The best countries for expats have been ranked according to factors including quality of life, ease of settling in and personal finances
Panama has been voted the best country for expats followed by Mexico and Indonesia. All three countries attract foreign workers because of their ease of settling in, climate and quality of life.
There are an estimated 281 million expatriates – or international migrants – across the globe which equates to 3.6% of the global population. These days, the term ‘expat’ is no longer limited to corporate employees relocating from a company’s headquarters.
Instead, more and more expats are moving overseas in search of a dream. Some have remote jobs and are now working from a location they love. The latest expat survey from InterNations, one of the largest of its kind, provides insights into the expat life abroad, from getting settled to building a life.
Now in its 11th year, the Expat Insider survey is the largest of its kind. InterNations draws on its 5.4 million members and surveys over 12,500 expats from 175 nationalities living in 174 countries or territories.
InterNations uses its members’ answers to rank 53 destinations on how expat residents feel towards their home away from home. The survey was conducted in early 2024.
The survey uses 53 individual factors that influence an expat’s experience of living in a foreign country including safety and security, family life, finances, travel and transport options, ease of settling in, average working hours and internet speed.
1. Panama
Following an already impressive third place in 2023, expats have named Panama the best country for expats in 2024 with more than four in five expats (82%) happy with their life there (vs. 68% globally).
Panama is an attractive destination for expats for several reasons. For US citizens, it’s just three hours from Miami and six from New York and is affordable compared to many Western countries, particularly when it comes to housing and healthcare, which is available at a fraction of the cost found in the US and Europe.
“I love many things: my neighbourhood, the weather, the variety of climates and terrain (city, beach and highlands), cultural activities, the diversity of restaurants, the people, healthcare, cost of living and the stability of the government.”
– US expat in Panama
Unsurprisingly, Panama’s warm, tropical, year-round climate is also a major draw as is the country’s favourable tax regulations for retirees and foreign income. It also, conveniently, uses US dollars as its currency. For these reasons, Panama has developed a vibrant expat community.
2. Mexico
Almost nine in 10 expats in Mexico (89%) say they are happy – 20 percentage points more than the global average of 68%. Respondents said that Mexico is a friendly country and makes them feel welcome. In fact, Mexico was voted the second-easiest country to settle into.
In terms of personal finances, 62% of respondents rate the cost of living as favourable (vs. 40% globally) and 71% are satisfied with their financial situation in Mexico (vs. 54% globally).
“Mexico is a beautiful and very varied country, with nice, warm people. I like the history and culture, it’s a balance of traditions and modernism.”
– French expat in Mexico
Expats in Mexico also appreciate the local job market and career opportunities in the country. Results also suggest expats appreciate their work-life balance with 43% claiming they are completely satisfied (vs. 25% globally).
3. Indonesia
After a slight drop in 2023 (13th), Indonesia is in the top three best countries for expats. The low cost of living is by far the biggest factor with affordable housing, transportation and everyday expenses making it budget-friendly.
Expats also recognise Indonesia’s diverse culture, highlighting how much they enjoy Indonesia’s rich history, traditions and cultural diversity across its many islands.
“It definitely takes less money to live comfortably here.”
– American expat in Indonesia
Another major factor in the country’s popularity is the Indonesian people, who are known for their hospitality and friendliness toward foreigners.
Overall, 84% of respondents said they were happy with their life in Indonesia (vs. 68% globally). Indonesia is a growing economy, offering professional opportunities in sectors such as tech, tourism and business.
Worst countries for expats
Once again, Kuwait has been named the worst country for expats, following a trend of remarkably poor performances across the past 10 years of the survey.
The country came last in the Quality of Life (53rd) subcategory. Expats are particularly discontent with the cost of living in the country, particularly when it comes to public transport. Expats also claim to struggle with the climate which sees temperatures rocket above 50°C in the summer. Finally, healthcare, essential for a high quality of life, performs poorly.
In 52nd place, Türkiye is the second-worst country for expats. In terms of expats’ overall happiness with their life abroad, 27% of respondents said they were unhappy (vs. 15% globally). Nearly a third of expats (31%) said they are unhappy in their jobs (vs. 19% globally) and respondents are also overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the state of the economy.
“There is a lot of bureaucracy and difficult government process for foreigners. The lack of available work visa and wages are a huge problem for expats living here.”
– Australian expat in Türkiye
Finland, in 51st place, also performed poorly despite its stellar environment and climate policies and good results in the digital life subcategory. Finland’s performance stutters regarding ease of settling in and personal finances. In just a year, the share of expats who are happy with their life in Finland dropped from 78% to 51%.
“Job opportunities are halved if you don’t speak Finnish.”
– Syrian expat in Finland
In Germany, expats reported that making connections and building a social circle can be challenging. Trying to adapt to cultural differences while not feeling welcomed are some of the compounding challenges with 41% of those surveyed saying they don’t feel at home (vs. 23% globally) and 32% reporting they do not feel welcome (vs. 17%).
“I find the culture super isolating and uptight. It’s almost impossible to make friends, and I’m always scared I’m breaking some rule.”
– Ghanaian expat in Germany
The UK continues to underperform after tumbling 21 places and dropping to 59th place in 2018 following Brexit. It has recovered somewhat to 44th position. However, it’s worth remembering that six countries have dropped out of the ranking over the last couple of years because of an insufficient number of respondents.
Complete ranking
Participants were asked to evaluate 53 factors concerning various aspects of life abroad on a scale of one to seven. The mean values were then calculated to create the ranking of the best countries for expats below.
- Panama
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Spain
- Colombia
- Thailand
- Brazil
- Vietnam
- Philippines
- UAE
- Costa Rica
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Kenya
- Portugal
- Australia
- Qatar
- Belgium
- China
- Luxembourg
- Hong Kong
- Malaysia
- South Korea
- Austria
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Greece
- Poland
- South Africa
- Singapore
- New Zealand
- India
- Bahrain
- Switzerland
- USA
- Cyprus
- Japan
- France
- Czechia
- Chile
- Egypt
- Sweden
- Hungary
- UK
- Ireland
- Malta
- Italy
- Norway
- Canada
- Germany
- Finland
- Türkiye
- Kuwait
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