts and computed diversity scores for 4,149 international schools across 342 cities. The only globally-comparable dataset on international school diversity.
Why this is unique: Only globally-comparable diversity score for international schools.
Quotable Statistics
Copy-ready data points for articles from WhereNext's 2026 datasets.
“The average Social Security benefit of $1,907/month covers a comfortable lifestyle in 40+ countries — from Portugal ($1,800/mo) to Thailand ($1,200/mo) to Ecuador ($1,000/mo).”
Source data →“International school tuition ranges 15x: from $3,000/year in Vietnam to $45,000/year in Switzerland. Hidden fees add 20–40% on top.”
Source data →“Portugal, Spain, and Greece all offer flat-tax regimes (7–20%) for foreign retirees — but eligibility rules changed significantly in 2025-2026.”
Source data →“The 2026 FEIE exclusion is $132,900. Combined with the Foreign Tax Credit, many US expats can reduce their effective US tax rate to under 5%.”
Source data →“Cost of living in Chiang Mai, Thailand is $700/month. The same lifestyle in San Francisco costs $4,500/month — a 6.4x difference.”
Source data →“WhereNext's digital-nomad registry covers 42 countries: 39 dedicated-visa programmes, 2 alternative remote-work routes and 1 record with no dedicated programme. Income requirements include €3,622.50/month (Croatia) and €3,680/month (Portugal).”
Source data →“Of 2,116 priced schools (schools with usable fee data only) in WhereNext's 4,149-school catalogue across 342 cities, Riyadh has the most international schools under $15K/year (37).”
Source data →“WhereNext's analysis of 4,149 international schools found that hidden fees (registration, transport, uniforms, capital levies, activities) add 20-40% above published tuition — and most school websites do not disclose them.”
Source data →Embeddable Widgets
Free, responsive widgets for your blog or article. Include an attribution link.
Cost of Living Comparison
Side-by-side cost breakdown for any two countries.
<iframe src="https://getwherenext.com/embed/col?from=us&to=pt" width="100%" height="480" frameborder="0"></iframe>Country Data Card
Key metrics with global rankings for any country.
<iframe src="https://getwherenext.com/embed/data-card?country=pt" width="100%" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe>Global Relocation Index 2026 — Top N
Sortable top-N table of the 95-country composite ranking. Drop into any article in 30 seconds.
<iframe src="https://getwherenext.com/embed/global-relocation-index-2026?limit=30" width="100%" height="720" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="Global Relocation Index 2026"></iframe>Params: ?limit=10..95 (default 30), ?style=dark|light (default light).
Expat Tax Rates 2026
20 popular expat destinations ranked by effective income tax rate at the chosen income tier ($50K / $100K / $200K).
<iframe src="https://getwherenext.com/embed/expat-tax-rates-2026?income=100000" width="100%" height="680" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="Expat Tax Rates 2026"></iframe>Params: ?income=50000|100000|200000 (default 100000), ?style=dark|light.
Digital Nomad Visa Index 2026
Active DN visa programs with cost, duration, minimum income. Sort by either cost or income.
<iframe src="https://getwherenext.com/embed/digital-nomad-visas-2026" width="100%" height="700" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="Digital Nomad Visa Index 2026"></iframe>Params: ?sort=cost|income (default cost), ?limit=10..50 (default 24), ?style=dark|light.
Use the embed code generator to customize. ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes (lowercase). Styles: dark, light.
Story Ideas With Data
Data-backed angles ready for reporting. Use our datasets to verify and expand.
UAE isn't actually zero-tax for US citizens
Self-employment tax still applies. Our data shows the real effective rate for a $120K remote worker moving to UAE is 10.2%, not 0%.
Source data →Portugal's tax advantage is smaller than expat blogs claim
Standard Portuguese rates hit 49.2% at $100K income. The IFICI regime's 20% rate depends on an unsettled salary-source classification.
Source data →Hidden school fees add 20-40% above advertised tuition
Our analysis of 4,149 international schools across 342 cities found registration fees, transport, uniforms, capital levies, and activity costs that parents don't see on school websites. Most school websites do not disclose them at all.
Source data →School affordability is a catalogue result, not a city stereotype
Of 2,116 priced schools (schools with usable fee data only) in WhereNext's 4,149-school catalogue across 342 cities, Riyadh has the most international schools under $15K/year (37).
Source data →School class sizes don't track tuition the way parents expect
Median international school class size is 18 students, but the relationship between cost and class size is weaker than parents assume. Some $30K/year schools have 22+ student classes; some $10K/year schools have 14.
Source data →How to Cite
Standard citation:
WhereNext. "[Dataset Name]." getwherenext.com/data/[slug]. Accessed [date].
Example:
WhereNext. "Expat Tax Rates by Country 2026." getwherenext.com/data/expat-tax-rates-2026. Accessed March 31, 2026.
All datasets licensed under CC BY 4.0. Free to use in articles, reports, and publications with attribution.
Product Information
WhereNext offers personalized advisor-ready relocation plans ($29-$79) covering country comparison, tax optimization, school selection, and relocation execution planning.
Contact
For data questions, interview requests, or custom data pulls: hello@getwherenext.com