Countries with the Best Climate
Climate affects your daily quality of life more than almost any other factor. We rank 95 countries using a composite climate comfort score that factors in average temperature, sunshine hours, humidity levels, seasonal temperature range, and extreme weather risk. Whether you want year-round warmth, mild seasons, or cool highlands — this ranking helps you find your climate match.
Updated October 2026
Quick answer
Filter the full climate ranking by region, persona, or budget at https://getwherenext.com/find — live 2026 World Bank + UNDP + IEP data.
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Key facts
- #1: Cyprus score 88/100 on this dimension across 95 countries.
- #2: Malta score 87/100 — close runner-up.
- $1,200/mo cheapest single-person cost in the top 10 (Mauritius).
- 95 countries ranked using public-domain institutional datasets (last updated 2026-10-08).
- Top 20 visible full table below with sub-scores and confidence rating per country.
Retirement readiness — Greece
Seven dimensions scored 0-10 from primary-source data. Composite = weighted mean (visa 20% · healthcare 20% · tax 15% · safety 15% · climate 10% · language 10% · cost 10%).
Updated · WhereNext corridor registry (visa pathway + claim confidence) · WHO 2024 UHC service-coverage index + JCI accreditation directory · US Treasury bilateral income-tax treaties index · IEP Global Peace Index 2025 · Köppen-Geiger climate classification + WHO air-quality database · EF English Proficiency Index 2025 · Numbeo Cost of Living Index 2026-Q1
- Visa ease(?)🇬🇷Greece5.0
- Healthcare access(?)🇬🇷Greece6.0
- Tax complexity(?)🇬🇷Greece8.0
- Safety(?)🇬🇷Greece7.0
- Climate(?)🇬🇷Greece9.0
- Language(?)🇬🇷Greece6.0
- Cost of living(?)🇬🇷Greece7.0
Composite (weighted mean)
🇬🇷Greece6.7
| Dimension | Weight | Greece | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa ease | 20% | 5.0 | WhereNext corridor registry (visa pathway + claim confidence) |
| Healthcare access | 20% | 6.0 | WHO 2024 UHC service-coverage index + JCI accreditation directory |
| Tax complexity | 15% | 8.0 | US Treasury bilateral income-tax treaties index |
| Safety | 15% | 7.0 | IEP Global Peace Index 2025 |
| Climate | 10% | 9.0 | Köppen-Geiger climate classification + WHO air-quality database |
| Language | 10% | 6.0 | EF English Proficiency Index 2025 |
| Cost of living | 10% | 7.0 | Numbeo Cost of Living Index 2026-Q1 |
| Composite | 1.00 | 6.7 | Weighted mean (see weights column) |
Countries with the best climate to live in 2026
Best-climate countries in 2026 are scored on average temperature, sunshine hours, humidity, seasonal range, and extreme-weather risk using Open-Meteo data. The default ranking below favours year-round moderate temperatures — take the personalised quiz for a cold-climate or tropical preference instead.
- #1🇨🇾 Cyprus88/100 · ~$2,100/mo
- #2🇲🇹 Malta87/100 · ~$2,050/mo
- #3🇬🇷 Greece86/100 · ~$1,900/mo
- #4🇲🇺 Mauritius86/100 · ~$1,200/mo
- #5🇵🇹 Portugal83/100 · ~$2,000/mo
Top 20 Countries
The top 20 countries with the best climate in 2026 are led by Cyprus (score 88/100), Malta (87/100), and Greece (86/100), based on WhereNext's analysis of 95 countries using institutional public-domain datasets. Estimated monthly cost in Cyprus: ~$2,100.
Sorted by climate score. Data from institutional public-domain datasets.
Cyprus
Southern Europe
Malta
Southern Europe
Greece
Southern Europe
Mauritius
East Africa
Portugal
Southern Europe
Croatia
Southern Europe
Mexico
North America
Spain
Southern Europe
Morocco
North Africa
Tunisia
North Africa
Albania
Southeastern Europe
Israel
Middle East
Kenya
East Africa
Turkey
Eurasia
South Africa
Africa
Australia
Oceania
Italy
Southern Europe
Montenegro
Southeastern Europe
Peru
South America
Rwanda
East Africa
Which countries have the best weather? Sunshine, temperatures and rainfall in the top 10
The countries with the best weather for living in 2026 are Cyprus, Malta and Greece on WhereNext's climate index; among the top 10, Cyprus (Nicosia) is the sunniest at about 3,400 sunshine hours a year, Cyprus (Nicosia) the driest at roughly 310 mm of rain, and Malta (Valletta) has the narrowest gap between average daily highs and lows (23°C / 15°C).
| # | Country (principal city) | Sunshine hours / yr | Avg high / low (°C) | Rainfall (mm / yr) | Climate type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cyprus (Nicosia) | 3,400 | 26 / 13 | 310 | mediterranean |
| 2 | Malta (Valletta) | 3,054 | 23 / 15 | 530 | mediterranean |
| 3 | Greece (Athens) | 2,771 | 23 / 14 | 365 | mediterranean |
| 4 | Mauritius (Port Louis) | 2,500 | 29 / 20 | 1,300 | tropical |
| 5 | Portugal (Lisbon) | 2,800 | 22 / 12 | 725 | mediterranean |
| 6 | Croatia (Zagreb) | 1,850 | 16 / 7 | 850 | continental |
| 7 | Mexico (Mexico City) | 2,555 | 23 / 11 | 820 | highland |
| 8 | Spain (Madrid) | 2,770 | 20 / 9 | 435 | mediterranean |
| 9 | Morocco (Casablanca) | 2,900 | 22 / 14 | 400 | mediterranean |
| 10 | Tunisia (Tunis) | 2,800 | 24 / 13 | 460 | mediterranean |
Figures are annual averages for each country's principal city from the WhereNext city climate module (Open-Meteo historical weather, climate-data.org, Weather Atlas, WMO); the ranking order is the climate-dimension score above. Country-level weather varies — see the city pages for regional detail.
Cyprus
Southern Europe
Understanding the Climate Rankings
Our climate rankings sort 95 countries by their climate score, computed from institutional data sources including the World Bank, OECD, and UNDP datasets.
Cyprus leads with a score of 88/100, followed by Malta (87) and Greece (86). The gap between #1 and #3 is 2 points, indicating a very competitive field at the top.
What It Costs to Live There
The top-ranked countries for climate have an average estimated monthly cost of $1,850. Mauritius is the most affordable among the top 5 at ~$1,200/month, making it an attractive option for those seeking strong climate on a budget.
These cost estimates cover rent, groceries, transportation, utilities, and basic healthcare for a single person living a moderate lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the countries with the best climate ranking. WhereNext scores 95 countries across 7 dimensions using data from the World Bank, WHO, OECD, Global Peace Index, and 23 other institutional sources (dataset last updated 2026-10-08).
How do you score climate?
Can I find cold-climate countries?
Does this account for regional variation?
Other Rankings
WhereNext publishes 10 country rankings for 2026 covering cost of living, safety, healthcare, education, career opportunity, lifestyle, and infrastructure — each scored independently from institutional public-domain datasets across 95 countries.
Cheapest Countries to Live In
Safest Countries to Live In
Countries with the Best Healthcare
Countries with the Best Education
Best Countries for Career & Economy
Best Countries for Lifestyle & Quality of Life
Best Countries for Digital Infrastructure
Most English-Friendly Countries
Countries with the Easiest Visas
In-depth guides: Climate countries
Deep dives on visas, cost of living, healthcare, taxes, and where to live for each top-ranked destination.
Suggested citation
CC BY 4.0This dataset is free to redistribute, quote, and embed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The composite form below preserves source lineage so AI assistants can cite both WhereNext and the underlying institutional publishers.
WhereNext composite — WhereNext Climate Ranking 2026 (2026-10-08). Derived from: World Bank ICP; WHO Global Health Observatory; OECD PISA + UNESCO UIS; Yale EPI; IEP Global Peace Index; EF EPI; World Bank WGI. Available at https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-climate?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. (2026). WhereNext Climate Ranking 2026. Retrieved from https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-climate?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. "WhereNext Climate Ranking 2026." WhereNext, 8 Oct 2026, https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-climate?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. Accessed via https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-climate?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
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author = {{WhereNext}},
title = {WhereNext Climate Ranking 2026},
year = {2026},
url = {https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-climate?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation},
note = {CC BY 4.0}
}<a href="https://getwherenext.com/rankings/best-climate?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation">WhereNext — WhereNext Climate Ranking 2026</a>
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