Looking for a Home Abroad? The Top 10 Cities for American Expats

Interest in Americans moving abroad surged in the two days after Donald Trump won this year’s presidential election.

And while a raft of celebrities, including Elon Musk‘s transgender daughter, Vivian Wilson, declared their interest in leaving the country, it seems ordinary Americans are doing the same.

“We received a rush of applications in the middle of the year, a sort of slowdown period from July to mid-October as many were traveling in the summer and others wanted to wait to see how things turned out with the election,” says Steve Corbin, senior sssociate and attorney at Harvey Law Group, an immigration law firm. “Since the results, we’ve seen a flurry of inquiries.”

So if you’re among the ones looking abroad, where should you go?

InterNations recently released its Best & Worst Countries for Living Abroad poll. Expats ranked foreign countries based on five indices: quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance, and expat essentials.

The survey stands out as its rankings come directly from current expats. They ranked 53 destinations, with 12,543 expats participating in the survey, representing 175 nationalities living in 174 countries or territories.

If you are curious about which countries to avoid, the top five are Kuwait, Turkey, Finland, Germany, and Canada.

This primarily has to do with these countries’ high cost of living and difficulty in finding affordable housing. (Sound familiar, Americans?)

Now that the losers are out of the way, let’s move to the winners:

Panama

This small Latin American country takes the crown, with at least 4 in 5 expats (82%) saying they are happy with their life there (vs. 68% globally).

“Panama is an appealing choice for expats due to its proximity to the U.S. and generally safe environment,” says Corbin. “The location will need to be chosen carefully. Panama City, for example, is quite safe, though the health care system isn’t as robust as in European countries, and navigating the city streets can be a bit confusing. Despite these minor challenges, Panama remains an excellent option for expats, offering both city and coastal living.”

The country ranked very high in personal finance (respondents said their disposable income was more than enough to live on comfortably), expat essentials (it’s easy to get things like internet access and visas), and working abroad (the weekly average for full-time positions is 41 hours, which is lower than the global average).

Slightly lower is the quality of life. Although 9 in 10 expats felt personally safe, the country ranked only 15th in health care, and the road system didn’t rank very high (45th out of 53).

Ease of settling in, however, ranked high. Expats said it was easy to make friends and that locals were welcoming, with 41% of respondents saying the locals were friendly to foreigners, versus 25% globally.

Factor in miles of pristine beaches, a large English-speaking expat population, and extremely low income requirements (only $1,000 a month), and there is no reason not to start your research journey here. But hurry, because Panama is no longer a closely guarded expat secret.

Mexico

Close to 9 in 10 expats in Mexico (89%) say they are happy in this Central American country. It has long ranked high for places to retire, with warm weather, spectacular beaches, good food, and friendly locals. Over three-quarters (77%) of respondents said they felt at home in Mexico.

While housing is affordable and a visa is easy to obtain, the country ranked low for excessive bureaucracy and for difficulty opening a bank account.

Mexico really shined for work-life balance: 43% of respondents are completely satisfied with it versus 25% globally.

Indonesia

A total of 84% of expats are happy with their life in Indonesia versus 68% globally. The country also ranks extremely high with a low cost of living (4th) and very friendly locals (2nd).

Where Indonesia truly shines is its work-life balance, with 79% of respondents happy with this versus 60% globally.

Expats also appreciate the short work week here, with those in a full-time position reporting just 38.8 hours compared with a global average of 42.5 hours.

With a work week like that, there is no excuse to not explore the spectacular and diverse landscape: Beaches of the bluest blue and whitest white, volcanoes, jungles, and even forests. And if you’re a coffee lover, the country is known for its fabulous brew.

Housing is affordable, and accommodations are easy to find.

Where the country stumbles is health care: Only 2 in 5 expats were satisfied with the quality, and even fewer rate it positively. Additionally, many say the air quality is bad, as is the public transport.

“Indonesia, specifically Bali, has seen a lot of influx of Russians due to the war in Ukraine, which, from our contacts on the ground, has changed the feel of the place that attracted many people,” says Lief Simon, founding partner at Live and Invest Overseas.

Spain

Spain has always ranked high among expats. In the InterNations survey, it’s the only European nation ranked high for ease of settling in (first), travel and transit (ninth), health care (third), and leisure options (first). And it’s easy to get there legally.

“I can get you a visa for Spain in a few weeks,” says Jean-Francois Harvey, founder of the Harvey Law Group. Spain is one of the countries that he recommends where you can buy real estate for much cheaper than in the U.S. and also have a good chance of becoming a permanent resident.

Spain offers temperate weather, a low cost of living, gorgeous beaches, plenty of railroads, and easy access to the rest of Europe.

“Spain definitely has a lot of opportunities for affordable lifestyles and real estate investment,” adds Simon. “Most people focus on the Mediterranean coast, but the country has even more affordable lifestyle options if you look at some parts of the north coast and the interior of the country.

“For real estate investing and second-home purchases, we’re seeing more Americans considering Europe as an option than we have historically,” says Simon. “The euro remaining relatively weak against the U.S. dollar has helped fuel that interest.”

Colombia

Colombia ranks high for its low cost of living (second), friendliness of the people (75% rank this favorably versus 63% globally), feeling of welcomeness (81%-plus versus 63% globally), and ease of making friends (55% versus 38% globally).

Most people here are satisfied with their financial situation (62%) and rate the affordability of housing positively. Santa Marta, Colombia, offers expats some of the most affordable real estate, according to Live and Invest Overseas.

But the country lags in the quality of life and ease of settling in indices.

Thailand

Thailand ranks high (eighth) for personal finance, with most people feeling they make enough money to live there comfortably. It ranks extremely high for expats feeling that the locals are friendly (83% versus 63% globally).

“The most valued attributes of Thailand as an expat destination are relatively high salaries combined with very low cost-of-living, friendly and welcoming population, and great leisure options,” says InterNations.

Aaron Henry, owner of Bangkok marketing firm Foundeast.com, has lived in the country for nine years.

“Thailand’s health care system is tremendously superior to the USA. Also, no property tax. Quality of life is exceptional,” says Henry.

He adds that now is the time to buy: “With Thailand’s economy slow at the moment amid a credit crunch, it could be a good time for foreign buyers looking for a home outside of the USA to explore the Thailand property market. Despite a slowdown, new condo highrises are still going up across Bangkok. And Thailand, which has historically done a good job of balancing its interests with competing global partners like the USA and China, can feel like a refuge in a world beset with conflicts.”

Brazil

This South American country is new to the survey’s top 10. It ranks high for low cost of living (18th) and ease of settling in. It stumbles in qualify of life (35th) and expat essentials (24th). Most feel housing is affordable, though not as much as in the other below-the-border countries on this list.

With the U.S. being Brazil’s second-largest trading partner, there are business opportunities here, and let’s not forget its world-renowned beaches, so famous that Ipanema has its own song.

Vietnam

This Southeast Asian country is also new to the top 10. Catapulting it there is its No. 1 ranking for personal finances. At least 4 in 5 respondents here said that their disposable household income is about or more than enough to lead a comfortable life (versus 70% globally). In Vietnam, around two-thirds (68%) even find it’s more than enough (versus 41% globally).

Ease of settling in (13th) didn’t rank as high as finances. This could be because Vietnam can be difficult for foreign homebuyers who can own the structure on the land, but not the land itself. Still, the country comes with superb beaches and jungles, friendly locals, and great cuisine.

Philippines

The Philippines ranks extremely high in ease of settling in (third). Most respondents (68%) said their disposable income was enough to live here comfortably, and most rated its cost of living favorably. Housing is affordable, and it’s easy to find accommodations. Dumaguete is considered one of the hottest, most affordable places to buy real estate, according to Investopedia.

Harvey recommends the Philippines for its purchasing power and stable government. With its large U.S. expat population (mostly ex-military), this island replete with beaches and volcanoes has some of the lowest income requirements through its various Special Resident Retiree’s Visa.

It also has one of the lowest real estate investment requirements for residency: only $10,000 to $50,000 (dependent on age).

United Arab Emirates

Rounding out the top 10 is the UAE, which went up one place to make the list. It ranks fairly well on ease of settling in (16th). But, it isn’t a cheap country, ranking 33rd out of 53 destinations for personal finances, and housing is not a bargain.

However, it shines in quality of life, ranking high in the subcategories of travel and transit (12th), health care (12th), and leisure options (third).

Simon of Live and Invest Overseas says most expats move to the country for work and tax purposes. (Salaries are tax-free in Dubai, and there’s a flat 5% tax on goods and services.) The UAE’s economy is fourth in the Middle East. It is considered one of the most progressive Arab countries and considered safe for female solo travelers.